Kemari

The earliest reliable documentary evidence of the word kemari (蹴鞠) is found in a record of an annual event called Honchō gatsuryo (ja:本朝月令) written in the middle of the Heian period.

This led to the establishment of a variety of new rules, equipment and techniques, and the completion of a structured art form called kemaridō (蹴鞠道).

[1] In the past, aristocrats living in Kyoto used to play kemari as an annual event on New Year's Day, January 4.

Emperor Meiji feared that the rapid modernization of Japan would lead to the loss of various traditional Japanese cultures, and in 1903, an association was established to preserve kemari by contributing an imperial grant.

Players may use any body part with the exception of arms and hands: their head, feet, knees, back, and depending on the rules, elbows to keep the ball aloft.

[3] The uniforms that the modern players wear are reminiscent of the clothes of the Heian period and include a crow hat.