Yuki Suetsugu started this series when her editor suggested a manga about karuta after she resumed her career as a manga artist, and she felt drawn to the idea because she had personal experience playing the game herself.

The title 'Chihayafuru' comes from the 17th poem of the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu anthology; while competitive karuta players pronounce it with a voiced sound as 'Chihayaburu', the manga's title deliberately keeps the unvoiced pronunciation.

The character Shinobu Wakamiya, the reigning Queen, was modeled after Saki Kusunoki, who became the youngest-ever Queen at age 15 (in her third year of junior high).

Actor Mahiro Takasugi changed his stage name to 'Shinken Aran' (Arata Watanabe's actor name reference) after playing the role of Arata in the live-action film adaptation, adopting the name Mahiro Shinken as a result of this role.

By February 2022, the manga had surpassed 27 million copies in cumulative print circulation, reflecting its major popularity in Japan.

The manga's success is credited with helping to boost real-world interest in and popularity of competitive karuta in Japanese society.

The character Harada Hideo, head of the Fuchu Shiranami-kai karuta club, is modeled after Maeda Hidehiko, a seventh-dan holder and head of the real Fuchu Shiromyo-kai karuta association.

The manga received cooperation and support from real organizations including the All Japan Karuta Association, the Oishi Tengudo karuta maker, and Omi Jingu Shrine, which are all tied to actual competitive karuta culture in Japan.