In the 1960s, archery bow equipment had already achieved remarkable evolution: Bows using FRP (Fiber reinforced Plastic) limbs, aluminum arrows shafts, and equipment such as a clicker and stabilizer were introduced and used by archers all over the world. Thanks to the new equipment, hitting accuracy of western archery was dramatically improved. Meanwhile, at that time, the kyudo equipment were only traditional bamboo bow and bamboo arrows.
At that time, the All-Nippon (Japan) Kyudo Federation had been researching western archery and the international archery competition. Before 1967, the All-Nippon Kyudo Federation had the right to participate in Western Archery international competitions.
All-Nippon Kyudo Federation had little hope of achieving good results in world archery competitions by Kyudo archers with Japanese bows and decided to delegate Junji Miyata to World Archery Championships 1967 as the Kyudo player. Junji Miyata won the 1st place in Kyudo and 4th in archery under the western archery rule with Kyudo equipment, at the competition to select Japan national archery team for World Archery Championships 1967.
Today many people might think that it would be unreasonable that Kyudo players with Kyudo bows and arrows compete with world-class western archery players under the rules of archery. However, in the past after World War II, in the friendly match, Japanese Kyudo teams with traditional Kyudo equipment evenly competed with US teams, with traditional western archery equipment.
Junji Miyata had to devise and develop the Japanese bow equipment necessary to compete in this tournament by himself. The efforts resulted in making the world - first Kyudo FRP bow.
Under the archery rule, it was extremely difficult to compete with world-class western archery players with Kyudo techniques and Kyudo bows after modern archery bow equipment released. To make it simple, it was said that it would be tough to win the top prize if an archer could not get 300 points in 30m. 10 points of archery targets is about 12 cm in diameter and about the same size as the "Hoshi" in Kyudo target. If an archer missed 6 shots, he or she had to hit the 10 points of other 30 shots. Junji Miyata had an average hitting rate of 80% to over 90% in Kyudo Kin - Teki, but it was very challenging even for Junji Miyata.
Furthermore, in such a severe situation even at a short distance 30m, aiming for 10 points targets with a diameter of 12 cm at 70 m and 90 m, is much more difficult. It was an unprecedented and unknown challenge for Kyudo and traditional Kyudo equipment, which had not been supposed in the long-distance archery of Kyudo that had developed in Gosya- Rokka (explained in the former article)
In preparation for the 1967 World Archery Championships, Junji Miyata participated in a training camp organized by the All-Nippon Kyudo Federation. Junji Miyata decided to look into and research Kyudo techniques and Kyudo equipment to comprehend the characteristics and performance of traditional Kyudo equipment.
Official letter of appointment to delegate Junji Miyata to World Archery Championships 1967 as a Kyudo player by ALL-NIPPON KYUDO FEDERATION
