Vintage Japanese Hamayumi & Hamaya In Display Case

A glass box encases this complete set of traditional Japanese hamayumi & hamaya. The centerpiece features a traditional Japanese bow (yumi) and multiple ceremonial arrows (hamaya). The arrows are traditionally fletched with natural feathers (such as hawk or pheasant feathers).

Bows and arrows have held sacred, solemn significance since ancient times as instruments for exorcising evil spirits. Scholars trace the origins of the hamayumi to the Meigen-no-gi, an ancient ceremony in which participants plucked a bowstring to create a resonant sound that warded off malevolent forces. During the Edo period (1603–1867), samurai families began presenting a ceremonial hamayumi bow or hamaya arrow as a protective good-luck charm upon the birth of a son. Over time, families adopted the custom of displaying these ceremonial bows during a boy’s first New Year to protect against evil and pray for his healthy growth.

This tradition persists today. Shrines continue to offer decorative hamaya (literally “evil-destroying arrows”) as engimono (good-luck charms), and smaller replicas remain popular in homes and shrines alike. Believers hold that a hamaya blessed by a Shinto priest carries potent spiritual power, shields against malevolent forces, purifies spaces, and attracts great good fortune. Consequently, people frequently give hamaya and hamayumi as celebratory gifts marking a male infant’s first New Year.

One of a kind piece.

Dimensions: 6.5″ x 9.5″ x 30.25″

Vintage piece. Sell in used, pre-owned condition. Vintage and antique items by nature have variable amounts of wear, imperfections, signs of use, age and time. Perfectly imperfect. Condition shown as in pictures. Kindly contact us if you need more info. or detail pictures.

Due to the size and/or the delicate situation of the item. Please contact us for more detail information /pick up or shipping options.