Ogura Hyakunin Isshu is a Japanese anthology of one hundred “Waka” (also known as Tanka), which is a type of poem that comprises five lines of 5-7-5-7-7 syllables. The collection was compiled by Fujiwara no Teika (1162 – 1241 AD) in the early 13th century.

Photos and design of Karuta (cards) by Yasuaki Kohno
Born in Tokyo in 1964. Graduated from Keio University with BA in Law. While working in an accounting office, he spent his free time pursuing his love of Hyakunin Isshu, traveling all over Japan and trying to capture the moments expressing the poems the best. Unfortunately, he succumbed to cancer and passed away several hours after celebrating his 50th birthday on September 26th, 2014, before completing his dream of publishing his works.

The English translation is based on the works by Clay MacCauley, “Hyakunin Isshu (Single songs of a Hundred Poets)” , Kelly and Walsh Ltd., Yokohama, 1917, and was edited by Toshiko Hino, closely following the understandings of the poems by the photographer, Yasuaki Kohno, her brother.

Playing the game
[Basic Rules - requiring memorization of poems]
The game uses two types of cards:

• Yomifuda (Reading cards): 100 cards, each with a picture of the author with a complete Waka poem(5-7-5-7-7 syllables), and
• Torifuda (Collecting cards): 100 cards, each corresponding to a Yomifuda with only the lastphrases of the poem (7-7 syllables)
  

1. Designate 1 person as the “reader”. The reader will read all 100 Yomifuda one by one.
2. The rest of the players sit in a circle and place the100 Torifuda face up in the middle of the circle.
3. The reader draws 1 Yomifuda and reads it. The first player who touches the corresponding Torifuda takes the card. The reader then moves on to the next Yomifuda.
4. When all the cards have been collected, the player with the most cards wins the game.

Karuta (cards) in a box	Karuta before cutting

The Karuta (cards) are made by Oishi Tengudo who has 200 year history as producer of Karuta. The Yomifuda, reading cards with illustrations of the poets, are the standard design of Oishi Tengudo but they have texts on the back in Roman letters so that the poems can be pronounced by non-Japanese people. Torifuda, collecting cards composed with photos texts on the top, have English translation on the back.