In 1192, Yoritomo Minamoto, who had been honorably appointed as a prominent general of the Kamakura shogun ate and became the establisher of the military government that lasted 670 years went on a hunting at Nasuno and on his way home, he stopped at the residence of a feudal lord Yoshishige Nitta, who was the owner of the territory called "Nitta-no-sho".
Yoritomo held an equestrian horse riding competition (the Kisya) at Nitta's territory and during the competition, he saw his subordinate's rash hat called "Aya-I-gasa" untying and blowing in the air; Yoritomo playfully ordered his subordinates to shoot it; it is said to be the origin of the name of the Kasagake performance and the name of Kasagake city that still exists now.
Besides, it is also said that when Yoritomo was actually about to perform formal Yabusame ceremony preparing proper wooden targets to be shot and getting the Yabusame archers ready, he suddenly changed his mind because the Yabusame was too formal and ceremonial, therefore, he swapped the wooden targets for Aya-I-gasa rash hats to make the performance more casual and abbreviated.The Samurai warriors rapidly galloped their horses and successfully shot Aya-I-gasa targets.
Yoritomo finally devised the Kasagake as an important part of an equestrian horse riding training for the martial elites.