On March 18, 2026, the Lithuanian Education Museum will present the international exhibition “Education in Japan” to the public.
In the “Japanese Exhibit” section, we would like to tell you about the unique and exceptional exhibits that will complement the exhibition. Be the first to find out!
百人一首ひゃくにんいっしゅ
One of the exhibits in the exhibition “Japanese Education” is the traditional Japanese card game Uta-garuta, based on the Hyakunin Isshu collection of poems.
The collection consists of 200 cards, divided into two parts. The first part contains reading cards (yomifuda) with a poem and a picture. The second part contains sharing cards (torifuda) with only the last lines of the poem.
The reading card set contains 100 tanka poems selected by the poet Fujiwara no Teika in the 13th century. Tanka (Japanese) is an unrhymed 5-line poem consisting of 31 syllables: 5–7–5–7–7). Each yomifudo card depicts the entire waka poem (also known as tanka, a form requiring 31 syllables arranged in a 5-7-5-7-7 pattern) along with an illustration of the poet who wrote it. The corresponding torifudo contains only the second half of the poem (the last 7-7 lines).
During the game, each player receives 25 random cards and lays them out in front of them. The reader recites the verses, and the players must find the corresponding card with the last part of the poem as quickly as possible while the reader recites the first part. This requires a lot of memory and speed, especially at the competitive level (Kyogi Karuta). The winner is the one who collects the most cards.
The karuta card set on display at the exhibition was published in 1975 by Angel Shoji Co. Ltd, designed by Furuta Design Office Inc.
Traditional Japanese card game
Information prepared by Dalia Galminienė, curator of museum activities at the Lithuanian Museum of Education
