Karuta (かるた, from Portuguese carta ["card"]) are Japanese playing cards. Playing cards were introduced to Japan by Portuguese traders during the mid-16th century. These early decks were used for trick-taking games. The earliest indigenous karuta was invented in the town of Miike in Chikugo Province at around the end of the 16th century.

What is Karuta? Karuta 歌留多 かるた is the Japanese name for a card game introduced to Japan by Portuguese traders in the 16th century. The two main types of karuta are: Uta-Garuta Iroha Karuta Uta-Garuta 歌ガルタ うた literally means "poem cards," and consists of 200 cards divided into two sets, each containing 100 waka poems.