Bonkochan, had a Hyakunin-Isshu competition at her junior high the other day. The students were divided into several groups and they competed with each other according to the groups. Bonkochan was in the group B, and she won the first place!
To tell the truth, however, I wasn't surprised at this news. That's because I was quite certain that she could get the first or second place at her school level.
She has been familiar with Hyakunin-Isshu since she was little throughBozu-Mekuri, one of the card games, with me. So she's already had favorite cards.
This time, till the competition, she had tried to memorize their poems correctly and had practiced rememberingsimo-no-kuas soon as possible when she heardkami-no-ku
So, for me, it seemed that she was ready to do the competition and she did it!
She saidSemimaruwas the most favorite card for her, so she didn't want anyone to take the card.Tenchi Emperor,Jito empress,Ono-no-Komachi,Sojo-Henjoare also her favorites.
She said she had memorized over 20 poems including her favorites after all and that she had been able to take them, hearing the first line.
◆Hyakunin-Isshu◆ It is 100 poems by 100 Japanese poets of early times.
On one set, the complete five-lines poems are printed. On the other set, only the last two-lines (simo-no-ku) of each poem appear. The first three-lines are calledkami-no-ku.
At the card taking game, you spreadsimo-no-kucards in front of you. You can't seekami-no-ku
So you need to rememberkami-no-kuwhen you see thesimo-no-kucards. The key to win the game is to take asimi-no-kucard as soon as possible when you hear thekami-no-ku.