“Yawata” horses

During the era of the Nambu clan, archery on horseback was practiced inside the confines of the “Kushibiki Hachiman-gu”, the main shrine of the Nambu region. During these occasions, the strongest horses in the region were given to the shrine as an offering. The “Yawata” horses were based on these offerings, and during the Kushibiki Hachiman Shrine Festival, these wooden horses were sold in the shrine, and this practice continues to this day.