is the Japanese word for arrow

Arrow

An arrow is a shafted projectile that is shot with a bow. It predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.An arrow usually consists of a shaft with an arrowhead attached to the front end, with fletchings and a nock at the other.- History:...

, and commonly refers to the arrows used in .Ya also refers to the arrows used by samurai

Samurai

is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...

 during the feudal era of Japan. Unlike Western arrows, the ya is close to a metre long or longer. Traditional ya are made from natural materials.

No (shaft)

The no are made from yadake bamboo and can have different shapes – straight, or tapering – depending on the use of the arrow in long-distance shooting or target practice. Lighter arrows can loose their stability when shot from a strong bow, heavier arrows have a trajectory that arcs more. Aesthetic balance of length and thickness determines the diameter of the ya. The proper length is measured from the archer's throat to five centimetres beyond the tip of the outstretched left hand.

Hane (feathers)

The hane are about fifteen centimetres in length and can be the most expensive part of the arrow. Traditionally, the outermost tail feathers of large birds of prey were considered the finest. Many of these birds are now endangered – in particular the Sea Eagle

Sea eagle (bird)

A sea eagle is any of the birds of prey in the genus Haliaeetus in the bird of prey family Accipitridae....

 – therefore, feathers of lesser eagles, swans, geese or even turkeys are being used in modern times.

Hazu (nock)

The hazu is often made from goat or deer horn and archers file the slot to match the diameter of their own bowstring. Older or ceremonial ya can have bamboo nocks.

Ne (target arrowhead)

Ya used for target practice have a conical iron tip (ne).

Yajiri or yanone (war arrowhead)

Ya used in war by the samurai had a variety of tips yajiri or yanone, these arrowheads were made from steel in the same method as traditional Japanese swords were made.

Gallery

Image:Japanese Yajiri or Yanone.JPG|Antique Japanese (samurai) arrowheads Yajiri or Yanone.
Image:Matoya hane.jpg|Japanese arrow ya showing the feathers or flights.