Strings are replaced at a shot count and arrows are replaced when they bend or break. The yugake (弽, also called kake) is different. There is no number of shots or years after which a glove is “used up”, and it is not guaranteed to last for ever either.
What makes it awkward is where the problem shows. A tired glove shows up in the release and in your hits: the release gets sluggish, or the arrow starts going early by itself. Most archers blame their own form first and only later find that the leather had stretched.
This page separates the problems that a repair can address from the ones it cannot. Whether to buy a new glove comes after that.
The short version
- A yugake has no fixed lifespan. Suizan, a Japanese kyudo equipment shop, writes that a deerskin glove that is looked after can be used for decades (Suizan, “When to replace equipment and when it can be repaired”, checked 7 October 2026).
- Rule out fit before you blame wear. If the glove felt wrong from the day you bought it, it is a sizing problem, not old age.
- A yugake is built from parts, and parts can be replaced. The same Suizan page says that when a glove tears or frays, you should consult the shop you bought it from.
- The thumb (bōshi) is the heart of the glove. When its shape or angle has changed, that is the point to think about a new glove.
- Leather that has gone hard or cracked does not come back. Fix the storage habit that caused it, for the sake of the next glove.
- Do not cut or file the string groove yourself. What you remove cannot be put back.
First: is it wear, or was it never the right size?
Before talking about lifespan, ask one question: when did the problem start?
- It felt wrong from the start. That points to size or shape, not wear. A new glove of the same size will do the same thing.
- It changed at some point. That is where wear becomes the likely explanation.
If the glove is gripping the string too long or releasing by itself, check the fit first; Ordering a Yugake From Abroad explains the measurements a shop works from. Getting this order wrong means spending money on a repair that cannot solve the problem.
How a yugake is put together
A kyudo glove is not one piece of leather. The Federation describes it simply: the yugake is made of deerskin, with hard-thumbed and soft-thumbed types, the three-finger mitsugake and the four-finger yotsugake (finger counts include the thumb) (All Nippon Kyudo Federation, “About equipment”, checked 7 October 2026). The parts that matter for repair:
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Bōshi (帽子, the thumb) | Where the string is held. Suizan calls it the most important part of the glove; its angle and length decide how the release happens |
| Tsurumakura (弦枕, the string groove) | The ridge on the thumb that the string sits against. Its shape, position, angle and height differ between makers |
| Hikae (控え, the wrist piece) | Covers the base of the thumb down to the wrist. In a glove “with hikae”, a layer of cowhide sits under the deerskin |
| Kake-himo (かけ紐, the strap) | The long cord that ties the glove to the wrist |
| The body leather and stitching | Deerskin palm, fingers and seams |
Sources for the table: Suizan, “About the yugake” and Koyama Kyugu’s glove types page (both checked 7 October 2026). Koyama describes the most common type as having a wooden form inside the thumb and a firm core in the hikae; a “hikae-nashi” glove has the wooden thumb but no core in the hikae, so the wrist is soft, and a “wabōshi” glove has no wooden form in the thumb at all. Which type you have changes what can be adjusted.
A useful rough rule: the outside of the glove is often repairable; the inner shape of the thumb is much harder to restore.
Symptom by symptom: repair, or replace?
Put your problem into words before you contact anyone. It is exactly what the shop will ask.
1. The string groove has worn shallow, and the release has become “light”
The groove wears with use. You notice it as a release that comes too easily, too early, or without your intending it.
This is usually within the range of maintenance or rebuilding by a shop. Do not file or cut it yourself. It is easy to remove leather and impossible to add it back, and the groove is directly connected to the release. Ask a kyudo equipment shop or an experienced instructor.
2. The wrist piece has gone loose and the wrist moves
When the leather stretches, the hikae stops supporting the wrist, and the shape is hard to hold through the draw. This is often a matter of adjustment or replacement of parts, which Suizan says a yugake allows.
3. The thumb feels loose, or the fingers have room to spare
There are two causes: the leather has stretched, or the glove never fitted. The only way to tell them apart is the question above, when did it start. If it is stretching, a shop may be able to take it in, but there is a limit.
