If you are starting kyudo, it is natural to look for a “beginner set” or “starter set” and hope that one purchase covers everything. In the Japanese kyudo shops I looked at, that is not quite how it works.
Look at what is actually sold under the name “set”, and most of it is a clothing set: a top, hakama (the divided skirt-trousers), a belt and tabi socks. In the shops I checked, a bow, a glove and a full set of arrows were never in the same box.
This page looks at what the sets contain, which of them are reasonable to buy as they are, and which pieces of equipment need to be chosen one by one. Prices are those shown on Japanese shop websites on October 12, 2026, in yen, and they change.
The short version
| Point | |
|---|---|
| What a “beginner set” is | In the two shops I checked, a clothing set: kyudogi (top), hakama, obi (belt), tabi (split-toe socks). The women’s sets add a chest protector |
| Fine to buy as a set | Clothing, if it matches what your dojo or school expects |
| Poor fit as a set | The bow (draw weight and length differ per person) and the glove with its shitagake under-glove (fits the hand) |
| Set only after measuring | Arrows (they must be long enough for your draw) |
| Ask first | Your dojo or school: colour, hakama type, fabric, and whether they lend a bow |
| Cost of the set | Clothing only, so the real total to start kyudo is larger. See What Kyudo Equipment Costs |
What the “sets” actually contain
I looked at the official online shops of two Japanese kyudo equipment dealers, Heian Yumigu and Suizan Yumigu (Suizan Miyabi), on October 12, 2026. The items sold as sets were these.
| Set (shop) | Contents | Price, tax included (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Men’s 5-piece all-season clothing set (Suizan, web only) | Top, hakama, obi (kaku-obi), tabi, furoshiki (wrapping cloth) | ¥14,520 |
| Women’s 6-piece all-season clothing set (Suizan, web only) | Top, hakama, obi, tabi, chest protector, furoshiki | ¥15,180 |
| Men’s / women’s summer sets (Suizan, web only) | Same contents, summer version | ¥16,720 / ¥17,380 |
| “Upgraded” all-season sets, men’s / women’s (Suizan, web only) | Same pieces listed, higher-grade fabrics; the shop describes them as for experienced shooters replacing their clothing | ¥23,100 / ¥24,200 |
| Men’s beginner set (Heian Yumigu) | Top, hakama, obi, tabi, rubber practice bow | ¥18,700 |
| Women’s beginner set (Heian Yumigu) | Top, hakama, obi, tabi, rubber practice bow, chest protector | ¥20,900 |
| Original “Yoichi” kimono-and-striped-hakama set, men’s (Heian Yumigu) | A kimono-style top and a striped hakama; I did not check what else is included | ¥48,400 |
| Close-range duralumin arrow 3-piece set (Suizan, web only) | 6 duralumin arrows, a practice arrow for the straw target, an arrow case | ¥24,200 to ¥24,750, depending on shaft and feather variant |
Things worth noticing:
- The things called “beginner set” are clothing. The Heian Yumigu beginner sets add a rubber practice bow (gomuyumi), which is a stretchy training device, not a real bow.
- I did not find a set that included a real bow and a glove in the sets listed on these two shops’ pages. That does not prove no shop anywhere sells one, only that these two do not.
- Stock changes. On October 12, the two Heian Yumigu beginner sets and every variant of the Suizan arrow set were shown as sold out. The four Suizan all-season sets showed 6 to 44 sets in stock, and the two summer sets were marked “in stock” without a number.
- Larger sizes can cost extra. Heian Yumigu lists extra charges for bigger sizes. For hakama, for example, sizes 27 and 28 are +¥440 and size 29 is +¥1,045. Suizan’s list page showed no surcharges, but on its women’s set pages the mesh chest protector options add ¥220 each.
- Prices are the shops’ listed prices in Japan, tax included. Shipping charges depend on the shop and the order, so check the shop’s shipping page. I did not check whether either shop sends orders abroad, so if you live outside Japan, ask the shop directly.
Sources are the shops’ own pages: Suizan clothing sets, Suizan arrow sets and Heian Yumigu clothing sets.
Clothing sets: usually a reasonable thing to buy together
Clothing is where a set makes the most sense. The top, hakama, obi and tabi are normally all worn together, so buying them together makes it harder to forget something.
Before you order, check three things.
- What your dojo or school expects. Some places set the colour of the hakama or the material of the top, or run a group order. A set that does not match means buying again. (If you have only just joined, ask the person who teaches beginners. Rules differ between dojo.)
- What “obi” means in that listing. The belt is the item most likely to be vague. Both the men’s and women’s Suizan listings name a kaku-obi (a firm, flat belt), but other shops may list the belt differently. Look at the product page rather than assuming.
- Sizing. The top and the hakama are sized separately. At Suizan, for example, the top is chosen from SS to LL and the hakama by a number (“go”) with a height range printed beside it. The hakama number is not your clothing size, so use the shop’s own size chart for each piece.
Women’s sets above include a chest protector. Ask your dojo what, if anything, they expect you to wear under the kyudogi.
Judge extras by whether you will use them
Part of the price difference between sets comes from the extras. Two examples from the table:
- The rubber bow lets you practise the drawing motion at home. It is useful if you can only reach the dojo once or twice a week. It does not replace shooting.
- The furoshiki or bag is handy if you carry your clothing to and from practice. If you leave your kit at the dojo, you may not need it.
