Japanese Longbow Draw Weight
Both the japanese bow and the english longbow are both long in that they are approximately 2 meters in length both bows would have been in use during the same periods in time.
Japanese longbow draw weight. In modern kyūdō the draw weight is usually around 30 lbs. I have actually seen these as high as 70 lbs. I ve seen physician historian and bowyers opinions and the draw weight range estimated is from 70 to 200 lbs with an average of 120 lbs. It is more about the meditation and not so much about hitting a target at a big distance so heavier bows are not needed.
In traditional archery practice outside of western europe the variations of the thumb draw are by far the most dominant draw types. Japanese bows had a pull of around 30lb. Yumi 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 and the shorter hankyū 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 shoots japanese arrows called ya. Japanese bow vs english longbow.
The main difference is draw weight. What draw weight do yumi bows have. The three fingered glove is generally used with bows with a pull below 20 kilograms of draw weight while the four fingered yotsugake are used with bows with a pull above 20 kilograms. A modern longbow s draw is typically 60 lb f 270 n or less and by modern convention measured at 28 inches 71 1 cm.
Historically hunting bows usually had draw weights of 50 60 lb f 220 270 n which is enough for all but the very largest game and which most reasonably fit adults can manage with practice. That said samurai armour is thin compared to western armour so it doesn t need to be as heavy draw weight. This was a modern yumi mind you so i don t know if that draw weight existed during the ages of warfare. Medieval military longbow draw weight would be 100 pounds or more.
It evolved gradually over time up until about the 17th century and the modern. You can get heavier bows though if that is your wish. The heaviest draw weight yumi you would get at a kyudo club would be 22 or 20 kilo draw weight 44 pounds.