Tōshiya, Sanjusangen-do Temple, Kyoto, Sunday 17, January 2016

Tōshiya

A Ukiyo-e woodcut from the Edo period depicting the Tōshiya The Tōshiya (lit. passing arrow) or the arrows which hit the target, was an archery exhibition contest held on the west veranda of Sanjūsangen-dō temple in Kyoto, Japan.

History of the contest The contest originated in the late 16th century dating back to 1606 when a samurai named Asaoka Heibei is said to have shot 51 arrows in rapid succession down the length of the veranda.[2] In the beginning, archers shot arrows from the southern end of the veranda to the northern end where a curtain-like ornament was erected as a target. The contest gained popularity during the Edo period and by the late 17th century competitions between participants from the Owari and Kishū provinces were drawing big crowds. The Tōshiya would later be used as a motif in stories and film.

Just a few steps from the Hyatt Regency Kyoto and directly across the street from the Kyoto National Museum, Sanjusangen-do Temple is a sight that you’ll remember long after leaving Japan. Imagine row upon row of exquisitely carved Kannon images filling a vast hall, with a sublime Senju-Kannon (Thousand-Armed Kannon) figure at the center of it all. Kannon is commonly translated as the Buddhist goddess of mercy, but sticklers will point out that Kannon is actually a bodhisattva (a being who puts off entry into nirvana in order to save all souls still suffering in the world of corruption and desire).

English address: 657 Sanjusangendomawari-cho, Higashiyama-ku

Opening hours: 8am-5pm, last entry 4.30pm 9am-4pm, last entry 3.30pm 16 November-31 March

Admission: Adults: \600 High and junior high school students: \400 Children: \300

Non-smoking area: Yes

Nearest Transport: In front of Sanjusangendo-mae Bus Stop, Kyoto City Bus 100 or 206 from Kyoto Station 10min walk from Shichijo Station, Keihan line

From:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dshiya

http://www.insidekyoto.com/sanjusangen-do-temple