Hyakkunin Isshu

Celebrating Valerie's success at Hyakkunin Isshu (Songs for One Hundred People.) This is a card game in which a person reads a stanza from one of one hundred short songs. The players have to slap the card with corresponding second stanza. Sounds easy? Well, these songs were written over one thousand years ago, so the language is somewhat like Chaucer's English is to us, if not even more more obscure. Also, many of the songs are very similar so it is necessary to memorise all of the songs in order not to choose the wrong card.

Anyway, in the school wide Hyakkunin Isshu tournament at Valerie's school, she came third in her year group, scoring thirty-five cards out of one hundred playing against the top four players in the school. Altogether, there are 166 children in her year. The girl who won has a father who is a professor of Japanese Classical Literature and has been learning these songs from him since the age of three so, to come third to her, was a remarkable achievement.

Anyway, this is Valerie's reward certificate with a couple of Hyakkunin Isshu cards on top (one for the reader, one for the players to identify.) Now, time to enjoy the celebration chocolate roll cake!

Although it's in Japanese, this video might help you visualise Hyakkunin Isshu if you are interested.