Yumi
弓 · yumi
An asymmetrical Japanese bow over two metres long, held below its centre so the upper limb is longer; a samurai weapon and today an implement of kyūdō.
Quick Facts
JapanAbout the weapon
The yumi is a traditional Japanese bow held below centre, so the lower limb is shorter than the upper one. This asymmetry is already described in the 3rd-century Chinese Records of Wei: wooden bows there have a short lower limb and long upper limb. The oldest surviving asymmetrical bow is from about the 5th century, from Nara Prefecture. Maruki yumi bows of a single piece of wood were used up to the Nara period (710–794). From mid to late Heian, the Japanese developed the laminated fusedake no yumi of bamboo and wood. Standard length is roughly seven shaku and three sun, about 2.21 m. The shigetō yumi of the Kamakura period had a maximum range up to 400 m and effective range around 80 m. Even after tanegashima guns spread in the Sengoku period, the yumi stayed in use. In the Kamakura period, three kinds of mounted archery spread: yabusame, inuoumono and kasagake. Today a distinction is made between kyūdō, the "way of the bow" with a spiritual dimension, and kyūjutsu, the shooting technique. The bow also has its place in sumo: the yumitori-shiki ceremony is dedicated to Shinto kami. In popular culture, a futuristic yumi is used, for example, by the character Hanzo Shimada in the video game Overwatch.