A bow or a yugake wears as a whole. Arrows do not. Each arrow wears in four fixed places, separately: from the back, the hazu (nock), the feathers, the yajiri (arrowhead) and the shaft.
“Look after your arrows” is vague advice because nobody tells you where to look. Once you know the four places, a check takes a few seconds after practice. And what you do next depends on which place is damaged: tidy it, have a part replaced, or add a new arrow to the set.
The short version
| Place | What goes wrong | How to check | Then |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hazu (nock) | Cracks, chips, loosening | Hold the groove up to the light; compare its fit on the string with the rest of the set | Cracked: stop shooting it. Have the hazu replaced |
| Feathers | Ruffled barbs, splits, tears, base lifting | Compare the three feathers side by side | Ruffling: smooth with fingers. Splits, tears, lifting: re-fletching |
| Yajiri (arrowhead) | Loosening, bending, coming off | Pinch it gently: does it move? | Loose: stop shooting it. Take it to a kyudo equipment retailer |
| Shaft | Bends (duralumin), cracks (carbon), warping (bamboo) | Roll it on a flat surface; run a fingertip along it | Depends on material (below) |
Three kinds of damage mean you stop shooting the arrow: a cracked hazu, a loose arrowhead, and a cracked carbon shaft. These can cause an accident mid-shot. Damaged feathers make the arrow fly badly, which is a different kind of problem. Keep the two apart and you will not panic over the wrong one.
The All Nippon Kyudo Federation lists arrows that must never be shot at the target. Among them: an arrow with even one feather missing, an arrow with a cracked or broken shaft, and an arrow whose arrowhead has come off. Arrows shorter than, or only exactly as long as, your yazuka are on the same list.
Hazu: the smallest part, and the first to check
The hazu is the nock at the back of the arrow, with the groove that fits the string. It is easy to overlook, and it is the only thing connecting arrow and string.
What goes wrong
- Cracks and splits, typically when another arrow hits it (a tsugiya, where one arrow strikes the back of another) or when it is dropped.
- Chips on the edge of the groove, which change how it sits on the string.
- Loosening, where the hazu lifts away from the shaft.
How to check
- Hold the groove up to the light. Fine cracks do not show face-on.
- Compare its fit on the string with the other arrows in the set. One arrow looser or tighter than the rest points to the hazu.
Hazu or nakajikake? If the fit feels loose, the cause can be at either end: the hazu, or the nakajikake (the built-up section of string where the arrow sits). The test is simple. If every arrow is loose, it is the nakajikake. If only one is, it is the hazu.
Then: if you find a crack, stop shooting that arrow. A hazu that splits during the draw lets the arrow come off the string. The hazu is a replaceable part, so the arrow does not have to be thrown away; ask a kyudo equipment retailer.
Feathers: they will wear, the question is how far
The feathers are the part that wears for certain. They go into the sand bank (azuchi), get handled when arrows are collected, and rub inside the quiver.
What goes wrong: the barbs separate and ruffle; a feather splits lengthways; part of it tears away; the base comes unstuck from the shaft.
How to check: compare the three feathers on the arrow. If all three are the same shape, it is fine. One shorter or more ragged than the others is wear. For a lifting base, look from the side for a gap between feather and shaft.
Then:
- Ruffling alone can usually be smoothed out by stroking the feather with your fingers from base to tip. Natural feathers, including turkey, recover well.
- Splits, tears and lifting cannot be fixed by hand. The arrow needs re-fletching (new feathers fitted). If the shaft is sound, you do not need a new arrow.
Feather types and the shaft materials are compared in Choosing Kyudo Arrows.
Yajiri: you rarely see it, so you never check it
The arrowhead is buried in the sand while you shoot and hidden in your hand when you collect arrows. Unless you look on purpose, months can pass without you seeing it.
What goes wrong: it works loose from impacts with the sand bank or the target frame; it bends on something hard; and if shot while loose, it can stay behind in the sand.
How to check: pinch the arrowhead lightly and see if it moves. Any rotation or wobble means it is loose. You do not need to twist it hard.
Then: do not shoot it loose. Re-gluing it yourself is possible, but the balance of the arrow and how the head is fitted differ from arrow to arrow. A kyudo equipment retailer is the reliable option.
Shaft: the material decides the damage and the repair
| Material | What goes wrong | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Duralumin | Bends | Can often be straightened by a specialist |
| Carbon | Resists bending, but cracks under a hard impact | If you see a crack, stop using it. Straightening does not fix carbon |
| Bamboo | Warps with humidity and storage | Straightening bamboo (tame) is specialist work |
How to check
- Bending: roll the arrow on a flat table. A straight arrow rolls quietly; a bent one wobbles or hops.
