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World’s First English Karuta!
- Ogoola Karuta English using English, American, Irish and Scottish poetry quotes.
- Hyakuninisshu English translated Karuta
- Hyakuninisshu Romaji Karuta
(transliterated karuta from Japanese to Roman letters)
Shipment Information: We send all our products with the company postnord. It is the northern European post. For customers who select the track and trace service for their shipment, the following link will get you to the track and trace service page. Just click the link and input your Shipment ID that we notice you and you can track your parcel as soon as it’s on its way. Link to postnord.
https://www.postnord.se/en/our-tools/track-and-trace
New! Hyakuninisshu Romaji Karuta
The ultimate karuta for people who want to play karuta in Japanese but can not read Japanese characters. With these cards, you can play karuta in Japanese like in Chihayafuru – without knowing the Japanese characters!
What is Romaji?
Romaji is the romanization of the Japanese written language. It is the transliteration of Japanese terms to the Roman text or other languages that use the Roman alphabet. There are different romanization systems of the Japanese language. This Romaji karuta uses the Hepburn system.
This is the first Romaji Hyakuninisshu Karuta cards in the world, using the roman alphabet to write the original Japanese Ogura Hyakuninisshu. All 100 poems are carefully transliterated to western (roman) letters. This means that you can listen, read and play in Japanese keeping the original meter and rhythm, like the Japanese have done for 400 years.
The cards have the original Japanese illustrations and texts from Shogundo printed on one side and the Japanese Hyakuninisshu poems in Romaji on the other side. Also, each playing card (Torifuda) has a clue (kimariji) that helps you recognize the correct card.
Ogoola Karuta
The original English Ogoola Karuta game is available in three versions; Classic, Modern and Complete. These karutas use poetry quotes from significant poems written in English from 1340 until today.
ENGLISH CLASSIC (1-50)
Uses 50 classical poems written in English from 1340 until 1882. Contains 50 reading cards, 50 playing cards and a poetry book (instructions, rules, history and the 50 poetry quotes).
Some of the poets included in this edition are Chaucer, Marlowe, Shakespeare, Donne, Herbert, Herrick, Keats, Shelley, Byron, Blake, Browning and more.
ENGLISH MODERN (51-100)
Uses 50 modern poems written in English from the 19th century until today. Contains 50 reading cards, 50 playing cards and a poetry book (instructions, rules, history and the 50 poetry quotes).
Some of the poets included in this edition are Dickinson, Tennyson, Whitman, Lawrence, Houseman, Yeats, Joyce, Millay, de la Mare, HD, Frost, Plath, Eliot, Bishop, Heaney, Merwin, Hirshfield and more.
ENGLISH COMPLETE (1-100)
A complete version of the classic and modern poems. Contains 100 reading cards, 100 playing cards and a poetry book (instructions, rules, history and the 100 poetry quotes).
Tip: Download the Free Ogoola reader app!
Available on iOS devices. Enjoy to the reader Myrra Malmberg. This app serves as the reader when you want to practice and when everybody wants to play. If you are two players, the app will allow both of your to play!
The Android apps are under construction for updates. The recordings are uploaded on Spotify. Search Ogoola karuta English Classics Myrra Malmberg or Ogoola Karuta Modern Myrra Malmberg. You can also write to us via email if you want the audio files.
Hyakuninisshu English Translated Karuta
Finally you can play like Chihayafuru in English!
This karuta uses the original Japanese poems from Ogura Hyakuninisshu translated to English “wakas” (following the 57577 syllables). All cards have both the Japanese original poems with a unique illustration or text from Shogundo´s karuta, plus the English translation by Clay Mac Cauley (1917). This Karuta comes with two FREE Reader Apps on iOS devices. One is sung following the Japanese waka rhythm and the other is read the normal way. The Free Reader Apps are called Hyakuninisshu EN and Read Hyakuninisshu EN.
HYAKUNINISSHU English Translated Karuta (51-100) Part 2 Translated version of the original “Ogura Hyakuninisshu”, second part (50 reading cards and 50 playing cards, with poems no. 51-100).
HYAKUNINISSHU English Translated Karuta (1-100) Complete 100 cards Translated version of the original “Ogura Hyakuninisshu”. All 100 cards.
NEW!
