Kyoto: Kemari at Shimogamo shrine
Kemari is a hacky sack like game which was played by the nobles in Heian period (8th century) Japan. It is said to be brought from China in the 7th century.
On January 4, members of the historic preservation board wearing colorful Heian period costume re-enacted Kemari games in front of many visitors to the Shimogamo shrine in Sakyo ward, Kyoto. The shrine has a long tradition of offering a Kemari to the gods every new year to pray for good health.
Kemari, the ball, is about 20cm in radius and weighs about 150g , made of deer skin. The art of the game is to keep the ball from hitting the ground, which requires players to kick the ball high enough to keep it going.
Despite the snow flurries during the day, the visitors cheered when Kemari was beautifully relayed among the players. A visitor from Tokyo with a small daughter commented, “It was fun to be able to see the ancient game up close. It had the pizzazz of Kyoto! I’d like to play it, too.”
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