Polo in Japan

Although there are many countries and cultures across the globe who revere and celebrate the power, spirit, and history of the horse, there are far fewer who are credited with creating equestrian sports in honor of the relationship between humans and horses. However, through its connection to the Korean peninsula, Japan was introduced to what is considered one of the earliest forms of the sport of polo known as Dakyu . Today, this sport is only played for historical and cultural remembrance, but due to its heavy influence towards the creation of polo, the legacy of the sport can still be seen across Japan through its equestrian culture, various polo clubs, and growing dedication to spreading awareness about polo. Dakyu is an ancient equestrian sport that migrated to Japan via Korea after originally developing in 8th and 9th century China. Similar to polo, the objective of the sport is to hit a ball with a stick to score a point, while facing other mounted opponents. However, there are some key differences between Dakyu and polo. Dakyu was primarily played in two different styles, but the one that is most similar to polo is called Kagamiryu style .