The 72nd Meijin ranking and 70th Queen ranking tournament, which took place at Omi Jingu Shrine in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, on 11 January, saw an incredible surge of excitement as Masayoshi Kawase fought back to seize the Meijin throne and Sera Yajima triumphantly defended her Queen title for the first time. Eight top players in the world of competitive karuta, including Masayoshi Kawase Meijin and Seira Yajima Queen, will take on an unbeatable battle at the Saga Arashiyama Museum of Arts & Culture.
Event Overview
Title: The 7th Ogura Hyakunin Isshu competitive karuta tournament
Date & Time: Sunday 15 February 2026
10:00 Opening ceremony
1st round 10:35 -
2nd round 13:00 -
Final and 3rd place play-off 15:00-
Closing ceremony 16:40 (tentative)
Venue: Saga Arashiyama Museum of Arts & Culture
(11 Susuki-no-Baba-cho, SagaTenryuji, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto)
Supported by: Agency for Cultural Affairs / Kyoto Prefecture / Kyoto City / Bunkyo Ward / Kyoto City Tourism Association
Viewing Ticket
Competition Venue: Saga Arashiyama Museum of Arts & Culture, 2F
Viewing fee: General public/university students 3,000 yen
High school students 2,000 yen
Primary schools students 1,500 yen
Public Viewing Venue
(Kyoto Venue) Katsuragawa Room, 2F, Ranzan Inn, Arashiyama, Kyoto
(Tokyo venue) Academy Myodai 8F Recreation Hall A
Public Viewing Fees: High school students and above: ¥1,000
Junior high school and primary schools students:¥500
*All prices include tax/per match.
[Competitive Karuta Workshop & Live Match Viewing Plan]
We are pleased to offer a special plan for elementary and junior high school students to participate in a Karuta workshop led by an Eisei Meijin (Eternal Master) and an Eisei Queen (Eternal Queen). This plan includes live viewing of the 2nd-round matches. Please select your preferred time slot when applying.
Capacity: Limited to 15 participants per session.
Session 1: 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Session 2: 11:15 AM - 11:45 AM
Venue: Ranzan, 2nd Floor
