Kemari is a highly ritualised game indigenous to Japan that has been played for over a millennium. Join us and our experts for a free one-hour webinar where we tackle the question why the beautiful game of kemari failed to stand the test of time.
The game of kemari enjoyed a high social status, the legacy of which is a historical record that has been passed down through the centuries. Still celebrated and played today, it is considered a part of the cultural heritage of Japan. As a ball game in which only feet are used, it can also safely stake its claim among the antecedents of all the modern football codes, but in particular association football.
Kemari was remarkable for the fact that in its heyday, it boasted many of the seven criteria necessary to call itself modern. Even today, its spirit and legacy lives on in the ball tricks performed by the likes of Diego Maradona and in new sports such as freestyle football. Join our live talk webinar to find out why kemari failed to make the transition from ancient to modern sport.