The Heian Yumigu sets cost about ¥4,200 to ¥5,700 more than the Suizan all-season sets, but the shops and the product grades differ, so the gap is not simply the price of the rubber bow. A better test than “which is cheaper” is “which extras will I use”.
The bow and the glove: choose them individually
This is the main point. The two items that most affect how you shoot are exactly the two that do not work as a set.
Bow: draw weight and length are personal
Two numbers decide a suitable bow, and both depend on you:
- Draw weight (kyuryoku), in kilograms. It depends on your build and how far you have progressed. The bow strength guide on this site gives a rough starting range of about 10 to 13 kg for men and 8 to 11 kg for women, but it stresses that these are only guides and that a bow that is too strong damages your form. See Kyudo Bow Strength.
- Length. Bows come mainly in a standard length (nami-sun) and a longer one (nobi-sun), chosen by your draw length and height. See Kyudo Bow Length: Nami-sun vs Nobi-sun.
A bow fixed in advance as part of a set could miss on either number. Also, many dojo lend bows to beginners, so you often do not need to buy one for a while. If you are unsure, ask what your dojo lends and for how long. The site’s overview of the order in which to buy things is in The Equipment You Need to Start Kyudo, and What to Buy First.
If you later consider a second-hand bow, read Buying a Used Yumi first.
Glove (yugake): it has to fit your hand
The yugake is a leather glove worn on the drawing hand. The fit of the thumb and the girth of the hand matter a great deal, because a poor fit can make the release unreliable. It is a tool that you try on, or that you order by measurements, not something to take blind from a set. See How to Choose a Yugake, and if you are ordering from outside Japan, Ordering a Yugake From Abroad.
Do not forget the shitagake. The shitagake is a thin cotton under-glove worn inside the yugake, between your hand and the leather. Its job is to take up sweat so that it does not soak into the yugake, whose inside cannot be washed. It is not in the clothing sets above, it is cheap compared with the glove, and you will want a few. Ask your teacher how many to start with, and see Yugake Care and Storage for looking after the glove itself.
On Suizan’s site, the navigation showed a category named “yugake 5-piece set”, but when I opened it on October 12 the page was reported as not found. I therefore could not confirm what such a set would contain.
Arrows: a set can be fine, but measure first
An arrow set (several arrows plus an arrow case and a practice arrow) is convenient, because you get the quantity and the case in one purchase. The problem is that an arrow must be long enough for your draw. An arrow that is too short for your draw is a safety problem, so the length has to be fitted to you rather than taken from a set.
So the order is:
- Have your draw length (yazuka) measured, ideally by your teacher. The site’s arrow-length guide, citing the All Japan Kyudo Equipment Association, adds a safety margin of 10 to 15 cm to the yazuka to get the arrow length. Your teacher or dojo may use a different margin, so follow their number. The method is in Kyudo Arrow Length.
- Ask which weight and shaft suits your bow.
- Only then choose a set. Choosing Kyudo Arrows covers shafts, feathers and how many to buy.
The Suizan arrow set listings I read were for 6-arrow sets, in several shaft and feather variants. On the product pages I opened, the arrow length is chosen when you order (84 cm to 107 cm on the first variant), and that page asks you to accept that returns and exchanges are not possible once the length is fixed. Check the length options and the return terms on the shop’s page before you order.
What to confirm before you buy anything
Take this list to your dojo or school before you spend money:
- Do you lend a bow and arrows to beginners, and for how long?
- Is there a required colour, fabric or style for the top and hakama?
- Does the dojo order clothing as a group, or recommend a supplier?
- Who will measure your draw length for the arrows?
- Which glove and which shitagake (under-glove) do they recommend for a beginner, and who can help you size them?
- Do they want you to wait before buying a bow, and what draw weight do they expect you to start with?
Second-hand “full kits”
Second-hand listings sometimes advertise a full kit: bow, arrows, glove and clothing in one lot. Whatever the price, judge it by what you can actually use. Arrows of the wrong length or a glove that does not fit you are not usable, however cheap. Value the lot only by the pieces that fit you.
The total cost
Because the sets above are clothing, the cost of starting kyudo is larger than the price of any set. For what a full outfit costs, and what is left if you borrow a bow at first, see What Kyudo Equipment Costs.
FAQ
Is there a kyudo set that includes a bow, glove and arrows? Not in the sets I found on two major Japanese dealers’ sites on October 12, 2026. The sets there were clothing, plus (at Heian Yumigu) a rubber practice bow, and a separate arrow set at Suizan. A bow and a glove are normally chosen individually.
Should I buy the clothing set before my first lesson? Usually not before you have asked. Whether a beginner needs full kyudo clothing at the start often depends on the dojo, so ask first. If a specific style is required, buy to that.
Is the set cheaper than buying items separately? It depends on the extras. If you do not need what is added (a furoshiki, a rubber bow), buying a top and hakama and the belt and tabi separately can come out cheaper, though I have not priced every combination.
Can a child’s club order a set? In school clubs, colour, fabric and style are often fixed by the school or club, so check before ordering anything yourself.
I live outside Japan. Can I order a set from a Japanese shop? I did not verify whether the shops above ship overseas, or at what cost. Ask the shop, and check import duties and how long a parcel your country allows. For arrows, which are long, ask about parcel length limits.
This page explains how kyudo beginner sets are generally composed and chosen. Prices, contents and stock were read from the shops’ own websites on October 12, 2026 and can change at any time; confirm on the shop’s page before ordering. Always follow your own dojo’s or school’s guidance on clothing and equipment.