Guest Post: Karuta

Ahhhh, I remember karuta. Every year the freshman class would play it at the gym in my base school, and I was asked to join in (the teachers would take turns reading off cards). But I get ahead of myself. Today's post is written by a fellow DMC fan, Jessie Guill of Pokerlistings.com. Take it away, Jessie.

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Almost all of us have played one form of card game or another. In Japan, one of the more popular games to play is known as Karuta. On the surface, it is a simple literary game, but it may actually be one of the toughest sports that you will ever encounter. Yes, the game requires excellent hearing, sharp memory, and stamina that it is considered a sport by many. There are varieties of this game all throughout Japan, but in this article, we'd like to focus on the game of competitive karuta.

The Basics

The game uses a set of cards, called uta-garuta, where Hyakunin Isshu poems are printed. There are two decks of this card: one is called Yomifuda (reading card) where the entire poem is printed; the other is Torifuda (playing card) that contains only the last two verses of the poem.

Torifuda on the left; Yomifuda on the right

The game is typically played one-on-one. Each player gets 25 torifuda cards and strategically arranges them in three rows on the floor. The players have to memorize the positions of all cards, and we must note here that while they can recognize the texts, the opponent's cards are always up-side-down to the other player's point of view. A reader recites a yomifuda card and players compete on the torifuda card that corresponds to it. The first to touch the card gets it and removes it from the game. Once a player takes a card from the opponent's side, the said player may send one of their cards to their opponent. The first to empty their territory wins.

Sounds simple? The truth is, karuta players are advised to memorize all one hundred Hyakunin Isshu poems. That alone is challenge enough. Those who are serious (and passionate) in competing train themselves to improve their agility and accuracy. Some could even grab a card once the very first syllable has been read.

Popularity

Due to its use of classical poetry, karuta is often being taught to children in elementary and junior high schools. Some high schools have their own clubs that they send to competitions and individual tournaments are being held throughout the year. Karuta is also a traditional activity during New Year's Eve.

Lately, the game is gaining popularity among the young and even foreign anime fans. This could be credited to an ongoing manga (and anime) series called Chihayafuru, which focuses on competitive karuta. Perhaps the portrayal of karuta in this anime is a bit exaggerated, but it definitely drives interest to anyone new to the game.

A screenshot from the anime Chihayafuru where the main character swiftly takes a card

Most popular card games in the world were developed during the early times for entertainment and gambling purposes. Poker card games, for example, have evolved into different varieties and gained mainstream popularity due to wide media coverage, numerous tournaments, skilled players, and enticing stakes. While different in purpose, karuta also evolved in a similar way. Championship and other tournaments are covered by the local media, and a few TV shows build plots that revolve around karuta.

Perhaps it is because of the difference in cards being used that competitive karuta won’t be a worldwide phenomenon in the near future, but foreigners with huge interest in Japanese culture will definitely be captivated by this culture-infused card game.

Trivia: Despite the game's cultural background, the word “karuta” isn't a native Japanese term. It is adopted from “carta”, the Portuguese term for “card”.

Guest Post: Grasping at Self Worth

The following is a guest post by Canadian author and comedian Bryan Maine. Bryan asked me if he could write a piece about his upcoming Kickstarter book, in which he taps into some intense experiences he had in Japan some years ago. Hats off to a writer and entrepreneur doing his best to make it happen. Good luck to you, Bryan!

-Paul


Six years ago I was a Canadian university student in Tokyo for the summer with my then girlfriend and needed work.  My friend's father set up a job at a neighbourhood preschool for me within days.  I was weary, expecting to be the warden I rebelled against so strongly only years prior when I was an exchange student in a Japanese high school.  Preschool was completely different.  The children were bubbly and full of life.  I noticed if a child was crying or hurt that the teachers had no fear when  lifting the kid up and kissing the scratch on their arm to make it better.  It wasn't "inappropriate" the way it seems our western culture has made it out to be, it was providing general love and compassion to a child.  

The oddest experience was a particularly hot day that I was asked to assist with a large steal drum sitting a top cinder blocks in the centre of the play yard.  A hose was draped over the side pumping water as another teacher fanned a tiny fire beneath the barrel.  I asked what the set up was for and they explained that since it had been an extra hot week we were making a pool for the kids to take a dunk in.  On that note another teacher ushered out a parade of 30 small naked humans waiting for their turn, giggling.  I was shocked.  The entire 5 year old class was standing naked in the school yard and right at that moment an old woman road her bicycle past the gate and waved with a smile, completely unaffected by the sight.  With each dunk, the child would give a brief shiver before smiling back at their classmates to the cheers of excitement.  After the moment in the spotlight we hoisted the kid out and wrapped a towel around them on their way inside.  "Why are the kids all naked" I asked, lowering a fresh body into the makeshift hot tub.  "Because they don't have their swimsuits today" the other teacher responded matter of factly.  It wasn't odd that tiny kids were naked in sight of the public, it was odd to wonder why.  

As my time in Tokyo past the girl I was there to be with became more and more distant and as such I became very depressed.  She resented me for all the negativity of her family towards her for dating someone not Japanese.  Each day I arrived at the school in the morning to the joyful smiles of the kids with a level of excitement that expressed hours of anticipation.  One child in particular would run up and tug at my wrist, when I looked down he would laugh with pride that he had gotten my attention.  With a light peck on the back of my hand he turned his face up to grin at me before letting go and returning to the other children.  It was the type of appreciation and excitement I once had in my relationship.  The children of the school were the only thing that kept me sane.  They didn't judge me for being a foreigner but were constantly curious and happy.  Their joy was a reminder to me to try and hold onto mine.

The experiences listed above are all part of my new book Grasping at Self Worth.  The book is available by searching the title at www.kickstarter.com or by clicking the link above. It expresses my experience of travelling to Tokyo with the girl I loved only to have her mother and older sister torture her because I wasn't Japanese and the sacrifice of my own sense of worth in an attempt to please them.

Thank you for your support!

Guest Post

Today I'm going to refer you to Ashley's Surviving in Japan (without much Japanese). I've written a guest post detailing how to track pollen counts in Japan. And right now I'm checking just about every day to see when my suffering will abate. If you're also a snuffly, sneezy mess, Ashley also has some guides to dealing with allergies in Japan that you can check out while you're over there. Be sure to tell her "hi" for me if you wind up leaving any comments!

Once again, the link is here.