While the FIFA ワールドカップ (wārudo kappu, World Cup) concludes next weekend, Japanese high school students are gearing up for the かるた甲子園 (Karuta Kōshien).

The term 甲子園 (Kōshien) usually refers to the National High School Baseball Championship’s summer tournament but has become shorthand for many other major competitions, including for かるた (karuta), a traditional Japanese card game in which two players race to grab cards matching poems read aloud, testing memory, concentration and lightning-fast reflexes.

Students who compete in 競技かるた (kyōgi karuta, competitive karuta) gather at 近江神宮 (Ōmi jingū, Omi Jingu Shrine) in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on July 19 and 20 to crown the individual and team champions at the tournament officially known as 小倉百人一首競技かるた全国高等学校選手権大会 (Ogura hyakuninisshu kyōgi karuta zenkoku kōtō gakkō senshuken taikai, Ogura Hyakunin Isshu Competitive Karuta All-Japan High School Championship).

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