The card game, Hyakunin-Isshu

The origin of Japanese play can be found in awase. The card game, Hyakunin-Isshu, where players compete to collect cards that match with “one hundred poems by one hundred poets”, is a representative example of awase and kisoi.

Hyakunin-lsshu, is a traditional card game played with “reading cards” and “grabbing cards.” Each reading card is a complete set of poem and picture, while each grabbing card has only the end of a poem. As the reader recites the contents of the reading card, players compete to find its associated grabbing card. This ancient game of awase and kisoi is a prototypical form of “play” in Japan, and continues to be enjoyed by households all over the country.