4. The leather has gone hard or cracked
Repeated sweat and drying stiffens deerskin. Hardened, cracked leather does not return to its original softness, so this is on the “cannot be fixed” side. Most of it is preventable. Suizan advises drying the glove in the shade after sweaty sessions rather than putting it straight away, and recommends changing the shitagake (the cotton under-glove) often and using a white one so you notice dirt before it reaches the glove (Suizan, “About the yugake”). The Federation itself says the shitagake must always be worn to protect the glove from sweat, and that the yugake is weak against humidity.
5. The angle or shape of the thumb has changed
When the angle at which the thumb meets the string changes, the release changes at its root. Archers describe it as “the same glove, but it feels like a different one from last year”. This is the end of the glove’s life. It is the point at which to think about a replacement.
Three signs that it is time for a new glove
Years alone do not decide it. The same age can mean very different conditions depending on how many arrows you shoot and how the glove is stored. Look for one of these:
- Repairs have started to repeat. The same place gives out again within months of being fixed. This is the clearest signal.
- The shape has changed. The thumb angle or where the thumb sits. This cannot be reversed.
- You have changed and the glove has not. A move to a stronger bow, or from a three-finger to a four-finger glove, can leave a glove that no longer suits how you shoot.
Repair in itself is nothing to avoid. But a glove that keeps returning to the shop for the same problem is telling you something. For what a new glove involves, see How to Choose a Yugake, and for how the glove fits into the total budget, Kyudo Equipment Costs.
What to tell the shop
“It is not working properly” gives a repairer nothing to go on. Send these four things together:
- When it started (from the beginning, or from a certain point)
- Where, and what (which of the five symptoms above it is closest to)
- How much you shoot (days per week, roughly how many arrows)
- Whether you changed bow strength, and whether the problem began around that time
Wherever possible, let someone see the glove itself. Gloves vary so much individually that photos cannot show everything. If you belong to a club or dojo, your instructor or a senior member may be the quickest first look.
Repairs and buying from abroad
This matters more outside Japan than inside it. Shops differ in what they accept:
- Koyama Kyugu, a long-established Japanese shop, states that it repairs and adjusts items it sold, that some damage cannot be repaired, that you should phone first or bring the item to a branch, and that it declines repairs of items bought elsewhere. Its online shop also states that it does not ship overseas (Koyama Kyugu online shop guide, checked 7 October 2026).
- Suizan’s advice for torn or frayed gloves is likewise to consult the shop you bought it from.
So if you are buying a yugake from outside Japan, ask before you order: will this shop look at the glove later, and can it be sent back to them from your country? A glove that only its original shop will repair is worth more if that shop is reachable.
Planning matters too. With only one glove, you cannot shoot while it is away. Time any repair around your competitions and gradings, and allow for postage in both directions.
FAQ
How many years does a yugake last? There is no number of years. It depends on how much you shoot, how much your hands sweat, and how the glove is stored. Suizan writes that a well-kept deerskin glove can last decades. Judge by the symptoms above, not by age.
Can I deepen or reshape the string groove myself? We do not recommend it. Removing leather is easy and irreversible, and the groove controls the release. Ask a kyudo equipment shop or an instructor who is used to doing it.
Is a second-hand yugake a good idea? Be careful. A used glove has taken on the shape of the previous owner’s hand, and the thumb and string groove are exactly the parts that are hardest to restore. If you are considering one, have the fit checked in person first.
What do I do about practice while the glove is being repaired? If you have only one glove, you cannot shoot until it returns. Schedule repairs well away from competitions and gradings.
Should my replacement be the same model? Choosing the same construction shortens the time it takes to get used to the new glove. Whatever you choose, size comes before price: try it on in person whenever you can.
Related pages
- How to Choose a Yugake (Kyudo Glove)
- Ordering a Yugake From Abroad
- Giriko (Rosin) for Kyudo
- Kyudo Equipment Costs
This page summarises general information about kyudo gloves, based on the All Nippon Kyudo Federation and the shops cited above (all checked 7 October 2026). A yugake varies greatly from one glove to another, and some things cannot be judged without seeing it; whether a repair is possible, what it costs and how long it takes differ between shops and makers, so follow the advice of your shop and your instructor. We are an independent guide. We do not repair equipment, but we can order it from makers and shops in Japan for you — see Ordering from overseas.