Hyakunin Isshu

Hyakunin Isshu（Hiragana:ひゃくにんいっしゅ Kanji:百人一首） is list of wakas written by 100 famous waka poets. They are cards that have writing on them.(Ogura hyakunin isshu.小倉百人一首.)There are 200 cards divided into two groups - 100 Yomifuda cards and 100 Torifuda cards.

Yomifuda of Hyakunin isshu(Tenji tenno)

Hyakunin Isshu as a game

Hyakunin isshu is a popular game in Japan.It is played often during the New year season. A few games are possible using these cards.

Karuta asobi

Karuta asobi(かるた遊び) is the most popular game. A reader reads Kaminoku (the upper words) and Shimonoku (the lower words), and the players compete to see how fast they can pick the matching card. The Shimonoku is not written on the cards, so the players who memorize the Kaminoku have an advantage. The player who can get the most cards wins.

Words

• Kaminoku(上の句)、Shimonoku（下の句）

春過ぎて 夏来にけらし 白妙の 衣ほすてふ 天の香具山

The beginning words are 5,7,5(about 17 character), called Kaminoku. The second part are 7,7, called Shimonoku.

• Yomifuda(読み札)

The cards that are composed of only characters. All parts of the poem (Kaminoku and Shimonoku) are written.

• Torifuda(取り札)

Only Shimonoku is written. The waka maker's illustrations are written on the cards.

Bozu mekuri

Bozu mekuri(坊主めくり) does not use Yomifuda.

Rules

• Torifudas pile up front of players.
• If you get a card with a man on it,you can keep it.
• If you get a card with a bald man, you lose all your cards and put them on the pile of lost cards.
• If you get a card with a woman on it, you can get all the lost cards from the pile.

The winner is the player who has the most cards when all the cards are have been used.