[Image description: a photo of an open plaza in a city. In the background, someone in a wheelchair is passing by, and a crowd of men circle to look at something. Whatever they are looking at cannot possibly be as awesome as the actual subject of this photo: a young woman on a motorcycle with a traditional Japanese longbow. She draws the bow and takes aim. The traditional Japanese longbow is asymmetrical, with two thirds of the bow extending above the archer’s head; this, and the proper posture, allow archers to shoot from the ground or from horseback. This young woman’s modern steed is a vintage Kawasaki motorbike with a blocky, military look. It tilts on its kickstand but the young woman has her foot ready to kick the stand up and ride away. She is dressed in a traditional archery outfit: a short-sleeved kimono under pleated hakama trousers, the triangular leather chest plate and a glove on her right hand to protect from the bowstring, and tabi socks with sandals. Her hair is down but she is wearing a headband and she has a hair tie on her left wrist if she needs it. Her face is calm as she finds the meditative serenity that Japanese archers seek before they fire. She is such a total badass.]
