Another Japanese sport we will take a look at today is traditional archery or Kyūdō (弓道)
Kyūdō is based on kyūjutsu (“art of archery”), which originated with the samurai class of feudal Japan. The beginning of archery in Japan is pre-historical. The first images picturing the distinct Japanese longbow are from the Yayoi period. The first written document describing Japanese archery is a Chinese chronicle, dated around 297 AD, which tells how in the Japanese isles people use “a wooden bow that is short from the bottom and long from the top.”

The changing of society and the samurai taking power at the end of the first millennium created a requirement for education in archery. This led to the development of different archery schools and styles.
Today, Kyūdō is still practised in many different schools, some of which descend from military shooting and others that descend from ceremonial or contemplative practice. Therefore, the emphasis is different. Some emphasise aesthetics and others efficiency. The true art of Japanese archery though, is the perfect form and movement which leads to good shooting and good hitting. Kyūdō is a meditation form as well, focusing on the calm moment before the shot falls.

The japanese bow is exceptionally tall, over 2 meters in height, surpassing the height of the archer. The Yumi, which means bow in Japanese, are traditionally made of bamboo, wood and leather using techniques which have not changed for centuries, although some archers may use synthetic bows. The arrows were traditionally made of bamboo, with either eagle or hawk feathers. Most shafts today are still made of bamboo but the feathers are now obtained from non-endangered birds such as turkeys or swans. The length of an arrow is the archer’s arm length. 

All kyūdō archers hold the bow in their left hand and draw the string with their right, so that all archers face the higher position while shooting. Kyūdō archers draw the bow so that the drawing hand is held behind the ear. If done improperly, upon release the string may strike the archer’s ear or side of the face.
Kyūdō is practised by thousands of people worldwide. As of 2005, the International Kyudo Federation had 132,760 graded members. There is a lot more to know about this traditional sports, if you’re interested you should definitely look it up!