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KemariKemari (Japanese:蹴鞠) is a sport that was popular in Japan in the Heian Period. Kemari was introduced to Japan from China about 1400 years ago during the Asuka period of Japan. After that, kemari declined in popularity in China and Southeast Asia, so it was only fully developed in Japan. Kemari is a very physical sport; it is a whole body exercise for all ages. It is somewhat unique among sports, as it does not have winners, losers, or competition between players. 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. The ball is stuffed with barley grains to give it shape. When the hide has set in this shape, the grains are removed from the ball, and it is then sewn together using the skin of a horse. The one who kicks the ball is called a mariashi. A good mariashi makes it easy for the receiver to control the mari, and serves it with a soft touch to make it easy to keep the mari in the air. Kemari is played on a flat ground, about 15 meters long. The uniforms that the players wear are reminiscent of the clothes of the Asuka age and include a crow hat. This type of cloth was called kariginu and it was fashionable at that time.
Kemari is also the name of a town in Karachi.
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