Miyakonojo bow — Yokoyama Reimei workshop 都城大弓（横山黎明弓製作所）
In Miyakonojo a single master works each bamboo bow through more than 200 stages, almost all by hand, in the city that in 1994 received national traditional craft recognition for the composite bow and that today has the highest production of bamboo bows in Japan.
The Yokoyama Reimei workshop (横山黎明弓製作所) has been making the traditional Miyakonojo bow (都城大弓) for over 100 years, now in its fourth generation with master Yokoyama Keitaro; it is based at 〒885-0033 宮崎県都城市妻ケ丘町8-14, Miyakonojo, Miyazaki Prefecture (yokoyama-reimei.com). The Miyakonojo municipal website states that the composite bow in madake bamboo (真竹) and haze wood (櫨) was recognised as a national traditional craft in 1994 (平成6年) and that the city today has ‘全国トップの竹弓の生産量’ (the highest production of bamboo bows in Japan); the process exceeds 200–300 stages (200から300を超える工程), almost all manual, and it takes more than ten years to become a fully fledged master bowmaker (一人前の弓師になるには10年以上の歳月が必要). Currently five craftspeople in the sector hold the title of national traditional master craftsman (5人の国の伝統工芸士).
Miyazaki
Miyakonojō