- Cracks: run the pad of a finger along the shaft from end to end. Wherever it catches, look closely.
Small bends in duralumin can often be straightened; large bends, or a shaft bent repeatedly in the same place, are harder to recover. A cracked carbon shaft should not be kept in use because “it still flies”. Split carbon can splinter and cut your hand.
What to check after practice, in sequence
You do not need to inspect every arrow in detail every time. Between collecting the arrows and putting them away, this is enough:
- Hazu: any chip or crack on the groove (hold it to the light)
- Feathers: are all three the same shape?
- Yajiri: pinch it; does it move?
- Shaft: wipe it with a cloth and feel for anything that catches
Wiping is the inspection. Sand left on an arrow rubs against the feathers of the others in the quiver.
Pulling arrows out without damage: hold the arrow close to the arrowhead and pull it straight out at the angle it went in. Pulling from near the feathers, or levering it sideways, is how shafts get bent and feather bases lifted. Half of arrow care is not damaging them in the first place.
Storing: use a case that does not crush the feathers, and do not leave arrows somewhere damp.
Repair, or replace the arrow?
Can be repaired (as long as the shaft is sound): a new hazu, re-fletching, refitting the arrowhead, straightening a slight bend in duralumin.
Replace the arrow: a cracked or split carbon shaft; a shaft badly bent or bent repeatedly; any arrow where the repair would cost about as much as a new one.
Costs vary widely with the feather type, shaft material and who does the work. Ask for both prices before deciding.
Replacing one arrow in a set: arrows are used as a set. A single new one may not match the others in weight or feather appearance, and the same shaft and feathers may no longer be available. Kyudo arrow weights are given in grams; ask for the new one to be matched to the set.
Spares: the Federation’s guidance is a set of four arrows, and two spare arrows for competitions. If you shoot in competitions, keep your spares in the same condition as the set.
Taking arrows for repair: bring the whole set
Bring every arrow in the set, not just the damaged one, so replacement parts can be matched to the others. Tell them three things:
- which place, and what happened (“crack in the hazu”, “one feather torn”)
- since when, and which arrow (by number, if they are numbered)
- your bow’s draw weight, so the balance with the arrow’s weight can be checked
If you are outside Japan and the nearest kyudo equipment retailer is far away, the same rule applies when shipping: send the set, with this information written down.
Second-hand and inherited arrows: the same four places
For arrows you have been given or bought used, check the same four places in the same sequence, and then check the length against your own yazuka (draw length). An arrow shorter than your yazuka, or only exactly as long as it, must not be shot at the target, however good its condition. The Federation advises choosing arrows at least 5 cm longer than your yazuka. How to measure yazuka is in Kyudo Arrow Length.
FAQ
Do I need special tools? For daily checks, a cloth is enough. Replacing a hazu, re-fletching and straightening take experience more than tools, and are normally left to a kyudo equipment retailer.
My feathers got wet in the rain. Pat off the water and let them dry naturally without crushing them. Once dry, smooth any ruffled feathers with your fingers. Packed into the quiver wet, they set in the wrong shape.
One arrow flies strangely. Where do I start? Feathers first (are all three the same?), then the shaft (does it wobble when rolled?). If both are fine, compare the hazu fit with the other arrows. If you still cannot find it, ask your instructor; the cause may be in the shooting, not the arrow.
I hit one arrow with another (tsugiya). Are both ruined? The hazu of the arrow that was hit is almost certainly damaged. The arrowhead and shaft of the arrow that hit it may be too. Check all four places on both before shooting them again.
How many years do arrows last? Not a matter of years. It depends on how much you shoot, the condition of the sand bank and how you handle them. An arrow lasts as long as replacing parts keeps it usable; when the shaft itself fails, it is time to replace it.
Related pages
- Choosing Kyudo Arrows (Ya)
- Kyudo Arrow Length: How to Measure Your Yazuka
- Kyudo Targets: Kasumi, Hoshi and the Makiwara
- Kyudo Equipment Costs
This page sets out general practice for checking and caring for kyudo arrows, with the list of arrows not to be shot taken from the All Nippon Kyudo Federation’s guide to equipment, “道具について” (checked October 2026). Repair methods and costs differ by arrow and by retailer; ask a kyudo equipment retailer or your instructor about a particular arrow. This site is an independent guide to kyudo equipment, and we can also order equipment from makers and shops in Japan for you and ship it abroad — see Ordering from overseas.