The History of Kyudo
Historically, Japanese archery has been shrouded in myth and
legend, making it difficult to assemble a completely accurate
account of its development. Still, by focusing on the similarities
recorded in ancient chronicles, historians have managed to piece
together a reliable picture of the historical development of kyudo.
For clarity we have divided that development into five historical
stages - Prehistoric (7,000 B.C to A.D. 330), Ancient (330-1192),
Feudal (1192-1603), Transitional (1603-1912), and Modern (1912 to
the present).
The Prehistoric Period
It goes without saying that the evolution of Japanese archery
closely coincides with the development and [Emperor Jimmu]use of
the Japanese bow. The earliest known inhabitants of the Japanese
islands, a hunter-gatherer culture known as the Jomon relied
heavily on the use of the bow. Their bows were of different lengths
but most were the short, center-gripped type common to other
primitive cultures. The Jomon bow was primarily used as a hunting
tool but it is quite probable that it was also used in tribal
warfare and ritual. From around 250 B.C to A.D. 330 the Yayoi
culture flourished. During this time the bow came to be used as a
symbol of political power. Legend says that Japan's first ruler was
Emperor Jimmu, (illustration at right) who ascended to the thone in
660 B.C. And while many historians dispute this, the fact remains
that in paintings and descriptions of his life Jimmu is always
depicted holding a long bow, a symbol of his authority. A bronze
casting from the Yayoi period appears to show the use of a long
asymmetrical bow. And a written account compiled by the Chinese in
the third century describes the Japanese as using a bow with upper
and lower limbs of differing length, so it is highly likely that
the unique asymmetrical design of the Japanese bow was adopted
during the Yayoi period.
The Ancient Period
During this period Japan was strongly influenced by Chinese
culture. It was then that ceremonial archery became an important
part of the court system. The Japanese bowmakers also began to
borrow the composite construction used by the Chinese and by the
tenth century had developed a two-piece composite bow using bamboo
and wood. The Ancient period also saw the rise of the samurai, or
warrior class, and the bow saw even greater use as a weapon of war
as the samurai struggled to establish themselves as a powerful new
social class.
The Feudal Period
In 1192 Minamoto no Yoritomo was granted the title of shogun, or
military governor, and established stricter standards for his
warriors. As part of that training, Ogasawara Nagakiyo, the founder
of Ogasawara Ryu, was instructed to teach mounted archery in a more
formal manner. It was during this time that the kyujutsu ryu, the
schools of archery technique came into their own. One of the most
influential archers of the time was Heki Danjo Masatsugu, the
founder of Heki Ryu, who lived from 1443 to 1502. He is credited
with standardizing the training of kyujutsu which no doubt assured
its continued growth and development, even into modern times. It
was during the Feudal period that the construction of the Japanese
bow reached its peak. By the late sixteenth century it was regarded
as being near perfect in design. So much so, that the bamboo and
wood laminate bows used in modern kyudo are nearly identical to
those made four hundred years ago. As it turned out, the end of the
sixteenth century also spelled the end of the bow's usefulness as a
weapon of war when Oda Nobunaga, commanding conscripts armed with
muskets, defeated the opposing force of kyujutsu archers in a major
battle in 1575.
The Transitional Period
In the seventeenth century Japan's period of civil war ceased and
the emphasis of Japanese archery gradually changed from kyujutsu to
kyudo, or, in other words, from the technique of fighting with a
bow to the way of personal development. The Transitional period
also saw the general public become more involved with the practice
of archery. As the twentieth century dawned, Honda Toshizane, a
kyudo instructor at Tokyo Imperial University, combined elements of
the warrior and ceremonial styles to create a hybrid form that came
to be known as Honda Ryu. Although the traditional schools were
against the creation of this hybrid form, Honda Toshizane is widely
credited today with ensuring the survival of kyudo in the twentieth
century.
The Modern Period
In the early 1930's it became evident that modern kyudo would need
to be standardized in some way to guarantee its continued growth.
The issue was hotly debated and the agreement that was reached in
1934 was tentative at best. After World War II, the practice of
kyudo, along with all other martial arts, was banned by the
occupation forces. It wasn't until 1949 that final authorization
was granted and the Zen Nihon Kyudo Renmei (known as the All Nippon
Kyudo Federation in English) was formed. In 1953 the kyudo kyohon
(manual) was published, establishing the shooting procedures that
are in common use today.
(For a more detailed account of the history and development of
kyudo see the Resources section of this website for information on
our book, Kyudo: The Essence and Practice of Japanese Archery).
