MIA Communications

“KARUTA” event on 30th July, 2016

MIA Youth Team held “KARUTA” event on July 30th.
Here is a comment from MIA Youth Team member who organized this exciting program.

“Going Back in Time with the Magical Cards Karuta”

 The feeling is strange and the environment looks different, it seems we were transported back in time when Tokyo was still Edo and Japan’s doors were still closed. But we did not use any special machine to bring us back to the old Japan. We managed to touch and play only these magical cards – Karuta.

 Karuta, as we heard of it, was a loan word from Portugal – caruta which means cards. Karuta is a card game but unlike other card games, it does not use Spades and Aces or Magical Monsters. The way we learned it is that there is one set for picture cards and the other set is Japanese proverbs corresponding to the picture card. The game was pretty simple and fun. We just need to listen to the proverb’s first syllable sound, look for the picture card laid on the tatami mat, slap it, say ‘hai’ and get the card. Of course, it is sometimes tricky as you need to listen very carefully to the proverb, look the picture cards slowly and find the hiragana corresponding to the first syllable. Before you know it, someone already said ‘hai’ and gain the card! Winning the game is pretty simple as well. The person who holds the most number of cards wins the game.

 There were three sets of cards which we managed to play – (1) easy level which used simple hiragana, (2) medium level – which used katakana, and (3) difficult level – in this level we used the Edo Iroha Karuta Cards. The difficult level was a bit tricky as some of the hiragana’s are no longer being used today!

 The playing atmosphere was amplified by the venue. We went to Akasaka Civic Center and entered a Japanese style room. The room’s floor is not modern in style rather it has the traditional tatami mat. Tako’s (kite) were hung in the room. The organizers wore the traditional summer outfit in Japan – Yukata.

 Playing the game also let us socialize with other nationalities. At the end of the game, we managed to know other countries’ cards game and proverbs. Proverbs were spoken to the participant’s mother language, then, translated to English and finally explained the meaning of the proverbs.

 It was a wonderful experience and with a historical feel of knowing Japan’s culture and playing the game which was played century ago. At the same, we learned different culture’s card game as well!

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