HYAKUNINISSHU English Translated Karuta Expansion Pack 1 using the Makurakotoba (pillow word) such as CHIHAYABURU in its original form! The Hyakuninisshu anthology has a few poems which uses the Makurakotoba. The famous card that starts with Chihayaburu is also a Makurakotoba. Makurakotoba must be combined with a certain word. For example with Chihayaburu, you must combine it with the word God. In this expansion pack, we have selected poems that use the Makurakotoba- pillow words and used them exactly like how they were used in the original poems. This is a limited first print edition. It includes 6 cards using the Makurakotoba and a JOKA card in English which is read everytime when a match is to begin in a tournament.
If you are interested in this expansion pack limited edition, please contact us via email: info(at)ogoola.se
Ogoola Karuta in German, Swedish, French and Chinese
DEUTSCHE KLASSIKER (1-48)
“German Classics”, uses 48 classical German poems. Contains 48 reading cards, 48 playing cards and an instruction sheet. All poems are in the original German language. A fun way to brush up your German!
Some of the poets included in this edition are Goethe, Schiller, Rilke, Heine, Morgenstern and Eichendorff.
SVENSKA KLASSIKER (1-50)
“Swedish Classics”, uses 50 classical Swedish poems. Contains 50 reading cards, 50 playing cards and an instruction sheet. All poems are in the original Swedish language. Some of the poets included in this edition are
Stiernhielm, Nordenflycht, Bellman, Kellgren, Lenngren, Rydberg, Fröding, Strindberg, Andersson, Södergran, Karlfeldt and more.
Ogoola Karuta Français (1-24)
Ogoola karuta French uses 24 classical French poems. Includes 24 reading cards, 24 playing cards, Instruction with rules. Some of the poets included in this game are Ronsard, dela Fontaine, Baudelaire, Hugo, Rimbaud, Apollinaire and more.
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Gameboards
Genuine Tatami Karuta Game Mat
A genuine tatami mat from Nagasaki Japan exclusively made for playing the Ogoola Karuta poetry games and competitive karuta (kyogi karuta). Two territories with the correct measures. Handmade from real Amakusa grass.
Place the Tatami Game Mat on a table or on the floor, and place the playing cards on the game board to get the real karuta experience!
Textile Karuta Game Mat
Buy the textile version of the Karuta Game Mat. It looks exactly like the real tatami mat, but it’s less expensive and more practical because it is easier and lighter to transport. Possible to wash.
Place a soft blanket on a table or on the floor, and place the textile game mat and the playing cards on top of it to get a close-to-real karuta experience.
English 100 Poetry Book
Poetry Book, English 1-100 PDF or paperback
Read up on the poems and be ahead of your competitors – or read it just for fun!
A little book with playing instructions, the rules of the game, history and all the quotations of poetry included in the Ogoola Karuta Poetry Game as well as an index and all references.
A Poetry Book is included in the English (and Swedish) games. The Poetry Book, English 100 is also avaliable to buy extra copies here. Download PDF.
Ogoola Karuta Reader Apps

Download a Reader App on your smartphone Android device or read more about the Ogoola apps in Google Play
* The Android apps are under construction for update reasons. We apologize for the inconvenience if the apps are not possible to download. We have uploaded the readings on spotify. You can search Ogoola Karuta English Classic Myrra Malmberg or Ogoola Karuta Modern Myrra Malmberg. If you bought the game, write us and email and we can send you the audio files.
Download a Reader App on your iPhone/iPad or read more about Ogoola apps in App store
NEW
FREE
Hyakuninisshu English translated reader app and singing app are now available on iOS!
Hyakuninisshu EN (sung by female)
Read Hyakunin Isshu EN (read by male)
Please note:The German Reader app, Karuta52 Reader app and the original Japanese Hyakuninisshu readings in Japanese read by Shogundo are not available on the iOS AppStore.
Click and listen to reading samples!
Example of Swedish Reader: Christian Fex
Example of English Reader: Myrra Malmberg
Example Hyakuninisshu English translation (song): Aya Hasegawa
Example of German Reader: Valeska Engesser
Example of Japanese Reader: Eizo Tamura
Example Hyakuninisshu English translation (read): Ola Feurst
Try the app Karuta52 (in English)
This has nothing to do with Poetry but all to do with listening and being fast! You will learn how to play Karuta in one minute!