The story
Fiction and adapted settings written by Akitsora Gaming for this title, including invented dialogue and events. This is not a historical or folklore reference. The rules and specification tables define the gameplay and math.
Mari wa otosanu mono.
— A kemari ball is something you never let fall.
I. The court of four trees
A kemari court is small, with a tree at each corner: cherry, willow, maple and pine. The way the ball drops from their branches is the way the next player must meet it.
The sand is raked flat. Afternoon light slants in, and the shadows of the trees lie still across it.
II. Ari, yaa, ou
Kemari players call as they kick: ari as the foot lifts, yaa while the ball is in the air, ou as it passes to the next player.
There is no winner. Everyone keeps the ball aloft together, and the longer it stays up, the livelier the court — that is a chain of kicks.
III. The golden ball and the opening of the court
Now and then a golden ball drops into the court. It scores nothing on its own, but while it is there every kick weighs more (base game ×2 to ×20).
Gather 4 court seals and the curtains part: the pavilion fills with guests, and over the next 15 spins the golden-ball multiplier keeps stacking (×2 to ×500). 3 more seals add 5 more spins.
IV. The last kick
The last kick goes highest. The ball sails over the whole court and lands on the other player's foot — and the two bow together toward the centre of the court.