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Articles Arms and Amour Japanese Longbow | Japanese Longbow | | Print | |
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For centuries the bow and arrow was the principle weapon of choice in Japan and even after the introduction of the firearm in the 16th century, and the strict rule of the Tokugawa shogunate, archery remained a noble art. It was from the use of the war bow or longbow in particular that Chinese historians called the Japanese 'the people of the longbow'. As early as the 4th century archery contests were being held in Japan. In the Heian period (between the 8th and 12th centuries) archery competitions on horseback were very popular and during this time training in archery was developed. Archers had to loose their arrows against static and mobile targets both on foot and on horseback. The static targets were the large kind or o-mato and was set at thirty-three bow lengths and measured about 180cm in diameter; the deer target or kusajishi consisted of a deer's silhouette and was covered in deer skin and marks indicated vital areas on the body; and finally there was the round target or marumono which was essentially a round board, stuffed and enveloped in strong animal skin. To make things more interesting for the archer these targets would be hung from poles and set in motion so that they would provide much harder targets to hit. Throughout feudal Japan indoor and outdoor archery ranges could be found in the houses of every major samurai clan. Bow and arrow and straw targets were common sights as were the beautiful cases which held the arrows and the likewise ornate stands which contained the bow. These items were prominent features in the houses of samurai.Training from horseback was obviously a lot more difficult and was the domain of the true samurai, as their origin was as an equestrian archer. Coordination had to be honed if the archer was to loose a well aimed arrow from the back of a galloping horse. A number of archery forms evolved for this purpose: yabusame or three-target shooting; kasagake or bamboo-hat target shooting; inuoumono or dog shooting, inuoi or dog hunt, oitorigari or bird hunt, and the grand hunt itself called makigari. Yabusame, or three-target shooting, involved the equestrian archer galloping at full speed while loosing arrows at three targets along the horse's path. Kasagake or bamboo-hat target shooting was performed in the confines of a fenced course called the arrow way (yado). A shelf was set at one end at which bamboo hats were hung. The rider was required to shoot at them from distance and then close range while at full gallop. Inuoumono, or dog shooting, was quite literally that. A number of dogs were released into a bamboo-fenced arena after which the riders entered and shot them. Although this barbaric practice wasn't phased out and remained popular for centuries edicts were eventually introduced which forced the riders to use non-lethal arrows and the dogs wore padded jackets. Like in medieval Europe hunting was very popular. Groups of samurai and their retainers enjoyed setting up encampments in the countryside or mountains from where they would search and subsequently chase their quarry. Just as much honour and prestige could be attained by a samurai for carrying out a good kill on a deer or boar than if he killed an enemy in battle. The typical longbow, or war bow (daikyu), was made from deciduous wood faced with bamboo and was reinforced with a binding of rattan to further strengthen the composite weapon together. To waterproof it the shaft was lacquered. The length of the weapon was considerable, just over two metres, and was bent in the shape of a double curve. The bowstring was made from a fibrous substance originating from plants (usually hemp or ramie) and was coated with wax to give a hard smooth surface and in some cases it was necessary for two people to string the bow. Bowstrings were often made by skilled specialists and came in varying qualities from hard strings to the soft and elastic bowstrings used for hunting; silk was also available but this was only used for ceremonial bows. The bow's draw-weight measured from between 35-90lbs so the archer would have to have some strength to use it properly. Factors contributing to the draw-weight were the types of materials used to make the bow. Other types of bows existed. There was the short bow, one used for battle called the hankyu, one used for amusement called the yokyu, and one used for hunting called the suzume-yumi. There was also the maru-ki or roundwood bow, the shige-no-yumi or bow wound round with rattan, and the hoko-yumi or the Tartar-shaped bow. Further Reading Samurai 'The World of the Warrior' - Stephen Turnbull Secrets of the Samurai - Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook |
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