The World of Hyakunin Isshu Karuta

Otsu City Museum of History

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This exhibition follows the history of karuta, the traditional Japanese card game, originally played by the aristocracy and feudal lords using lavishly decorated cards but later spread among the commoner classes with the advent of printing technology. The exhibition looks at its origins, with the oldest and most well-known version of karuta, the Hyakunin Isshu, in which players must match up cards with sections of waka poems from the 13th century anthology, the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu; but also how it has come to be played competitively (kyogi karuta) in recent times, with the annual championships at Omi Shrine.