Far East

Tsu Chu (China)
It has been proven, that a kicking game called Tsu Chu (may also be spelled as Tsu'Chu or Tsu-Chu) emerged in ancient China as early as 2500 BC. Tsu means "to kick the ball with feet" and Chu may be directly translated as "a ball made of leather and stuffed." According to records, the game was typically played in celebration of the emperor's birthday. The goal of Tsu Chu was to kick a ball through an opening into a small net. This net was fixed onto erected bamboo canes. Considering that the opening was about 30 to 40 cm in diameter (1 foot) and remained elevated at about 9 meters (30 feet) above ground, it is presumable that a high level of skill was needed to play. During the Ts'in Dynasty (255 BC - 206 BC) a form of Tsu Chu was used for training by soldiers. At the time of the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD) Tsu Chu was extensively played. A war manual from that time period featured physical exercises called Tsu Chu. These exercises involved a leather ball filled with feathers and hair. They were similar to the Tsu Chu game and declared that players had to prevent each other from scoring. With the exception of the hands, all other body parts were applicable while trying to "score."

Kemari (Japan)
Between 300 AD - 600 AD the Japanese developed a game called Kemari (also called Kenatt). It was played by eight or less people with a deerskin-covered ball stuffed with sawdust (about nine to ten inches in diameter). The players had to keep the ball from touching the floor by juggling it with their feet and collectively passing it from one to another. The playing field used for Kemari was called Kikutsubo. By tradition, the Kikytsubo is rectangular-shaped with a sapling planted in each corner (the classic version featured four different trees: cherry, maple, willow and pine). The Japanese even had Kemari lingo. When kicking the ball up, a player would say "ariyaaa!" (here we go) or "ari!" (here) when passing it over to someone else.
The period between the 10th and 16th century was a golden age for Kemari. The game spread to the lower classes and became a muse for poets and story writers. A Japanese anecdote claims of an emperor, who with the help of his team, kept the ball airborne for over 1000 kicks. Contemporary poets claimed that the ball "seemed suspended, hanging in the sky." Afterwards, the ball was retired and given a high court rank by the emperor himself.
Around the 13th or 14th century a specific outfit was employed and Kemari players wore vivid long-sleeved uniforms based on the hitatare. The game of Kemari is still played today by Japanese enthusiasts who want to preserve the old tradition.