Karuta, traditional Japanese playing cards, are famously intricate — which historically has precluded the visually impaired from enjoying them. This is what the Mirumiru Tsunagaru Project is in the process of changing.

The project is spearheaded by Michiyoshi Miwa, a blind sculptor and CEO from Gunma Prefecture, and Jins, a chain of eyeglass stores, in collaboration with students from Gunma University and the Nakanojo Biennale, an international art festival.

Already completed is a set of cards for Hyakunin Isshu: a card game based on a famous anthology of 100 poems by 100 different poets. Production for the game Jomo Karuta — with cards depicting famous historical figures — is currently underway.

The cards are made from cypress, with one side having a familiar design while the other is carved with a simplified tactile shape.

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Source : https://mainichi.jp/articles/20230721/k00/00m/040/232000c

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