Karuta
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Karuta are Japanese playing cards. Playing cards were introduced to Japan by Portuguese traders during the mid-16th century. The earliest indigenous karuta were made in the town of Miike in Chikugo Pr
Late Meiji period (c. 1890) advertisement by Nintendo
Portuguese-suited cards of the same design as those introduced to Japan by Portuguese sailors. Produced in 1567 in Antwerp. Six cards missing.
Incomplete Tenshō karuta set, made around the Genroku era (1688–1704), woodblock printing with hand-painted colors
Kabufuda set
Competitive karuta
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Competitive karuta is an official Japanese card game that uses a deck of uta-garuta cards to play karuta, within the format and rules set by the All Japan Karuta Association.
Karuta
…yomifuda, the players race to find its associated torifuda before anybody else does. This game has traditionally been played on New Year's Day since 1904. Competitive karuta has competitions on various levels with the Japan national championship tournament being held every January at Omi shrine (a Shinto shrine) in Ōtsu…
Exterior of Omi Shrine, where the national championship tournament is held every January
An example of a modern pair of uta-garuta cards, where the torifuda is on the left and the yomifuda is on the right