Tanuki Yukaku Playing Cards by Room One Cards (Kickstarter)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bloomplayingcards/tanuki-yukaku-playing-cardsA tale of charm, trickery, and tradition, told through the eyes of a dancing tanuki courtesanCurrent funding level: Almost 20x the funding goal!
Kickstarter ends: Successfully funded, but you can still
Late Pledge for available rewards
We've seen a lot of innovation in the playing card industry in recent years. One of the top innovators is Room One Playing Cards, under their brands Bloom and Anti-Faro. They've produced some stunning decks, and with this new project they continue to raise the bar.
Two things especially stand out about it for me:
- it has a folding tuck box that lights up: literally!
- it has a special feature where the cards can be combined into a puzzle!
Several different versions of the deck are being produced, and there are also options to get all three together in a collector's set:
-
Yukaku Tales Edition-
Oiran-Dochu Edition-
Hanafuda Edition
The concept behind the deck is to combine two concepts from Japanese folklore, described in the project as follows:
- "
The Tanuki (狸) is a mischievous creature known for its playful nature and ability to shape-shift. Some stories tell of tanuki hosting grand feasts, luring humans to join, only to trap them in confusion or make them lose track of time."
- "
The Yūkaku (遊郭), or pleasure district, was a specialized entertainment area in Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868). These areas were known for their captivating performances and indulgent experiences."
The Tanuki is also known as a raccoon dog, and these charming creatures make regular appearances throughout the deck. Drawing on and merging the folklore, fantasy, and culture of the Edo period, these decks aim to bring us to a world where the
Tanuki opens a
Yūkaku, described as "
a magical place designed to enchant and bewilder. Here, humans lose themselves in an endless cycle of time, drawn in by the allure of the tanuki's mysterious feasts."
The Light Up Yukaku Tuck Box, complete with its lavish door design, looks especially stunning. Add to that the luxury of vibrant colours, cold foil, and patterned gilded edges, and it's a true feast for the eyes and imagination.
As a bonus feature, the number cards of each edition have a unique puzzle:
- in the Yukaku Tales Edition, they can be arranged to produce a panoramic image of the lively Yukaku with a cast of Tanuki characters.
- in the Oiran-Dochu Edition, they combine within each suit to form a scroll-like panorama.
- in the Hanafuda Edition, each four cards of the same number combine to make single image.
Extra addons include things like a collector coin, pins, stickers, koi-koi guide, uncut sheets, and previous decks.
Now that I've described the basic concept and features, I'll let these pictures do the talking, which I've arranged to show all three decks, one at a time.
Yukaku Tales Edition
Oiran-Dochu Edition
Hanafuda Edition
Extras
This project has already funded, but they've left it open for Late Pledges, so if you like what you see here, you can still get on board.
You really need to head to the project page where you can see videos of the deck in action; what I saw certainly blew me away!
Kickstarter link
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bloomplayingcards/tanuki-yukaku-playing-cards
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