Toh-shiya (Archery Contest)
Toh-shiya is an archery contest that is held at the Sanjusangendo Temple in Kyoto and dates back to the 12th century. This traditional ceremony is scheduled to the closest Sunday to January 15th. The event marks the first shooting of arrows and has been called “New Year Archery.” It is also a time where women who are coming of age at 20 years old within the year fire arrows to commemorate the milestone. Imagine rows of 20 year olds dressed up in kimonos from all over Japan to participate in the ceremony. The Sanjusangendo temple is 120 meters long, which makes it the longest wooden structure in the world. The target is 1 meter in diameter and is placed 60 meters away. It takes a certain level of expertise to hit the target. This ceremony is worth the trip to see and is another way to welcome the New Year.