鞠

まり · mari · JLPT N1 · noun

ball

⚽ 鞠 = 革 (leather) + 匊 (scoop up): old leather ball, the ancestor of 'kemari' and 'mari' (まり)

In Japanese 鞠 (まり) means a ball, from older leather balls stitched from hide. Kemari is the ancient court game of keeping a ball aloft with the feet.