“Nasunoyoichi shooting a fan [at] a great distance”, c. 1920. Japanese folklore published by the Toyo Kisen Kaisha (T.K.K.) passenger shipping line.
See also:
“To shoot an arrow”, c. 1920.
“Shinyo Maru”, T.K.K. Line, c. 1920-1930.
“Nasu no Yoichi (c. 1169 – c. 1232) was a samurai who fought alongside the Minamoto clan in the Genpei War. He is particularly famous for his actions at the Battle of Yashima in 1184.
“According to the Heike Monogatari (‘The Tale of the Heike’, Chapter 11), the enemy Taira placed a fan atop a pole on one of their ships, daring the Minamoto warriors to shoot it off. Sitting atop his mount in the waves, his target atop the ship rocking as well, Nasu nevertheless shot it down with only one arrow.
“Nasu in retirement became a Buddhist monk in the Jōdo Shinshū sect. Eventually, he formed a temple, which has since been passed down to the oldest son of the Nasu family. For administrative purposes, detailed records were kept regarding who was to inherit the temple. As a result of this, it was possible to trace the Nasu lineage right up to the destruction of the temple during World War II.”