Description
– 4 versions available
– ‘Daimyo’ Red Basic edition
– ‘Daimyo’ Red Special Edition
– ‘Shogun’ Black Basic edition
– ‘Shogun’ Black Special Edition
– Definitely check out the Kickstarter page as they explain in detail the inspiration behind each card. Especially since they include videos of MILTZ’s actual drawing process. It’s fascinating to watch! The historical figures featured all have very interesting back stories.
– This was launched on Kickstarter on 17 Apr 2020. Within 30 days, a whooping 813 backers had contributed $71,311 to bring this project to life!
– Also have a look at the YouTube video by mercurio thierry. It’s in French, you can mute it if you like but it’s worth having a look at how the cards handle.
🌟 Edo Karuta Playing Cards is Flagrant Agenda’s fifth playing card offering on Kickstarter. After previous four playing card projects that were entirely focus on the theme of change and transformation, they decided to explore something different – street graffiti. They have always been interested in street culture, which Flagrant Agenda started off with, particularly graffiti and how it can be use as an medium to make a point. After at least two unsuccessful attempts to come up with a concept and design that they were pleased with, they stumbled upon MILTZ.
🌟 MILTZ https://miltz.myportfolio.com is a young and talented graphic artist from Japan and they are particularly intrigued with his project, Shibuya Bluffiti. The juxtaposition of negativity associated with graffiti and the possible normalization of graffiti as a part of a neighbourhood and the modern interpretation of a traditional lettering style showed them a new way of looking at graffiti – graffiti does not have to always be counter culture and anti establishment. While change usually happens by going against the norm, it can also happen by working within a system.
🌟 This collaboration between them and MILTZ has taken in quite unexpected directions with very fascinating bouncing of ideas and crafting of visual elements to be included in the deck.
🌟 The aesthetic mainstay of Edo Karuta is the ubiquitous Edomoji, Japanese typographic and lettering styles that were invented and vastly popular during the Edo period. They are primarily used for advertising and branding in the various trades that sprung up during the prosperous epoch before the advent of modern Japan. You can still see many traditional Japanese brands using Edomoji in their marketing efforts. Walk by any Japanese restaurants and you will bound to see banners with Edomoji written on them. In Edo Karuta, these typographical elements are superimposed onto each other to make up interesting and visually arresting motifs, the signature style of MILTZ that we saw in his Shibuya Bluffiti project. You can see these representations most clearly in the card backs.
🌟 The Edo period of Japan was chosen, or rather, fallen upon them as the thematic mainstay of Edo Karuta. Edo period can be considered the golden age of pre-industrial Japan. The Pax Tokugawa that was enabled by the unification of Japan by the Tokugawa Shogunate allowed for unprecedented economic growth as well as the flourishing of arts and other cultural pursuits. However, the Edo period was also characterized by isolationalist outlook and the cementing of strict societal hierarchy that lead to what some say as a general slow-down of industrialization. The Edo Period ended with the arrival of the external powers that the Tokugawa regime cannot resist which lead to a modernization spur.
🌟 The aesthetic and thematic mainstay bring us back one full circle in terms of change. Edomoji symbolizes the merchant class, the beneficiary of the Pax Tokugawa and the catalyst for change due to the upset of the social order – on the surface of the system, all is rosy but change is already set in motion by the actions within the system. Alas, the last straw usually comes from outside the system, in this case, black ships appearing over the horizon.
🌟 The Aces
Each of the aces include a haiku, short, 3-phrases poems based on the four seasons from Matsuo Bashō (松尾芭蕉, 1644–1694), recognized as the greatest of all haiku masters.
🌟 The 4 haiku and their rough English translations:
♣ 春 (Spring) | 春もやや気色ととのふ月と梅 | After a long winter, plums began to bloom. The moon has come.
♦ 夏 (Summer) | 駿河路や花橘も茶の匂ひ | Although it is the season of the flower of Tachibana, Suruga-road smells of tea.
♥ 秋 (Autumn) | 朝茶飲む僧静かなり菊の花 | A monk is drinking tea in the garden in the morning. Chrysanthemums bloom in front of their eyes.
♠ 冬 (Winter) | 初雪や水仙の葉のたわむまで | The first snow has fallen. The snow piles up on the daffodils, and the leaves are bent.
🌟 Court Cards
The court cards feature subtle differences when view from different orientation with the graphical differences inspired by how the characters’ lives and personalities have changed throughout their lifespan. The overall illustration is based on ukiyo-e motifs, poses and animal mascots with bold visual arrangements and liberal use of colours.
🌟 EDO KARUTA features:
– Two colour schemes – The red/white Daimyo deck and the black/gold Shogun deck
– Printed by United States Playing Card Company
– Traditional cut and magic finish
– Available in 2 editions – the Basic and the Special
– Premium metallic ink for Shogun deck
– For Basic – a classic Bicycle deck with a standard tuck case
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