Uta-garuta

Uta-garuta (歌ガルタ^?) are a kind of karuta, Japanese traditional playing cards. It is also the name of the game in which they are used. The game is played mostly on Japanese New Year's holidays. On each card, a waka poem is written; there are a total of 100 poems. The standard collection of poems used is called Hyakunin Isshu, which is often also used as the name of the game. The collection was chosen by poet Fujiwara no Teika in the Heian period.

There are national conventions for the competitive format of the game. Levels start at the lowest, Class E, and stop at the highest, Class A. Only Class A players are qualified to be a reader.

The game uses two types of cards.

At the start of a game, 100 torifuda are neatly arranged on the floor faced up. 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.

One reader, more than three players:

One reader, players on two sides:

The odds of winning increase if one knows the phrases. One even may be able to take the cards immediately after hearing the reader read aloud only the first letters of the waka. Readers are also very important, having to know how to correctly space out the words and the seconds of the pause.

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