Hello readers,

Recently I mentioned an upcoming interview with the Karuta Peru Club via Steph, a fellow karuta player.

I am happy to report that we finished our interview and it is available on YouTube!

Also available on Spotify in podcast form:

In this episode, Steph and I mostly discuss the history of the blog, but then talk about some of my favorite historical figures in the Hyakunin Isshu, such as Sugawara no Michigan’s (poem 24) and Lady Izumi (poem 56), among other things. It was a fun conversation and Steph was a terrific host.

I do sometimes use the word “um” a lot, especially when I am a bit nervous (this was my first interview), but I hope viewers and listeners learn something new, and enjoy the conversation too!

In the next episode, we plan to focus more on our experiences playing kyōgi Karuta (competitive karuta). Stay tuned!

Big thanks to Steph for making all this happen. 🎉

P.S. books cited in the interview (non-Amazon links below):

• Sugawara no Michizane and the Early Heian Court – https://uhpress.hawaii.edu/title/sugawara-no-michizane-and-the-early-heian-court/
• Pictures of the Heart: The Hyakunin Isshu in Word and Image (Michigan Classics in Japanese Studies) (Volume 26) – https://uhpress.hawaii.edu/title/pictures-of-the-heart-the-hyakunin-isshu-in-word-and-image/
• The Ink Dark Moon: Love Poems by Onono Komachi and Izumi Shikibu, Women of the Ancient Court of Japan (Vintage Classics) – https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/80489/the-ink-dark-moon-by-ono-no-komachi-and-izumi-shikibu-translated-with-an-introduction-and-notes-by-jane-hirshfield-and-mariko-aratani/
• ちびまる子ちゃんの暗誦百人一首 (ちびまる子ちゃん/満点ゲットシリーズ) – https://www.yodobashi.com/product/100000009001060447/
• 百人一首大事典―完全絵図解説 – https://www.akaneshobo.co.jp/search/info.php?isbn=9784251078018