The Yumi: Japanese Archery and the Bow, a Samurai’s First Weapon

Before the 11th century AD the Japanese samurai was not consumed by the way of the sword. The samurai, or ‘those who serve,’ were soldiers who were proficient in a variety of weapons. The samurais’ true weapon, however, was the yumi (the long bow) which they were known for firing from horseback while charging the enemy.

This skill in archery came from long years of practice, and thus a samurai’s skill with the yumi affected a warrior’s status amongst his peers. The significance of the bow in the military life of the samurai prior to the 11th century even influenced the design of the armor the samurai. The early breastplate, or ‘tsurubashari,’ had a smooth design across the breast which allowed the samurai to draw and loose an arrow without difficulty.

Even the scabbard of a samurai’s sword was pressed into the service of the bow. A small disc, usually made of wood or woven reeds, held a spare bowstring of hemp and was attached to the scabbard. The yumi itself was composite, being made of bamboo and a variety of woods, all of which were bound togby rattan.

Since the yumi was intended to be used from a mounted position the bow was well over two meters in length. The yumi was asymmetrical in design with the curves of the top and bottom differing sharply in contrast to the design with which Western Europeans are familiar. Also, the handle of the bow was located only one third of the way up from the bottom of the bow. This enabled the samurai to have more drawing power and accuracy with his arrows.

The arrows themselves were kept in a quiver which was worn on the samurai’s right side. When a samurai drew and notched an arrow he pulled it out and down since he was horseback. As the yumi was such a significant weapon for a samurai it should not be surprising that a large variety of arrow heads were developed. One particularly interesting arrowhead was wooden -- carved in the shape of a bulb -- and it had numerous holes which created a whistling sound when fired. This particular arrowhead was effective both in signaling between separate elements of a force and in frightening undisciplined troops.

As the technology of war progressed the yumi would soon become a secondary weapon of the warrior with the refinement of sword making and the philosophy of the sword following the conclusion of the Gempei War in the 11th century AD. By the 16th century AD Japanese commanders realized that the arquebus was a far more practical weapon than the bow for massed combat as the make up of armies began to shift drastically from an elite warrior class to conscripts drawn from the poor. These raw and uneducated villagers could be conscripted and trained to use the arquebus in a matter of days. While the weapon was not terribly accurate it did allow a commander to introduce an incredible weight of firepower onto the battlefield. No longer did a commander need to be concerned with fielding an army of samurai who had trained for years in the art of the bow.

While the samurai is best remembered for his skill with the sword and his dedication to its art it must be remembered that the sword was but one weapon in which he was proficient. Prior to the 11th century AD the common samurai went into combat with a naginata (similar to a European glaive), his dagger, sword, and -- most importantly -- his yumi. For centuries the ‘men who serve’ proved that a samurai and his bow was a dangerous team.

For further reading: The Samurai: A Military History , by S.R. Turnbull