is a type of a deck of ''

karuta are Japanese playing cards. Playing cards were introduced to Japan by Portuguese traders during the mid-16th century. These early decks were used for trick-taking games. The earliest indigenous ''karuta'' was invented in the town of Miike in ...

'', Japanese traditional playing cards. A set of ''uta-garuta'' contains 100 cards, with a ''

waka Waka may refer to: Culture and language * Waka (canoe), a Polynesian word for canoe; especially, canoes of the Māori of New Zealand ** Waka ama, a Polynesian outrigger canoe ** Waka hourua, a Polynesian ocean-going canoe ** Waka taua, a Māori w ...

'' poem written on each. ''Uta-garuta'' is also the name of the game in which the deck is used. The standard collection of poems used is the ''

Hyakunin Isshu is a classical Japanese anthology of one hundred Japanese ''waka'' by one hundred poets. ''Hyakunin isshu'' can be translated to "one hundred people, one poem ach; it can also refer to the card game of ''uta-garuta'', which uses a deck compos ...

'', chosen by poet

Fujiwara no Teika , better-known as Fujiwara no Teika"Sadaie" and "Teika" are both possible readings of ; "...there is the further problem, the rendition of the name in romanized form. Teika probably referred to himself as Sadaie, and his father probably called ...

in the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japan ...

, which is often also used as the name of the game. Since early 20th century the game is played mostly on

Japanese New Year The is an annual festival with its own customs. Since 1873, the official Japanese New Year has been celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar, on January 1 of each year, . However, some traditional events of the Japanese New Year are par ...

holidays.

How to play

Basic rules

The game uses two types of cards. *''Yomifuda'' (lit. "Reading Cards"): One hundred cards with a figure of a person, their name, and a complete poem by them on each. *''Torifuda'' (lit. "Grabbing Cards"): One hundred cards with only the finishing phrases of the poems on each. The game is played with the players seated on the floor. At the start of a game, 100 ''torifuda'' are neatly arranged on the floor face up between the players. When the reader starts reading out a poem on the ''yomifuda'', the players quickly search for the ''torifuda'' on which the corresponding final phrase is written. There are two ways to play the game based on the rules above.

Chirashi-dori

One reader, three or more players: #Mix up the deck of torifuda, and lay them out on the floor. Players sit around the cards. #The reader draws a yomifuda and starts reading it out loud. Players attempt to recognize the poem being read as soon as possible, and race to find and take the corresponding torifuda as soon as they do. #When a player has taken the corresponding torifuda, the reader moves on to the next yomifuda. #When all the cards are taken, the player with the most cards wins the game.

Genpei-gassen

One reader, two teams of one or more players each: #Divide the players into two groups. The two groups are called ''Genji'' and ''Heike''. #Mix up the torifuda, and give 50 cards to each side. #Genji and Heike sit face to face. Lay out 50 cards in front of each group in three lines facing the group. #Gameplay is the same as in Chirashi-dori. Players can take cards from either side. #If a player takes a card from the opponent's side, they can move one card from their own side to the opponent's side. #If a player takes a wrong card, the opponent can move one card to the player's side as a penalty. #The side that has no more torifuda on their side wins the game.

Strategy

The odds of winning increase if one knows the phrases. One even may be able to take a card immediately after hearing the reader read aloud only the first letters of the yomifuda poem. Technique in reading is also very important, having to know how to correctly space out the words and the seconds of the pause.

Competitive karuta

In Japan there are national conventions for the competitive format of the game.

In popular culture

The

manga Manga ( Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is ...

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

series and live action movie ''

Chihayafuru is a Japanese ''josei'' manga series written and illustrated by Yuki Suetsugu. It was serialized in Kodansha's ''josei'' manga magazine '' Be Love'' from December 2007 to August 2022, with its chapters collected in 50 ''tankōbon'' vo ...

'' portrays the story of a group of young people who competitively play

karuta with the aim of becoming best in the world. The series debuted in 2007, and its popularity has boosted the popularity of competitive ''karuta'' in Japan and abroad. In the manga and anime series ''

Nanbaka , also known as ''Nanbaka - The Numbers'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Shō Futamata. An anime television series adaptation by Satelight aired between 5 October 2016 and 22 March 2017. The title is a play on words, ...

'', uta-garuta is the 3rd Event of the New Year Joint Cooperation tournament. The 21st movie of the ''

Detective Conan ''Case Closed'', also known as , is a Japanese detective manga series written and illustrated by Gosho Aoyama. It has been serialized in Shogakukan's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' since January 1994, with its cha ...

'' anime series, '' Crimson Love Letter'', features a uta-garuta competition as the main storyline.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Uta-Garuta Dedicated deck card games Japanese word games Japanese card games ja:百人一首#かるた