Assassin's Creed Shadows: Horse Archery Locations & Interactive Tracking Guide

Horse Archery in Assassin's Creed Shadows is the Yabusame — the ancient Japanese art of mounted archery — practised across 10 arenas throughout Japan, all exclusive to Yasuke.

Each arena is hosted by the master archer Norimune, rewards 500 XP, 1 Knowledge Point, and a unique horse cosmetic, and can only be attempted after Yasuke is unlocked by completing Act 1.

All 10 arena locations are fully documented below and on Map Master's Assassin's Creed Shadows Japan map.

Yasuke-Exclusive: What Happens When Naoe Approaches

Horse Archery arenas appear on the map as white question marks that transform into orange horse icons as Yasuke gets close.

If Naoe approaches an arena location, the activity will not start — switch to Yasuke via the inventory menu before beginning.

The arenas are not visible on the map at all until Yasuke is unlocked through the main story.

How the Mechanic Works

Speak to Norimune at any arena to begin. Once Yasuke mounts, the horse steers itself along a preset course — no directional input is needed.

The entire challenge is aim and release: draw Yasuke's bow while the horse moves and shoot every target that appears along the route.

A white dot counter at the bottom of the screen tracks remaining targets. The threshold to pass is hitting the majority of targets.

A perfect score requires hitting every single one. Target types include clay jars marked with circles, barrels, and various objects — some clearly visible, others hidden behind trees, undergrowth, or partially below water level in later arenas.

Difficulty scales significantly across arenas. Early regions (Yamashiro, Izumi Settsu) offer three to six large, well-positioned targets at consistent heights with no obstacles. Later arenas (Iga, Azuchi, Kii) hide targets and demand anticipation rather than reaction.

Knowledge Points: Why Every Arena Counts

Each completed Horse Archery arena awards 1 Knowledge Point toward Knowledge Rank progression — the same system fed by Kata for Yasuke and by Kuji-kiri and Hidden Trails for Naoe.

Six Knowledge Ranks exist in total, each unlocking improved abilities and passive perks. Completing all 10 arenas contributes 10 Knowledge Points — a substantial portion of the total needed to reach the highest rank.

Pairing them with Kofun tomb exploration completes the Knowledge Point sweep most efficiently.

All 10 horse cosmetics are equippable from the inventory immediately on collection. Nothing is missable — all arenas remain available through post-story free-roam.