If you want a traditional Japanese card game that’s easy to learn, Karuta is the perfect thing to play. When you play Karuta, one person reads clues off of one card and the other players race to touch a matching card on the table. Karuta is really fun for all ages, so keep reading to learn how to set up and start playing the game.

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.