Miyakonojo bow is beautiful and the tool for Archery

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What is Miyakonojo bow

Miyakonojo daikyu (Miyakonojo bow) is a bamboo craft made mainly in Miyazaki Prefecture. The raw materials used are “Madake bamboo” and a wood called haze. Incidentally, there are three types of bows: bamboo bows compose bamboo, glass bows made of glass fiber, and carbon bows made of carbon fiber. It is an ancient Japanese bow, while the glass and carbon bows are modern bows that have appeared in response to changes in the times. Among these bows, the Miyakonojo version is considered to be particularly difficult to handle because it is made of natural materials. However, Miyakonojo big bows, which are made by hand by craftsmen, have a traditional texture, and the more they are used, the more they develop their own flavor, so they remain popular even though they are expensive.

Kyudo
https://www.photo-like.jp/sports/useful/tips/sports_photo-2.html

Characteristics of Miyakonojo Bow

The most distinctive feature of the Miyakonojo bow is its length, which is as long as 2 meters. The bow has been considered an excellent weapon since the time of its creation, as the longer the bow is, the better the accuracy and the farther the arrow can fly.

The manufacturing process of this traditional Japanese craft can be broken down into more than 200 steps, all of which are carried out by hand by a single craftsman, the bow maker. The material used for the bow is madake bamboo that is 3 to 4 years old. Madake bamboo of that age is resilient and thick, making it perfect for making bows. In addition to madake, they also use a tree called sumac (wax tree). The use of sumac makes the bows stronger and more durable.

Japanese traditional Bow
source: Miyakonojo Tourism

History

In the Miyakonojo area, large bows have been produced since ancient times. The oldest extant record of the production of the bow is the “Shonai Geography. The “Shonai Geography” is a record of the situation in the territory of the Miyakonojo Shimazu family, the lords of the time, from the Bunka-Bunsei and Tempo periods of the Edo period, and describes the production of bows in the Shiwachi and Kanada areas of Miyakonojo City. It also records that the Miyakonojo Shimazu family had a bow-making craftsman.

Thus,  the bow making was prosperous in the Miyakonojo area, and further developed in the Meiji period (1868-1912) when Zenji Kusumi came from the Kawauchi area in Kagoshima Prefecture to live here in search of bow making materials. Kusumi brought new techniques to the Miyakonojo area. His son, Kurakichi, in particular, trained many apprentices and expanded sales channels to Taiwan, Korea, and Manchuria in the early Showa period, thereby contributing to the establishment of Miyakonojo as a bow production center.

The city overcame the postwar industrial slump, and at its peak, nearly 30 companies were engaged in the production of bows. However, in April 1994, it was designated as a traditional craft by the national government, and as the only production center of bamboo bows in Japan, it is contributing to the creation of a distinctive region.

 Manufacturing Methods and Processes

1. Bamboo Selection (Chikurin)

In the Miyakonojo bow, the craftsman alone performs as many as 200 detailed processes. The first process is to select the bamboo. The material used is madake (madake), which is 3 to 4 years old. This is because the bamboo is resilient and the thickness of the flesh is just right.

Bamboo is not the only material used for the Miyakonojo bow. The core and top and bottom of the bow are made of a tree called Hazenoki. This is because mixing the wood with Hazenoki makes the bow sturdier than using bamboo alone.

2. Cutting out the ma-dake

Bamboo is cut out during the cold season from November to December. This is because it is during the drought season when water is scarce and bamboo suitable for processing can be harvested. The cut material is not used as is, but is split into small pieces and dried naturally over a period of 3 to 4 months.

3. Bamboo oil removal and drying

Newly cut bamboo contains a lot of oil. In order to lighten and give it sufficient resilience, this oil must be removed thoroughly. In the process of removing oil from the bamboo, the it is heated over a charcoal fire and the oil that rises to the surface is removed by wiping it off. This process is repeated until the bamboo has turned a candy color.

After the oil is removed in this way, the raw material is dried in the sun for a week to dry it thoroughly and remove any scum and dirt.

4. Fire-quenching of bow and core bamboos

In the fire-roasting process, the bamboo is again roasted over a charcoal fire until golden brown. This process is important not only to make the it lighter, but also to make it less susceptible to insects.

5. Stringing the core of the bow

The core of the bow is made by layering three to nine pieces of bamboo and gluing them together at both ends when using Hazenoki. The more layers are used for the bow core, the more resilient the bow will be.

Kyudo
source: POUCHS

6. Sharpening the Bamboo for the Bow

The next step is to process the bow bamboo, which is attached to the back and front of the bow core. The material is shaved around the grip area so that it becomes thinner towards both ends.

7. Shaving the forehead wood and the sekiita

The hitaigi and sekiita are the parts on the top and bottom of the bow where the bowstring is hung. Hazenoki or bamboo is cut and shaved to the specified size.

8. Striking the bow

The bow core, bow bamboo, forehead wood, and seki-ban, which are processed separately, are combined to make a single bow. In order to create the bow’s warped shape, the pieces glued together are tied tightly with rope, and a long wedge is driven in at each rope joint. The key is to strike in the opposite direction of the finished product.

9. Stringing the bow

This is the process of attaching a firm curve to the bow. In the hammering-in process, the wedge is driven in the opposite direction of the finished product to create a warp. Bows have a strong repulsive force. Once the bow is warped backward, the repulsive force becomes stronger, and when the wedge is removed during tensioning, a beautiful curve with a bend is created. Then, strings are put on this and the overall shape is set.

10. Finishing the bow

After the bow has been stretched and shaped for 10 days, it is time to finish the bow’s shape. Using a file and sandpaper, the bow is shaved into a suitable shape for that particular bow.

11. Nigiri-shozoku

The grip is the part of the bow’s grip. Rattan twine and deerskin leather are wrapped around it to finish it.

12. Completion

The length of the grip is adjusted to suit the user, and other subtle adjustments are made.

Miyakonojo Bow
https://www.city.miyakonojo.miyazaki.jp/site/kanko/2653.html

Key point

The Miyakonojo Bow is highly regarded by Japanese archery enthusiasts throughout Japan. The Miyakonojo bow is made of bamboo from the rich natural environment of Miyazaki Prefecture and craftsmen’s skills, and is more than just a bow; it is a work of artistic beauty. Connoisseurs value them as works of art to be displayed in their homes, and they are sold at high prices.

 

 

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