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In Photos: Ancient 'kemari' Japanese football event kicks off 2026 at Kyoto shrine
In Kyoto

In Photos: Ancient ‘kemari’ Japanese football event kicks off 2026 at Kyoto shrine




In Photos: Ancient ‘kemari’ Japanese football event kicks off 2026 at Kyoto shrine – The Mainichi


























































































































































































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Members of the kemari preservation society, dressed in traditional clothing, give the first kemari performance of the year at Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto’s Sakyo Ward on Jan. 4, 2026. (Mainichi/Tsutomu Koseki)








Members of the kemari preservation society, dressed in traditional clothing, give the first kemari performance of the year at Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto's Sakyo Ward on Jan. 4, 2026. (Mainichi/Tsutomu Koseki)






Members of the kemari preservation society, dressed in traditional clothing, give the first kemari performance of the year at Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto's Sakyo Ward on Jan. 4, 2026. (Mainichi/Tsutomu Koseki)






Members of the kemari preservation society, dressed in traditional clothing, give the first kemari performance of the year at Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto's Sakyo Ward on Jan. 4, 2026. (Mainichi/Tsutomu Koseki)






Members of the kemari preservation society, dressed in traditional clothing, give the first kemari performance of the year at Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto's Sakyo Ward on Jan. 4, 2026. (Mainichi/Tsutomu Koseki)






Members of the kemari preservation society, dressed in traditional clothing, give the first kemari performance of the year at Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto's Sakyo Ward on Jan. 4, 2026. (Mainichi/Tsutomu Koseki)






Members of the kemari preservation society, dressed in traditional clothing, give the first kemari performance of the year at Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto's Sakyo Ward on Jan. 4, 2026. (Mainichi/Tsutomu Koseki)






Members of the kemari preservation society, dressed in traditional clothing, give the first kemari performance of the year at Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto's Sakyo Ward on Jan. 4, 2026. (Mainichi/Tsutomu Koseki)






This photo taken Jan. 4, 2026, in Kyoto's Sakyo Ward shows spectators who gathered to view the annual first kemari event of the new year, at Shimogamo Shrine. (Mainichi/Tsutomu Koseki)






In this photo taken Jan. 4, 2026, at Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto's Sakyo Ward, members of the kemari preservation society bow after finishing their exhibition of the first kemari event of the new year. (Mainichi/Tsutomu Koseki)
























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