Japan New Year’s Kemari Event

January 5, 2018

Kyoto- Japanese ancient Japanese football players in court costume prepare to play a game of kemari at Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto city, Japan, Thursday, 04 January 2018.

The ancient Japanese football sport, called kemari, is performed every 4th January, as a new years event.

The sport was introduced to Japan from China over 1,300 years ago and was popular among Japanese aristocrats for many centuries. In 1903 an organization was established to revive the ancient sport. Jiji Press