Karuta is a Japanese card game. The word karuta(かるた) is from the Portuguese word "carta".

The basic idea of any karuta game is to be able to quickly determine which card out of an array of cards is required and then to grab the card before it is grabbed by an opponent. There are various types of cards which can be used to play karuta. It is also possible to play this game using two standard decks of playing cards.

There are two kinds of cards used in karuta. One kind is yomifuda (読札) or "reading cards", and the other is torifuda (取り札) or "grabbing cards." As they were denoted, the words in the yomifuda are read and players will have to find its associated torifuda before anybody else does.

The two types of karuta cards that are most often seen are the "uta-karuta" and "iroha-karuta".

In "uta-karuta" (うたかるた), players try to find the last two lines of a tanka given the first three lines. It is often possible to identify a poem by its first one or two syllables. The poems for this game are taken from the Hyakunin Isshu and are traditionally played on New Year's Day.

Anyone who can read hiragana can play "iroha-karuta" (いろはかるた). In this type, a typical torifuda features a drawing with a kana at one corner of the card. Its corresponding yomifuda features a proverb connected to the picture with the first syllable being the kana displayed on the torifuda.

Varieties of Karuta

Usually, many localities will have their own version of karuta with local history and landmarks. Gunma Prefecture has Jomo Karuta, which has even been translated into English.

Links

• Andy's Playing Cards: Japanese playing cards: An in-depth look at cards used in karuta.
• Karuta: Sports or Culture: A detailed essay about the game.
• Karuta at GenkiEnglish: a variation of the game using picture cards.