Before the arrival of rugby, Japan was home to a game known as kemari (Japanese: 蹴鞠), which in some ways was a parallel development to association football, and to a lesser extent rugby football.
It is said that kemari was introduced to Japan from China in about 600 AD, during the Asuka period, and was based upon the Chinese sport of cuju.
The object of Kemari is to keep one ball in the air, with all players cooperating to do so.
The ball, known as a mari, is made of deerskin with the hair facing inside and the hide on the outside.
Kemari has been revived in modern times, and the players still wear the traditional costumes for the game.
Before the arrival of rugby, Japan was home to a game known as kemari (Japanese: 蹴鞠), which in some ways was a parallel development to association football, and to a lesser extent rugby football. It is said that kemari was introduced to Japan from China in about 600 AD, during the Asuka period, and was based upon the Chinese sport of cuju. The object of Kemari is to keep one ball in the air, with all players cooperating to do so. The ball, known as a mari, is made of deerskin with the hair facing inside and the hide on the outside. Kemari has been revived in modern times, and the players still wear the traditional costumes for the game.
Rugby union in Japan