In Japan there are lots of unique cultural traditions, of which, the language itself is one. Within this are some literary forms that describe nature and the human psyche in brief phrases. These are poems composed in a five/seven syllable rhythm that is beautiful to the Japanese ear. Tanka poems that follow a 5/7/5/7/7 rhythm have been written by a wide range of people, from emperors to ordinary folk, for over 1,000 years. For example, the following is a tanka (poem) by ISHIKAWA Takuboku – a brilliant poet from the Meiji era (19~20th century) – that expresses his gratitude towards his native village. Furusato no yama ni mukaite iu koto nashi furusato no yama ha arigataki kana (Oh the mountains of my native village! I have no words to describe their beauty and warmth.) Haiku is expressed in a five-seven-five 5/7/5 rhythm. Haiku lovers can be found the world over. YOSA Buson, a poet who was also known for being an artist during the Edo period (17th to 18th centuries), expressed the magnificence of a spring scene as follows: Nanohana ya tsuki ha higashi ni hi ha nishi ni (Canola flower field! Moon in the east Sun in the west.) In tanka and haiku, though they have a set form, having a few syllables more or less is permitted as long as the basic rhythm is preserved. Senryu, which follows the same rhythm as haiku, expresses humor or satire. Since anyone can easily enter, many contests are held. The following was chosen to come first place in a senryu contest: Yasete yaru!! kore tabete kara yasete yaru!! (I will lose weight!! After eating this food I surely will!!) Speaking of laughter, there are comedy sketches and manzai (comedy duos) who make people laugh through dialogue. Rakugo is a traditional form of entertainment in which an entertainer sits alone on the stage and makes the audience laugh by playing many different characters via the use of gesture and the tone of their voice. In addition, koudan, which is similar to rakugo and involves an entertainer sitting alone on a stage and narrating a story, which might be historical, in an easy to understand way, has undergone a revival in recent years. In the world of play, there are card games. Hyakunin-isshu (hundred poems) is a game in which cards with 100 outstanding old poems written on them are placed on the floor, and the players pick them up. Iroha-karuta is also a card game in which teachings, such as proverbs, are written on cards. Since it helps children learn characters, this game has been widely adopted by families. There is a word play game called shiritori, which is mostly played by children. When somebody says kuruma, the next person says a word, starting with “ma” using the last syllable (furigana character) of the word, such as makura. Thus, the Japanese language itself gives rise to a genre of Japanese culture.