I want to try to play Karuta. How can I get started?
Looking for tips on how you can learn to play this game? Here's my advice on how to get started:
Step 1) Learn hiragana
Hiragana is the most basic part of the Japanese writing system, and you can think of it sort of as a Japanese alphabet. For Karuta, you only have to learn the basic hiragana:
Step 2) Learn the kimari-ji for all 100 cards
First: what are kimari-ji? 決まり字 (kimari-ji) refer to the unique starting syllables which you can use to quickly and correctly identify each poem of the Hyakunin-Isshu. In order to identify which poem is being read, you actually don't need to study the full poems (though I'll be posting more and more of the poems on this blog, so you can study them if you want!). All you need to do is memorize the starting syllables of each poem, and study to be able to match it with the corresponding tori-fuda (plaing card).
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| This card's kimari-ji is "mu". This website gives hits for how to recognize the card and remember the kimariji. |
This step may be a little daunting, because there are 100 cards to memorize. However, if you break it up into smaller groups, you can learn all the cards in a fairly short period of time. I found myself facing a time crunch to learn all the cards, but I managed to learn the kimari-ji for all 100 cards in 10 days, by learning about 10 new cards per day and faithfully reviewing the cards I had learned the previous days.
My advice is to not try to learn the poems in the order of the Hyakunin Isshu (where the poems are arranged in chronological order of when they were composed). A better way is to learn the cards in chunks according to their first syllable, that way you'll also remember the tomo-fuda ("friend cards", or cards that sound similar at first) and how many other cards start with the same sound. For example, it might be good to start by learning all of the 'a' cards, since there are 16 of them, which is the largest sound group. I personally learned them in the following order, starting with the smallest number of cards per sound.
(*To clarify: "1 card group" means that in this group, there is only one card/poem that starts with each sound. "2 card groups" means that for each sound listed, there are only two cards/poems which start with that sound...and so on)
(*To clarify: "1 card group" means that in this group, there is only one card/poem that starts with each sound. "2 card groups" means that for each sound listed, there are only two cards/poems which start with that sound...and so on)
1 card group: む・す・め・ふ・さ・ほ・せ
2 cards group: う・つ・し・も・ゆ
3 cards group: い・ち・ひ・き
4 cards group: は・や・よ・か
5 cards group: み
6 cards group: た・こ
7 cards group: わ・お
8 cards group: な
16 cards group: あ
I made a PDF which can be printed to make flash cards for the 100 tori-fuda and the corresponding kimari-ji:
-Printable Flashcards
I made a PDF which can be printed to make flash cards for the 100 tori-fuda and the corresponding kimari-ji:
-Printable Flashcards
This Japanese site shows you the tori-fuda along with hints on how to remember the cards:
Or, you can take a look at the blog posts I've made about learning the cards, along with mnemonics in English and Japanese!
Step 3) Get good at the kimari-ji
This maybe goes without saying, but if you're trying to play Karuta competitively, it's not enough just to *sort of* remember which kimari-ji matches which card; you should try to get to a point where you can say the correct kimari-ji as soon as you see at the card, with little to no hesitation.
The best way to get better at this is by using flash cards. In Japanese, reviewing kimari-ji like this is called fuda-nagashi, and experienced players aim to be able to say the kimari-ji for all 100 cards in less than 1 minute. I think a good first goal is just to be able to correctly remember the kimari-ji for all 100 cards, then practice going through all 100 cards regularly until you can say the kimari-ji for each card with little hesitation. With some regular practice, a time of under 2 minutes is easily achievable and a good benchmark for beginner players who want to be able to compete well.
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| Screenshot from アデノシン's youtube channel. Title reads: "Memorization Basic Practice ①：'Fudanagashi'" |
The Japanese site I introduced above also has a flash card game where you can set the speed per card, which can be one way to try to get faster at saying the kimari-ji.
There's also an app called "Competitive Karuta ONLINE" which can be downloaded for free from the Google Play or Mac App store. In addition to being able to use flash cards, the app also teaches you some of the basics of Competitive Karuta, and allows you to play a condensed version of the game.
Step 4) Start playing!
There's also an app called "Competitive Karuta ONLINE" which can be downloaded for free from the Google Play or Mac App store. In addition to being able to use flash cards, the app also teaches you some of the basics of Competitive Karuta, and allows you to play a condensed version of the game.
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| Title Screen of Competitive Karuta ONLINE |
Step 4) Start playing!
You don't have to wait until you've completed step 3 to do this...in fact, you can start playing with the Competitive Karuta ONLINE app even if you can't read Japanese! (Do this by changing the "other" settings to "English" and set the cards to "Beginner cards").
I also bought cards before I knew all the 100 poems. I started off playing by myself and was able to practice listening to poems being read and finding the cards I knew. There are a few apps for listening to the poems: I recommend 百首読み上げ for Apple products, and Hyakunin Isshu-Wasuramoti (わすらもち) from the Google Play store. Both should be free and good for solo practice, since you can even choose which cards to play with and have them read out to you randomly.
If you're wondering where to buy cards, it can be a little tricky outside Japan. I found my first set in a second-hand store in Japan, then I bought official cards through Karuta group leaders in the US. My only suggestion is probably Amazon if you're buying outside of the US, or if you're lucky enough to live near Boston, the Boston Karuta Group leader tends to keep a stock of official cards and sells them at a fairly low price at Ebisuya Japanese Market. Official cards can also be purchased through Ooishi Tengudo's website (Japanese or English) though you may not be able to purchase as an individual outside of Japan. You might be able to contact them about ordering from overseas.
Lastly, playing Karuta is always more fun with friends! The most motivating factor for me to finally learn all the poems and practice was joining a Karuta group. I've made a page listing all the (known) Karuta groups outside of Japan, and if you're in Japan, the All Japan Karuta Association also has a list of Japanese groups. Finally, you can get in touch with other players online through Facebook.
I also bought cards before I knew all the 100 poems. I started off playing by myself and was able to practice listening to poems being read and finding the cards I knew. There are a few apps for listening to the poems: I recommend 百首読み上げ for Apple products, and Hyakunin Isshu-Wasuramoti (わすらもち) from the Google Play store. Both should be free and good for solo practice, since you can even choose which cards to play with and have them read out to you randomly.
If you're wondering where to buy cards, it can be a little tricky outside Japan. I found my first set in a second-hand store in Japan, then I bought official cards through Karuta group leaders in the US. My only suggestion is probably Amazon if you're buying outside of the US, or if you're lucky enough to live near Boston, the Boston Karuta Group leader tends to keep a stock of official cards and sells them at a fairly low price at Ebisuya Japanese Market. Official cards can also be purchased through Ooishi Tengudo's website (Japanese or English) though you may not be able to purchase as an individual outside of Japan. You might be able to contact them about ordering from overseas.
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| Official tori-fuda cards from Ooishi Tengudo's website. These are for playing Competitive Karuta, while yomi-fuda or "reader cards" have the full poems and can be used for other purposes. |
Lastly, playing Karuta is always more fun with friends! The most motivating factor for me to finally learn all the poems and practice was joining a Karuta group. I've made a page listing all the (known) Karuta groups outside of Japan, and if you're in Japan, the All Japan Karuta Association also has a list of Japanese groups. Finally, you can get in touch with other players online through Facebook.
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| Come join us on Facebook! |
~~~Hopefully this gives you some ideas on how to get started! Happy Playing!~~~
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