Tōshiya

The contest originated in the late 16th century[1] 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.

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.

In 1861, after 255 years, the Tōshiya ceased being held, but a contest based on the Tōshiya called Ōmato Taikai, or Tournament of the Great Target still continues today, drawing roughly 2,000 participants from throughout Japan.

Archers shoot arrows into targets approximately 50–100 cm (20–39 in) in diameter and 60 meters (198 feet) away at the opposite end of the veranda.

It is held on the second Sunday of January in conjunction with the temple's most important mass, the Yanagi-no-Okaji, or Rite of the Willow ritual and Japan's Coming of Age Day.