In a land where teamwork is everything, this is Japan’s only home-grown team sport.
OBJECTIVE: Keep the ball in the air. Kemari is completely cooperative. There are no winners and no Western-style competition.
RULES: players may use any part of their body except their arms and hands – their feet, knees, back, or head – to keep the ball aloft.
EQUIPMENT: The ball – called mari – is made of deerskin and stuffed with barley grains.
UNIFORMS: brightly colored traditional court attire from the Asuka age, including the crow hat.
PLAYING SPACE: 6-8 square meters of flat ground.
WHERE TO FIND KEMARI: at Shinto shrines, usually played during festivals.
ORIGIN: China. Kemari was introduced to Japan around 600 CE.
CONCLUSION: Kemari is an elaborate, ancient form of hacky sack!
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Category: Travel
14 Comments
So.. basically hacky sack played with a flat volleyball
OK Japan, you have way too many ancient traditions.
Playing a sub story in Bleach Brave Souls and this little girl is talking about how amazing Kemari is so I had to look it up
Miyamoto Mushashi mentioned it in his book.
Came hear after watching an episode of inuyasha were the kemari was being played, i was so curious i had to look it up. 😅i was thinking all the while that japan had ancient sport that involved kicking a all!?
This evolved into football
Samurai warriors anyone?
This is called cuju, an ancient chinese ball game that passed on to Japan from china
Catch me and my mates in the park we’ll keep that thing going for hours. Years and years of bums finally paying off.
BRAVO.
I Saw this in Inazuma eleven go Chrone stones
Genji Monogatari someone?
acha
Here from SW Yoshimoto Imagawa played it!!.