Despite the joys of seeing a horse in full flow, the soporific sport of Banei has remarkably managed to make watching these majestic beasts mundane — mind-numbing even. However, as luck would have it, the plodding pace of the aforementioned pastime is conveniently countered by the breakneck bravery of Yabusame. This latest instalment held at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine in Kamakura.
A sport where men are men,
their mounts are magnificent,
and the crowds, as is common, are congested.
Not that it affects the composure of the contestants of course.
And, as an added bonus of sorts, even the officials are fascinating to look at.
Fetching even.
(click images for higher-res heroics)
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Big fan of the last pic ….. strangely quite cute.
And if all goes badly while you are there, it is some condolence that you can probably find some Sakura Niku at a local store to munch on.
Great shots! I was at the demonstration at Sumida koen this past weekend and really enjoyed it. I’ll be putting up my shots in the next day or two.
Nice work, Lee!