Kemari Ancient Ball Game Recreated in Japan Annual New Year Event; Spectators Impressed by Players’ Footwork

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:29 JST, January 5, 2026

An annual New Year’s event recreating kemari, an ancient ball game, was performed at Shimogamo Shrine in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, on Sunday, with the players’ impressive footwork captivating spectators.

Eight members of a kemari preservation association clad in Heian-period (794-late 12th century) costumes formed a circle on a 15-square-meter court on the shrine grounds. They chanted “Ari,” “Ya” and “Oh” as they kicked a traditional deerskin ball measuring 20 centimeters in diameter. Visitors cheered as the members kept the ball in the air without letting it touch the ground.

The game is believed to have been introduced to Japan via China during the Asuka period (592-710).

“Kemari is not about victory or defeat,” said the 76-year-old chairman of the association. “We hope for a world without conflict, filled with compassion.”