@exile650 I don't really know much about hunting, but I do archery in the UK where we are also not allowed to hunt with bows. My guess would be that an arrow won't necessarily impart enough energy into or do enough damage to kill the prey. Also if you miss and can't find the arrow, they can be very dangerous depending on how they land. A wild animal could accidentally impale it's self on it, and so could a person.
So this is what Yuri does when she's not performing with Soshi? XD
Also...why are bows prohibited? That's just odd when you can hunt with a gun or other things with a license. Explosives being prohibited is at least understandable.
For those wondering, I have no idea if this applies to Japan as well, but bowhunting is prohibited in a number of countries, like the UK and Germany, because it's considered unethical.