Thank you and my Unsun arrived...
Ah Roppo, there's hope!
But alas, right now Ginka back issues do not seem available to me in the U.S., even searching my Japanese resources (
www.kinokuniya.com)...still, I've been cheered by my small package of Unsun Karuta from the Screenfold Press and the
booklet.
I think I may be too easily pleased by the novelty of it--the cards seem straight and cut well to me, thin cardboard tiles, has a matte and handmade feel. The booklet is done by a small press with old typeset and has a pretty cover and rules of the game... Maybe its quaint and naive style reminds me very much of an interesting Basque Country Tarot (Fournier) and Latin-suited decks that cheer me. Their faces are funny and different, like mingei-style art.
I would not say that it is finely gold and glossy and pretty as the wopc golden cards. I'll post a link that shows what the set looks like in total until I manage to photograph and upload some samples:
Unsun Karuta
Scroll down to the second set--it is the one all the cards laid out with purple backgrounds for the people cards and white backgrounds for the straight pips. The first deck in the wooden box is the luxery deck from Japan. Mine is the second reproduction deck with booklet for $25:
http://www.pingmag.jp/2007/01/09/karuta-japanese-card-games/
I'll use this as a placeholder in case I run across anything interesting or for posting my pictures.
Thanks for all the reports...the magazine deck looks great. Unfortunately the Japanese shop never replied to my email query for the luxery set, so I'll have to try again sometime soon...it looks like it's more finely done...
But I do cherish what I just got and hope that others will not be disappointed
when sets from the Screenfold Press arrives at their door!
Cerulean