Kenmari Hajime (Ball Kicking)
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Kemari Hajime is a popular Japanese New Year ritual. The event is held on the 4th of January at the Shimogamo Shrine, which is located in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto. Kemari Hajime means kicking the ball for the first time in the New Year. The festival of Kemari Hajime is more like the age-old Japanese ritual, which has some resemblance with the game of hacky-sack.
Brief History
It was China who introduced Buddhism in Japan. In the same way, the sport of Kemari Hajime was also introduced by China. The game was very popular among the high-brass people of the society during the Heian period. In Kemari Hajime, players form a group and create circle as they try to kick the ball in a manner so that it does not touch the ground. The ball is made out of deerskin. The players used to be clad in colorful court costumes. Whenever the ball was kicked high into the air, rhythmic sounds followed and viewers cheered and applauded. The players, while performing the various actions of ball handling, shouted the names of `Ari’, ‘Oh’ and ‘Ya’, the deities of Kemari. It is believed that the rituals involved to Kemari Hajime have been constituted in the Kamakura Period (13-14C AD).
After the Meiji Restoration in the nineteenth century, the western influence had delivered a fatal blow to the sport, and it was on the verge of being wiped out forever. Though, in the year 1903, the Kemari Preservation Society dedicated itself to the revival of Kemari Hajime or ball kicking. The establishment has since continued to serve the different facets of this traditional court game.
The festival of Kemari Hajime was actually commemorated when Fujiwara no Kamatari had a meeting with Emperor Tenchi to discuss his ideas to oust the Sogas, and the venue happened to be a ball-kicking game.
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