Uta-garuta
There are many kinds of card games in Japan. They are called karuta, and uta-garuta is the most popular among them. It is played mostly on the new years day, and there are national convention for uta-garuta.
HOW TO PLAY
The card of uta-caruta can be devided into two kinds.
- hundred cards with drawings (yomifuda)
- hundred cards with words (torifuda)
On the yomifuda, there are whole phrase of waka written on it. On the torifuda, there are only lower phrase of the waka written. When the reader reads out the waka on the yomifuda, the player quickly search for the card among the torifuda with phrase that matches with the one that the reader is reading. This is the basic rule.
They are two kinds to play this game.
Chirashidori
one reader, more than three players
- Mix up the hundred torifuda, and lay it out on the floor. Player would sit aroud it.
- The reader reads out the waka.
- When you knew the lower phrase by only hearing the upper phrase, you can take it.
- If you don’t memorize whole waka, then you have to wait until the reader reads out the lower phrase.
- When someone takes the yomifuda, the reader move on to the next waka.
- When all the cards are read, the person who took many cards would win the game.
Genpei Gassen
one reader, two player on each side
- Devide the people into two groups. One is called Genji side, and the other is called Heike side.
- Mix up the torifuda, and give fifty cards each to the sides.
- Genji and Heike would sit face to face. Lay out your own fifty cards in three lines, facing your own way.
- The way to take the torifuda is same with Chirashidori.
- You can take not only your side’s cards, but the opponent’s too.
- When you took the opponent side’s cards, you can give them one card from your side.
- If you took the wrong card, the opponent will give you a card from his side.
- The side which took all of their side’s torifuda earlier would win the game.
The point to win this game is to memorize all hundred waka. If you did, then you will be able to take the cards when the reader only read the upper part of the waka.