You tie the glove on, wind the strap round your wrist, and halfway through practice it has worked loose. The knot slips. The ends are fraying. The yugake (弽, the deerskin shooting glove, also called kake) is still fine, but the strap has worn out first.
That strap has a name: kake-himo (かけ紐, “glove cord”). It is a separate part, and it can be bought on its own. This page explains what to look at when you choose a replacement, using the product descriptions published by a Japanese kyudo equipment shop. How to put the glove on and wind the strap is a separate subject; for the glove itself, start with How to Choose a Yugake.
The short version
- Four things decide the choice: length, width, material and colour (including whether the strap is reversible).
- Standard straps are listed at 100 cm long. Widths are mainly 3.5 cm or 4.5 cm.
- Materials are deerskin, or a synthetic suede such as Ecsaine (エクセーヌ) or Ultrasuede.
- Soft-wristed “hikae-nashi” gloves can use a shorter strap. One shop lists a 57 cm strap made for them.
- Measure the strap you have before you order. Ask the shop that made your glove, or a kyudo equipment shop, how the new one should be attached.
Measure your current strap first
Before choosing anything, measure the strap that is on the glove now. You do not need to remove it.
- Length: from one end to the other.
- Width: at the widest point.
- Material and colour: leather or synthetic? Is the back a different colour from the front?
If your numbers are close to 100 cm and 3.5 cm or 4.5 cm, you are in the range of standard straps. If the strap is clearly much shorter, read the section on hikae-nashi gloves below before you order.
This matters more if you live outside Japan. A strap ordered by post cannot be tried on, and returning it costs time. Exact measurements are the best protection against ordering the wrong one.
Length: 100 cm as standard, shorter for hikae-nashi gloves
Sambu Kyugu (山武弓具店), a Japanese kyudo equipment shop, lists its standard kake-himo at 100 cm long (for example Sambu Kyugu, Ecsaine strap J-014, checked 20 October 2026).
The same shop also lists a strap “for hikae-nashi” gloves that is 57 cm long and 3 cm wide. Its description says that because it is for hikae-nashi gloves, it is shorter than a normal kake-himo (Sambu Kyugu, Ecsaine strap for hikae-nashi, J-171, checked 20 October 2026).
A word on the term, because it is often misread in English. The hikae (控え) is the part of the glove that covers the base of the thumb down to the wrist. “Hikae-nashi” does not mean the glove has no hikae. It means the hikae has no stiff core inside it, so the wrist part is soft. If you are not sure which kind you have, measuring the current strap is the most reliable clue, and the shop that made the glove can confirm it.
Width: 3.5 cm or 4.5 cm
The standard 100 cm straps come in two main widths. In Sambu Kyugu’s listings, the Ecsaine strap graded nami (並, “standard”) is 3.5 cm wide and the one graded jō (上, “upper”) is 4.5 cm; the deerskin strap is about 4.5 cm (Sambu Kyugu, Ecsaine strap J-028 and deerskin strap J-012, both checked 20 October 2026).
Width changes how much of the strap presses on your wrist and how bulky the knot is. Choosing the same width as your current strap is the simplest way to keep the glove feeling the same. If you want to try a different width, talk to the shop that made the glove first.
Material: deerskin or synthetic suede
| Material | What the shop says about it |
|---|---|
| Deerskin | Made from natural deerskin; supple, easy to tie, and becomes more comfortable in the hand with use. Because it is a natural material, thickness, texture, surface pattern and colour vary from strap to strap (J-012) |
| Ecsaine (エクセーヌ) | A synthetic suede (the shop calls it artificial leather), offered in both the 3.5 cm and 4.5 cm widths (J-014, J-028) |
| Ultrasuede (ウルトラスエード) | Another synthetic suede, listed with a checkerboard (ichimatsu) pattern (Sambu Kyugu kake-himo list) |
Deerskin matches the glove itself, and each strap is slightly different. In Sambu Kyugu’s list, the synthetic straps come in more colours and are priced below the leather ones (checked 23 October 2026). Prices change, so check the current figure on the shop’s own page before you decide.
Colour, and reversible “double face” straps
Each product has its own range of colours: purple, brown and black are common, and some synthetic straps also come in white, dark red, grey or navy.
Straps described as “double face” (ダブルフェイス) are reversible. Sambu Kyugu describes its double-face Ecsaine strap as a reversible type that can be used on both sides, in two-colour combinations such as brown and navy (J-177). When you wind it, the second colour shows at the edges.
Some dojo and university clubs keep strap colours uniform. If you belong to one, ask your instructor or the club before changing colour.
When to replace it, and how to attach it
A strap that loosens during practice, a knot that slips, and fraying ends are the usual signs. Before you blame the strap, though, rule out the glove: a glove that does not fit can also “lift” however tightly you tie it. Ordering a Yugake From Abroad explains the measurements a shop uses for fit, and When to Replace a Yugake separates strap and part wear from problems with the glove itself.
How the strap is fixed to the glove depends on how the glove was made. Ask the shop that made your glove, or a kyudo equipment shop, whether you should change it yourself and how. If your glove was made to order, the maker can also tell you the right strap dimensions.
The strap absorbs sweat just as the glove does. Do not leave it wound up damp after practice; dry it along with the glove. Wearing a cotton under-glove, the shitagake, keeps sweat away from the glove in the first place, and the All Nippon Kyudo Federation says it must always be worn when using a yugake (All Nippon Kyudo Federation, “About equipment”, checked 20 October 2026). Day-to-day glove care is covered in Yugake Care and Storage.
Ordering from outside Japan: a checklist
- Your current strap’s length and width, measured as above.
- The type of glove: standard, or hikae-nashi (soft wrist).
- Material and colour you want, and whether you want a reversible strap.
- Whether your dojo has a colour rule.
- Who will attach it: you, a local senior, or the maker.
Send these together when you contact a kyudo equipment shop. It saves a round of emails across time zones.
FAQ
What do I call it when I contact a Japanese shop? Kake-himo (かけ紐). Shops also write it カケ紐 in their listings. Adding the word yugake or kake makes clear it is the glove strap you mean.
Should I choose 3.5 cm or 4.5 cm? The same width as the strap you have now, unless the maker of your glove suggests otherwise. Measure it before ordering.
My strap is much shorter than 100 cm. Is something wrong? Not necessarily. Shorter straps are made for hikae-nashi gloves; Sambu Kyugu lists one at 57 cm. Ask the shop that made your glove to confirm what it was made with.
Is deerskin better than synthetic? Neither is “correct”. Deerskin is the traditional material and varies from strap to strap; synthetic suede offers more colours and, at the shop quoted here, costs less. Choose by feel and by any rule your dojo has.
How long does a strap last? There is no fixed number of years. It depends on how often you shoot, how much you sweat and how you dry it. Replace it when it loosens, slips or frays.
Related pages
- How to Choose a Yugake (Kyudo Glove)
- Yugake Care and Storage
- Shitagake: The Cotton Under-Glove
- When to Replace a Yugake
Product descriptions and dimensions on this page were checked on Sambu Kyugu’s official pages on 20 October 2026. Specifications, colours, prices and stock can change, and the shop notes that dimensions may vary slightly; check the shop’s current page before ordering. For anything about your own glove, follow the advice of the shop that made it and your instructor.