The Japan Karuta Association (Headquarters: Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo; President: Hideo Matsukawa), in conjunction with the National Federation of High School Cultural Clubs, the Tenji Seitoku Educational Foundation, and the Shiga Prefecture Karuta Association, will host the "Ogura Hyakunin Isshu Competitive Karuta: 48th National High School Championship" on July 19 (Sun) and 20 (Mon), 2026. This year's prefectural preliminaries saw the emergence of first-time qualifiers who achieved their long-cherished dream of reaching the national tournament, breaking the streak of an absolute champion who had dominated for years. There were also dramatic stories of traditional schools defending their honor and new stars making their mark. Fifty-nine representative schools that have triumphed through these rigorous preliminaries will compete for the top spot among 401 schools nationwide in the "Team Competition," while "Individual Competition" will see skilled players from across the country vie for supremacy. Once again, the sacred ground of karuta, Omi, will be the stage for the passionate battles of high school students. Scenes from the 47th Championship Team Competition Overview of the "Ogura Hyakunin Isshu Competitive Karuta: 48th National High School Championship" [Date and Time] July 18, 2026 (Sat) Combination Draw 4:00 PM - Team Competition Opening Ceremony 4:40 PM - July 19, 2026 (Sun) Preliminary Rounds 9:00 AM - Finals 6:00 PM (scheduled) July 20, 2026 (Mon) Individual Competition Round 1 9:45 AM - *An awards ceremony will be held after the competition concludes. The schedule may shift due to the progress of the competition. [Venue] Omi Gakukokan (1-1 Jingumachi, Otsu City, within Omi Jingu Shrine) and 4 other venues in the city. [Organizers] Japan Karuta Association / National Federation of High School Cultural Clubs / Tenji Seitoku Educational Foundation / Shiga Prefecture Karuta Association [Supervisors] Japan High School Karuta Federation / National Ogura Hyakunin Isshu