The Tōshiya (Passing Arrows) festival at Sanjūsangen-dō Temple is a historic archery exhibition originating in 1606. Held along the temple's 120-meter-long wooden veranda, the event was a high-stakes competition for samurai to prove their mental and physical fortitude. Today, it continues as the Ōmato Taikai, featuring 2,000 archers, primarily young adults celebrating their 20th year, compete in formal kimono and hakama. While the modern target is set at 60 meters, the event maintains the strict technical discipline of Edo-period martial arts.

Historically, the competition consisted of four grueling categories: the Hyaku-i and Sen-i, testing accuracy over 100 and 1,000 shots, and the Hiyakazu, a 12-hour marathon for boys. In 1774, 13-year-old Masaaki Noro set a Hiyakazu record by firing 11,715 arrows in half a day. The ultimate event was the 24-hour Ōyakazu. In 1686, Wasa Daihachiro established the all-time record by shooting 13,053 arrows in one sitting, successfully landing 8,133 hits—a relentless pace of nine arrows per minute for an entire day and night.

The event coincides with the Yanagi-no-Okaji (Rite of the Willow), where priests touch visitors' heads with sacred willow branches to cure headaches and prevent illness. This is the only day of the year that Sanjūsangen-dō waives its entrance fee, granting the public free access to view the 1,001 life-sized Golden Kannon statues inside the main hall. These statues, carved from cypress and covered in gold leaf, serve as the backdrop for the archers positioned along the western eaves of the historic structure.