Even SEI-shonagon, who was well-known for her harsh criticism, praised kemari highly in her book '"Makura-no-soshi' saying that 'Kemari is interesting.'
辛口の評論で知られる清少納言でさえ、著書「枕草子」のなかで「蹴鞠は面白い」と謳っているほどであった。