The aim of this study was to consider the transition period and reasons for the name change from “kyujutsu” to “kyudo” in school kyudo clubs and publications, when the word “kyudo” appeared, and what was thought to be the differences between it and “kyujutsu”.
Firstly, the transition period from “kyujutsu club” to “kyudo club” in school kyudo clubs’ names was analyzed. Starting with the renaming at Daihachi Senior High School in 1911, the transition started to gather momentum in 1919, and by 1932, the transition was almost fully underway. However, the transition to “kyudo club” was never fully completed, and from studying the transition periods at respective schools, it was difficult to determine any uniform policy or specific trends. On the other hand, with respect to publications of that period, it was possible to confirm the attempt to transition from “kyujutsu” to “kyudo” from Gendai no Kyudo published in 1918, but not locate any use of the term “kyujutsu” after the publication of Yumi (1933). By juxtaposing the renaming of kyudo clubs in schools with the transition period of publications, the transition from “kyujutsu” to “kyudo” roughly took place in the 15-year period from 1918 to 1933.
Next, it was found that the reason behind the transition from “kyujutsu” to “kyudo” was to place an emphasis on the art’s spiritual aspects. However, there were differences in the opinions of kyudo archers regarding the specific details of such spiritual aspects, as well as their importance relative to physical and technical aspects. As such, it was found that a variety of differences had emerged in terms of the practitioners’ conception of kyudo, as well as their ideal training methods and means of assessment.
The transition period from “kyujutsu” to “kyudo”, and the reasons behind it, differ from those of the transitions from “bujutsu” to “budo”, as well as from “jujutsu” and “kenjutsu (gekiken)” to “judo” and “kendo” as presented in the From Jutsu to Do research. What sets kyudo apart includes the fact that some kyujutsu clubs remained and the term “kyudo” was not necessarily always enforced, as well as the suggestion by some that kyujutsu is essentially a part of kyudo.
