- Creators: Illustrated by Margo Biazzi. Booklet by Debora Mayfair
- Publisher: Lo Scarabeo – distributed by Llewellyn Worldwide
- Publication Date: (US) April 2026 / (UK) June 2026
- RRP: US $28.95 / UK £29.99
- ISBN: 9780738784762
- Reviewed by: Mary du Plessis
At First Glance: I wasn’t sure if or how I would connect with this deck, but the artwork alone meant this was a keeper from the start. I say this knowing absolutely nothing about Japanese art or culture. I’d never had much interest in it before, but I do now.
What Works (for me): Surprisingly (to me) almost everything. The images honor both the Japanese culture and the symbolism of the RWS, elevating both in a unique and intrinsically readable way. The characters depicted in the cards are surprisingly expressive. When reading directionally and observing how they appear to interact with each other, I found another dimension to the messages for both the reader and the querent.
Production-wise, the card stock of the 78 cards is very nice quality mass-market and borderless, and the guidebook is comprehensive.
What Doesn’t Work (also for me): Really, it’s just the box and my complaint is minor. It’s heavy and sturdy, which is great for storage, but lifts from the top so the deck ‘drops’ out of the bottom. It’s fine if I have a secure hold on it but could be problematic if using this as a travel deck. This isn’t my favourite kind of box, but it’s much nicer than a cheap tuck lid!
Another observation for readers who incorporate reversals into their readings is that the center image on the card backs is not mirrored. I’m happily unaffected by this, since I truly enjoy this deck, but if I intentionally read reversed cards, this might be the one thing that changed my mind about it, overall.
In Summary: I have a diverse deck collection, but I’m a RWS traditionalist when it comes to the decks I use for reading. I’m amazed how often I’ve reached for this one, as I first considered it more of a collector/art deck. I don’t speak Japanese and I’m not well familiar with Japanese culture (neither is required to use or appreciate the cards), but we seem to understand each other, and every reading has delivered a clear, concise, and beautifully illustrated message.
It’s worth repeating that the artwork is show-stopping. Trying to select images to share with this review was only difficult because I could have chosen them all.
I’ve included this three-card reading in the photos. Two of Coins, Knight of Cups, The Hierophant:
It’s important to have a balance of dreams and aspirations. Reach higher than you think you can go. The counterbalance to this is the structure and organization which supports the feasibility of your lofty goals. Reach high, absolutely, but build a sturdy ladder to climb up.
Your mileage may vary!
Creator Bios:
Marga Biazzi is an illustrator who has collaborated with Italian and international publishing houses as a children’s illustrator. A student of Japanese language and culture, Marga is the artist of the Yokai Tarot and Japan Art Nouveau Tarot. Visit her at MargaBiazzi.it.
Debora Mayfair (Italy) has collaborated with Marga Biazzi on two other projects, I Sussurri Delle Scogliere and Chancery Lane: Books, Rooms, and More. She loves novels in which fairy tales and legends are revisited, but she reads everything. Visit her at BooksWordsAndInk.wordpress.com.
This deck will be available to purchase in the UK on the 23-Jun-26 from all good online bookstores.
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