Yumi

This article is about the Japanese bow. For other uses, see Yumi (disambiguation).

Yumi (弓)
Yumi from behind, profile
TypeAsymmetrical bow
Place of originJapan
Service history
Used bySamurai, Onna-musha, Kyudo practitioners
Production history
ProducedSince 3rd century (the asymmetrical yumi)[1]
VariantsHankyū
Specifications
Length212–245 cm (83–96 in)
CartridgeArrow length: 85–110 cm (33–43 in)
Japanese bows, arrows, and arrow-stand
Yumi bow names

Yumi (弓) is the Japanese term for a bow. As used in English, yumi refers more specifically to traditional Japanese asymmetrical bows, and includes the longer daikyū (大弓) and the shorter hankyū (半弓) used in the practice of kyūdō and kyūjutsu, or Japanese archery.

The yumi was an important weapon of the samurai warrior during the feudal period of Japan. It is typically shot with Japanese arrows known as ya.

The most famous style of yumi is an asymmetrically shaped long bow with a length of more than 2 m (6 ft 7 in), characterized by the archer holding the part of the bow below the center to shoot the arrow.[2][3]

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