Japanese Bow (Yumi)

Timeline

1. c. 800–1100Kinai · KinaiFrom the 8th to 11th centuries the yumi developed an asymmetric structure, longer above and shorter below the grip, with bamboo-wood lamination and a distinctive grip suited to mounted and foot archery, becoming a core emblem of samurai identity and martial skill.
2. c. 1141–1150Heian-kyō · Yamashiro ProvinceIn the 1140s samurai of the Minamoto and Taira clans used the yumi in ranged exchanges and gate assaults during the Hōgen and Heiji civil wars, with archery skill becoming a key military ability for samurai advancement and merit.
3. c. 1145–1150Kamo Shrine · Yamashiro ProvinceIn the 1140s mounted archery rituals such as the Kamo horse races ran alongside military training, with samurai shooting targets from horseback with the yumi; the mounted archery tradition and practical archery mutually reinforced each other, laying the foundation for later kyūdō and warrior-household etiquette.