My First Yumi: Buying a 'Reimei Yokoyama' Bamboo Bow

This is a nostalgic post documenting how I purchased my first bamboo kyudo bow. I started my kyudo journey a few years ago when our practice venue moved before finally settling into Taiwan's only properly designed 28-meter indoor dojo.

Researching Online

Due to a busy work schedule, I had to pause my practice shortly after. However, I wanted to buy a yumi as a keepsake. I thought even if I never returned to kyudo, a bow would serve as a beautiful lifelong memento and a motivation to return.

I didn't consider synthetic bows. For a true keepsake, a bamboo bow was the only choice. After doing research, I chose the dark Miyakonojo yumi "Reimei Yokoyama". Since I didn't speak Japanese, a friend helped me contact the maker.

I wasn't sure what bow strength to choose, but I confidently guessed 15kg would be achievable with future effort. My friend emailed the owner, who thoughtfully replied at night after making bows all day, ensuring the details matched my needs. He confirmed a 15kg Ni-sun-nobi (slightly longer) custom bow was in stock, sent photos, and asked for my Taiwan shipping address.

A Box Arrives

Wait, what about payment? That was the most surprising part. When I asked for his bank account so I could pay the 140,000 JPY (plus shipping), the owner said he would send the bow to Taiwan first. He wanted me to inspect it, verify it was what I wanted, and only then pay using the enclosed invoice. The level of trust among kyudojin was beyond my comprehension! I received the bow in Taiwan without paying a single yen upfront. I was thrilled and immediately transferred the funds.

A Work of Art

The bow sat like an art piece for a while until I returned to practice. I quickly realized even drawing a 10kg bow was a struggle at first. Thankfully, with diligent practice, I eventually mastered the 15kg draw—I can't imagine what would have happened if I bought a 20kg bow!

Looking back, buying this bow was a great decision. It pushed me to return, and practicing kyudo has helped me in countless ways. Even if I buy more bows in the future, my first yumi will always stay with me. Below are the shop's details for anyone interested; Reimei's bows are especially great for those with larger hands and longer fingers due to their slightly wider bodies.

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