9.19.2021
In a few days, the new Godzilla karuta game, ゴジラ 大咆哮かるた “Godzilla Roaring Karuta” by Universal Music Japan sold exclusively through TSUTAYA online shop (TRグッズ TR Goods) will start shipping on September 22. For a long time, I would see Japanese Godzilla cards during internet searches, but I didn’t know what there were part of a Japanese game called “karuta” (かるた). Karuta is a traditional Japanese card game introduced by Portuguese many centuries ago. One player reads a card while other players listen and compete to grab the right card that matches the card. The player with the most cards wins. Karuta cards are very attractive usually with beautiful illustrations. Buying a karuta game was never accessible to me until last year, when I purchased my first Godzilla karuta game. This new karuta from Universal is unique because it includes a CD with 46 Toho monster roars and super machines sounds. The reading cards are read by voice actor Kenichi Suzumura (鈴村健一), who was the voice of the character Takehiro Kai (海 建宏) in the anime Godzilla Singular Point. The game has 92 reading cards and 92 picture cards with six versions of Godzilla. This is a game to have. You can buy it from TSUTAYA through Buyee Japan.