Takedaryu Headmaster

Shirou Ietaka Kaneko

Shirou Ietaka Kaneko was born as a son of the 34th Takedaryu headmaster (Tsukasa-ke) Yurin Kaneko. Ietaka Kaneko started horseback riding at the age of ten. At the age of thirteen, he debuted as a horseback archer and performed his first Yabusame Shinji demonstration at Meiji Jingu Shrine in 1935.

After WWII, he devoted himself to resume Yabusame Shinji demonstration, which had came to a halt due to the war. Then, the renowned film maker, Akira Kurosawa asked Ietaka Kaneko to instruct and demonstrate horseback archery in the films such as The Seven Samurai, Kumonosu jyou, Toride no san akunin, Kagemusha.

He has been introducing and promoting the traditional Japanese horseback martial arts and has been leading the demonstrations of horseback archery at many shrines such as Meiji Jingu shrine, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine, Samukawa shrine and Mishima Taisha shrine in Japan. He has been open-minded to overseas exchange, and many countries have invited Takedaryu for demonstrations. In the past several years, the following countries have requested, and had Takedaryu horseback archery performances: France (1991 and 1997), Brazil (1995), Mongolia (1998), Germany (1992 and 2004), Bahrain (2002), Oman (2006).

In 1995, he was honored to receive a Medal from San Paulo State government. In 1997, he was honored by Kamakura City.