Brand:Showa NoteFormat:45 kana pairs / boxEra:1997 → ongoingRegion:Japan onlyCatalogue:Era boxes
What Pokémon karuta is
The Game
Showa Note
Names
This Page
Karuta is a Japanese matching game. A reader calls a reading card, and the others grab the matching picture card.
Showa Note publishes these Pokémon karuta boxes.
English collectors call them karuta or matching cards. Both names refer to the same game.
Browse boxes by era or year. Separate printings keep their own pages, and incomplete checklists stay locked.
Era Boxes
Era overview · box art and card checklists
BOX ART
1997 · Showa NotePokémon Karuta (Original)Kanto-era box with Pikachu, Charizard and other Gen 1 starters on the lid.View Checklist →
Kanto era · Showa NotePokémon Karuta · New Year coverSeparate Kanto printing with Charizard and Snorlax around a kotatsu, complete at 45 kana positions.View Checklist →
BOX ART
~1999 to 2000 · Showa NotePokémon Karuta · Gold / Silver EraJohto-era box with Slowking, Togepi, Marill, Meowth and Pikachu on the lid.View Checklist →
BOX ART
~2003 · Showa NotePokémon AG Karuta · Ruby / Sapphire EraAdvanced Generation box with Hoenn starters on the cover.View Checklist →
BOX ART
2006 · Showa NotePokémon DP Karuta · Diamond & PearlSinnoh starters, Dialga and Palkia on the lid.View Checklist →
BOX ART
2010 to 2012 · 3 printingsPokémon BW Karuta · "Best Wishes!"Three separate printings; only the 2012 orange-floral box has a complete 45-position checklist.View Checklist →
BOX ART
2013 to 2014 · Showa NotePokémon XY KarutaTwo distinct printings, with separate anime-and-Mega and starter-trio boxes.View Checklist →
BOX ART
2016 to 2018 · Showa NotePokémon Sun & Moon KarutaThree Alola-era printings; the 2018 Zeraora and Necrozma cover has a complete checklist.View Checklist →
BOX ART
~2019 to 2020 · Showa NotePokémon Sword & Shield KarutaGalar starters, Zacian and Zamazenta on the cover.View Checklist →
Gen 9 era · Showa NotePokémon Karuta · Gen 9 EraEra doorway for separate year-named boxes, not an individual product.Set details →
Locked · checklist not complete
BOX ART
Withdrawn · 2026-09-13Pokémon Karuta · "Pikachu & Friends"Withdrawn site label, not a printed box name. Retained only for existing links.View Checklist →
BOX ART
Variants / OtherOther Karuta BoxesOther boxes and unlisted printings can be submitted for review.View Checklist →
Year-Dated Boxes
Showa Note’s annual boxes · each year is its own set
Why these are listed separatelyThe modern boxes are named by year, not by game era, and the contents change every year: the あ card is Zorua in 2024, Fuecoco in 2025 and Chikorita in 2026. They are therefore separate sets, not reprints of one another.
BOX ART
2025 · Showa NotePokémon Karuta 2025The maker’s contents photo identifies Fuecoco at kana あ.View Checklist →
BOX ART
2024 · Showa NotePokémon Karuta 2024The maker’s contents photo identifies Zorua at kana あ.View Checklist →
Pokémon karuta questions
What is Pokémon karuta?
Karuta is a Japanese matching game. A reader calls a reading card while players race to grab the matching picture card.
How do you play karuta?
Spread the picture cards face up. A reader reads a verse, and players grab the matching card. The player with the most matches wins.
How many cards are in a Pokémon karuta box?
Current boxes list 45 picture cards, 45 reading cards, two supplementary cards and a hiragana chart. Vintage contents need confirmation for the exact printing.
Is there a Pokémon karuta card list?
Open a box page for its kana checklist. Incomplete boxes stay locked until all 45 positions have been identified from card photographs.
How do I tell which year a Pokémon karuta box is?
Compare the box artwork with the printing pages here. A retailer’s New Year name can differ from its release year.
Is there a Pokémon Center karuta?
This archive covers Showa Note karuta boxes. Taruka is a separate Pokémon Center game.
Is there a CoroCoro karuta?
Further box printings remain a research gap. No magazine-supplement karuta has been verified for this archive.
Individual Cards
45 kana × N boxes · per-card grids
Card gridsEach box page has its own card grid and upload slots.
