{"id":8076,"date":"2022-12-26T22:33:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-26T13:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/?p=8076"},"modified":"2023-11-08T12:20:02","modified_gmt":"2023-11-08T03:20:02","slug":"assist-archery-school-in-konan-shiga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/2022\/12\/assist-archery-school-in-konan-shiga\/","title":{"rendered":"Assist Archery school in Konan, Shiga"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Old tatami mats are useful for archery practice.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Updated: Feb. 28, 2023<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assist Archery<\/em><\/strong> (\u30a2\u30b7\u30b9\u30c8\u30a2\u30fc\u30c1\u30a7\u30ea\u30fc<\/a>) is the name of an archery school near JR Ishibe Station<\/a> in Konan, Shiga Prefecture<\/a>. I recently visited and took a trial lesson for \u00a51,000 (\u672c\u683c\u4f53\u9a13<\/a>). Such a bargain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The unique thing is that the archery school is inside a Heiwado supermarket, occupying almost the entire third floor. Archery is usually done outdoors, so I had to see it for myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Heiwado Ishibe<\/a> branch looks like a typical three-story Heiwado with a parking lot. The supermarket is on the first floor, apparel and household goods on the second, and the archery school on the third floor via escalator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Assist\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Assist\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n
Assist Archery on the 3rd floor of Heiwado Ishibe.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When you get to the third floor, you see a most unusual interior for a Heiwado. Instead of shelves of products, it’s one big room with a large open space. Same floor size as the supermarket downstairs and well lit with window light (during the daytime) and fluorescent lighting. My guess is that this floor used to be occupied by an arcade game center or dollar store (\u00a5100 shop) or both which is typical of Heiwado stores. What a great way to use available store space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent years, a few Heiwado stores have sadly been downsizing or closing due to hard times and aging facilities. Heiwado near Maibara Station is already gone (replaced by a Friend Mart supermarket), and Heiwado’s Kosei-Chuo branch in Konan (near JR Kosei Station) just shut down on Aug. 28, 2022 after 36 years in business (since 1986).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, Assist Archery was operating inside the Heiwado Kosei-Chuo store from July 2019 before it moved to the Heiwado Ishibe store in Aug. 2022 due to Kosei-Chuo’s closure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their new digs in Ishibe is smaller than the old location I’m told, but it’s big enough for several practice range targets 18 meters away and a small cubicle range for trial lessons and total beginners like me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The practice targets (made of paper) are pinned on old tatami mats, the perfect arrow stopper. After getting stabbed many times, even the old tatami mats are eventually replaced. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Assist\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Target\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n
Left: Assist Archery’s main practice range (18 m). Right: Trial lesson archery range (4 m). Target pinned on old tatami mat (only in Japan maybe?).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Recurve\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n
Left: Assist Archery’s trial lesson (one-to-one). Everything provided. Right: Recurve bow.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I made reservations by email for a 40-minute trial lesson, costing only \u00a51,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A staff person (Sayaka-san in my case) teaches you all the basics, and they provide everything you need like an arm guard and arrow case to hold arrows. Just wear loose-fitting clothing and sneakers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the trial lesson, you use a recurve bow<\/a> and Olympic-standard arrows. They also have compound bows<\/a> (makes it easy to pull back the bow string and arrow), but they provide only recurve bows for the trial lesson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lesson starts with a brief explanation (in Japanese) about archery, then you wear the safety guards and arrow case and start shooting arrows. They teach you how to mount the arrow on the bow string, pull back the arrow on the bow, aim, and shoot at a point-blank target only four meters away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They gave me six arrows which I put in the arrow case slung on my hip. After shooting the six arrows, I pulled out all the arrows from the target (and tatami mat) and repeated the shooting three more times. My arrows tended to land slightly left of the bull’s eye, so my bow’s sight was adjusted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s hard to keep your bow and arrow absolutely still when shooting because your arms and fingers are naturally shaking. In total, I shot 24 arrows hitting (or missing) the target. Good experience. Anybody can do it. Wish I also had a chance to shoot at a farther target, maybe nine meters away. Four meters is still too close to judge whether you have a natural talent for archery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make reservations for a trial lesson, send them email and state which three candidate dates\/times you want. Then they will reply and say which date\/time they can make it. They have bows in various sizes to suit kids and adults. https:\/\/www.assist-archery.jp\/trial\/join-tryal<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Trial\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Compound\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Arrow\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n
Left: Trial lesson PR (\u4f53\u9a13). Center: Compound bows makes it easy to pull back the arrow and string. Commonly used by Paralympic archers. Right: Arrow case to wear.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the lesson, they tell you about the archery school and lesson plans. If you want to shoot more, the next step is the introductory lesson plan<\/a> for beginners costing \u00a56,000 for four 50-minute lessons including equipment rental. There’s a wide variety of archery lesson plans<\/a> for hobbyists and serious competitors alike for both kids and adults. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They have practice ranges with targets placed 9 meters away and a maximum of 18 meters away. At the Olympics\/Paralympics, archery targets are 70 meters away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s great for people who live nearby. Kids can take an archery lesson or practice while their moms go grocery shopping downstairs. The school has produced quite a few winners at archery competitions in Shiga and Japan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The school is quite impressive and has been getting a lot of PR in local media<\/a>. I actually first heard of them on NHK TV news in Shiga. See the TV news story below aired by Biwako Broadcasting (BBC) in May 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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