Karuta

Karuta (Japaneseかるた), which is derived from the Portuguese word carta as Gairaigo ( "Card"), is a Japanese card game.

Karuta is often played at New Year. The cards are slightly thicker than the maps of European card games. Similar to the usual in Europe Rummy cards, Karuta can be played in different variations. It is also possible to play the game with two decks of cards of European playing cards. In the elementary and middle schools is often played for learning purposes Karuta of children during school hours.

Regulate

The basic idea of ​​the game is to get as soon as possible to select the right of a number of cards and take them up faster than the opponent. There are a number of different types of cards that can be used to play karuta.

There are two different types of cards in Karuta: The Yomifuda (読 札, dt " reading cards") and the Torifuda (取り 札, dt "Griffin cards"). As indicated by the names of the players on the basis of Yomifuda must decide which associated Torifuda it has to close before this succeeds another player.

Species

• Jomo Karuta (上 毛 かるた)
• Uta- Garuta (歌 ガルタ, dt " poem cards") Hyakunin Isshu (百 人 一 首, dt " 100 people, 1 poem" )

The two most common types of karuta are the Uta- Garuta and the Iroha - Garuta. In Uta- Garuta players are trying to determine the last two lines of a tanka basis of three predefined lines. It is often possible to determine a poem based on the first or the first two syllables. The poems for this variant are from the Hyakunin Isshu and are traditionally played on New Year's Day. The second variant Iroha - Garuta can be played by anyone who can read Hiragana. In this variant of the game a typical Torifuda shows a drawing with a kana in any corner of the map. The corresponding Yomifuda shows a proverb whose first syllable is like the kana on the Torifuda.