In Japan, a Miko will carry a Saigu-Yumi/Hama-Yumi and a set of Hamaya as part of their religious regalia. In Former times, they were used quite literally in defense of the temple, just as Kikyo and Kaede do in the Inuyasha Anime. Hama-Yumi continue to be used in Buddhist and Shinto rituals of purification such as Shihobarai- the Purification of the Four Directions. Hama-yumi replicas are placed in shrines and people's homes for protection against the forces of evil and for purification.