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The World’s First English Karuta!
On this page, we introduce all our karuta products. We specialize in making non Japanese karutas and have developed 3 kinds of karutas as below.
- Ogoola Karuta using poetry quotes written in their original languages.
- Hyakuninisshu translated Karuta using the 5-7-5-7-7 syllable waka form in the translation to keep the same rhythm and melody as the original Japanese waka poems.
- Hyakuninisshu Romaji Karuta which is a 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
Ogoola Karuta
The 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 listening to the reader Myrra Malmberg.
The app serves as the reader when you practice on your own or when no one wants to be the reader.
If you are two players, the app will allow both of you 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.
Hyakuninisshu English Translated Karuta
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. A reader app which is sung like the Japanese waka poems and a reader app which 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.
HYAKUNINISSHU English Translated Karuta
Expansion Pack 1
The Expansion Pack includes 6 cards with the original Makurakotoba in the translation and a JOKA card in English which is read everytime when a match begins at the national tournament.
New translation using the Makurakotoba such as CHIHAYABURU in its original form. A Makurakotoba has no meaning in its self but must be combined with a certain word which stresses the meaning of that particular word. Example:Chihayaburu, must be combined with the word God.
The Hyakuninisshu anthology has six poems which uses the Makurakotoba. We translated these poems using the Makurakotoba as they are used in the original Japanese poems.
Limited first print edition.
If you are interested in this expansion pack limited edition, please contact us via email: info(at)ogoola.se
Hyakuninisshu Romaji Karuta
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. All playing cards have the kimariji clues printed on it for practice.
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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Ogoola Karuta Chinese (1-40)
Chinese Classic Poems (cards 1-40)
This is the world’s first KARUTA using famous classical Chinese poems! You can play like Chihayafuru using Chinese poems. This version includes 40 reading cards and 40 playing cards which uses poetry written by 李白 杜甫 白居易 王维 and many more.
Editor in Chief: Haiyan Yan Eriksson
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
A practical textile karuta mat exclusively made for playing the Ogoola Karuta poetry games and competitive karuta (kyogi karuta). Two territories with the correct measures. Machine wash in low temperature.
Place a soft blanket on a table or on the floor, and place the textile karuta game mat on top of it. Place the playing cards on top of the mat 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!
The contents of the little poetry book includes the instructions and rules of the karuta game, history of karuta and all the quotations of the poetry included in the Ogoola Karuta Poetry Game with an index and reference to the poems.
A Poetry Book is included in the English and Swedish Ogoola Karuta games.
Our Karuta Reader Apps
Due to the continuous updates and upgrades we are forced to make from Apple and Google, we decided not to continue updating our apps further. Instead, we offer the beautiful recordings of the readings for free. You can download them from our Homepage under Media/Downloads. You can also find the readings of the reading cards on spotify. We uploaded them for you to use freely.
The Reader app for the Hyakuninisshu English translated karuta (Hyakuninisshu EN sung by female) is still available on iOS.
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
