Japanese old "Hundred Waka Poems"

 (posted; Japanese culture page)

My main motive when I started writing blog was to introduce Japanese culture to the people in the foreign countries.  It has been almost 3 years and I feel like I've already done what I can do best.  However, would you be patient with me :-)

*Ogura Hyakunin Isshu 小倉百人一首*

     During the winter season, we have competitions of this card game in Japan.

This anthology of poems was supposedly compiled by Fujiwara-no-Teika during the 13th century.  "小倉百人一首" literally means "one poem each by a hundred different poets" and it consists of a hundred "waka" poems. 

The cards of the latter pack are spread out on the "tatami"-mat floor at random. As someone recites a poem from the cards of the first deck, the contestants seated around the scattered cards try to pick the matching card as quickly as possible. The player who picks up the most cards wins the game.

I've never attended nor seen the competition, however I remember recited some of them in the Japanese classics class when high school girl.

                                  You can see the swiftness of their hands!

         Here is ｔhe English translation page of Ogura Hyakunin Isshu. p;) 

     I hope your weekend will be the happy one, visiting you soon, friends♪

     I'm linking this post to "Our World Tuesday".