VOL.211 JANUARY 2026
JAPAN AND UME [Introducing Precious Traditional Japanese Culture to the World] The Etiquette of Yabusame: Training and Performance from the Archer’s Perspective

Michael practicing yabusame
Photo: Courtesy of MORIYAMA Masatomo

Michael No is a disciple (monjin) of Ogasawara-ryu,¹ a school that has systematized traditional Japanese etiquette (reiho), archery (kyujutsu), and mounted archery (kyubajutsu) — practices that have been faithfully passed down through the Ogasawara clan for more than 850 years, across 31 generations. In pursuing yabusame,² dedicated training on a daily basis is essential, and practice continues year-round. We spoke with Michael about what he considers most important in this training.

In my view, yabusame training can be divided broadly into three categories: technical training based on Ogasawara-ryu teachings, additional physical conditioning, and the development of the horses.

There are two fundamental Ogasawara-ryu training methods: kisha taiso, a static riding stance that strengthens the legs and develops the stability required for yabusame, and mokuba keiko, or wooden-horse training, which involves the use of specific riding positions and archery techniques in slow, methodical repetition. In my early years with the school, I trained nearly every day. After work, I would practice kisha taiso and mokuba keiko, and almost daily I visited the stables to help care for the horses, as well. Several times a week, I also rode horses early in the morning before work.

Training intensity naturally increases in the periods leading up to spring and autumn, the seasons when the most yabusame rituals are held. Over the years, my approach to training has gradually evolved. Working with horses is physically demanding, so to support my health and prevent injuries, I now incorporate walking, stretching, balance, and bodyweight exercises. More recently, I have added acupuncture treatments, as well. By paying careful attention to my body and mind, I seek not only to perform at my best today, but to maintain both physical and mental balance in order to continue performing yabusame well in the future.

One distinctive feature of the Ogasawara-ryu Nikko Branch, to which I belong, is one of the few locations in Japan where disciples can regularly ride horses at the Shogun Stables in Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture. The Stables also house the Nikko Toshogu Shrine’s³ sacred horses (go-shinme)⁴ and feature horse-riding grounds, dedicated yabusame practice grounds, a traditional archery range, and more. Disciples from other regions travel long distances to train here, and these horses also serve in yabusame rituals throughout eastern Japan. Having daily access to these horses has been a blessing; spending so much time with them has helped me discover a deep love for horses.

Typically, I practice the actual galloping and shooting part of yabusame once or twice a week. However, most of my riding is focused on developing the horses: maintaining their physical and mental balance with basic work in the arena, practice on the yabusame track that does not involve speed, forest walks, and giving them time to spend with other horses. Training a yabusame horse may bring to mind images of galloping and shooting, but that is only one part of the picture. Actual yabusame rituals and traditional festivals involve many factors that can be overwhelming for horses: the loud noises of large crowds, unfamiliar environments, banners, the sounds of drums and fireworks, and more. To ensure safety and harmony between horse and archer, and all attendees, we must perform many kinds of training to help prepare them to remain calm and focused under these stresses.

The more deeply my understanding of the horse’s mind and body grows, the more I strive to achieve refined performance without compromising the horse’s physical or mental well-being. Ensuring a long and healthy life for the horses has always been my top priority, and I approach it with strong responsibility and passion.

Japan’s reputation for exceptional manners is well known, but Ogasawara-ryu elevates etiquette (reiho) to an art form. This etiquette is meticulous, filled with consideration, and above all, elegant. While preserving traditions of warriors’ etiquette, the school has also adapted etiquette for the modern world.

While I am dedicated to my practice as an archer, I am not a specialist in etiquette. However, because reiho is a core pillar of the school, all disciples must learn the fundamentals: correct standing and sitting, proper walking, bowing, and entering or exiting rooms. These movements may appear simple, yet when practiced with precision and awareness, they become surprisingly challenging — physically and mentally. This is because we are not accustomed to using our bodies in such correct and intentional ways.

Disciples who focus on mounted archery (kisha), like myself, also study reiho specific to yabusame: caring for saddles, bows, and equipment, conduct while mounted, and proper methods of mounting and dismounting, amongst many other things. One important practice is kataabumi, removing one foot from the stirrup (abumi)⁵ when passing a person of high rank as a sign of respect. I’ll never forget the day of my yabusame debut, when I was severely scolded for not removing my foot from the stirrup as I rode past souke, the head of Ogasawara-ryu.

Beyond the etiquette taught within the school, archers must also learn specific ceremonial procedures that must be followed at each shrine. At Kasama Inari Shrine in Kasama City, Ibaraki Prefecture, for example, the first archer must offer a specially prepared branch called a tamagushi.⁶ At Nikko Toshogu Shrine, the first archer must recite a special prayer (norito)⁷ before beginning.

Yabusame is a comprehensive art form that combines archery and riding techniques, as well as etiquette with a deep respect for man and horse. I will, through the beautiful art which is yabusame, continue to train my body and mind, to become a better disciple, better person, and at one with the horse.

Michael No
Born in Melbourne, Australia, Michael developed an interest in yabusame and moved to Japan in 2012. He has trained for over a decade as a disciple of Ogasawara-ryu, practicing daily and serving as a mounted archer in Shinto rituals and other events. He serves as an instructor of cultural experiences and a horse trainer in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture.
Photo: Courtesy of TOYONAGA Kazuaki

• 1. The founder of Ogasawara-ryu, Ogasawara Nagakiyo, was the instructor of etiquette and mounted archery for Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147–1199), the Shogun who established the Kamakura shogunate. Thereafter, the Ogasawara family continued as instructors to the shogun’s family, passing down the practices of reiho (etiquette), kyujutsu (hosha, foot archery), and kyubajutsu (kisha, mounted archery). Reiho refers to the refined and efficient manners of the warrior class; hosha is archery performed on foot, and kisha is archery performed on horseback.
• 2. A form of mounted archery in which archers shoot targets while galloping on horseback. Popular among samurai from the late Heian to Kamakura periods, it is now preserved as a Shinto ritual performed at shrines.
• 3. A shrine in Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture. Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616), the first shogun of the Edo shogunate, is enshrined here.
• 4. Horses dedicated to shrines, meant to be ridden by deities.
• 5. A type of horse-riding gear. Hanging from both sides of the saddle, they provide a supporting step for the rider when mounting the horse and support the rider’s feet while riding.
• 6. Decorations made from cut paper attached to small branches of evergreen trees like sakaki (Cleyera japonica) and placed as offerings before the deity.
• 7. Words of prayer recited before shrines’ deities in offering.

By Michael No
Photo: TOYONAGA Kazuaki; MORIYAMA Masatomo; WAKANA Nobuya