Hello readers. I am very excited that I can finally announce my next big Kickstarter project that I have been working on for the past 3 years. This project is Echizen-Wakasa Kidan: Strange Tales from Fukui.

Unlike my previous 5 Kickstarters, this book is not an encyclopedia. Instead, it is a collection of folktales from here in Fukui Prefecture. During the Edo period this prefecture was the two provinces of Echizen and Wakasa. The stories in this book feature yokai, ghosts, and strange phenomena that took place in these provinces. They were collected from Edo period books, and this is the first time that most of these stories have been told in more than 150 years!

This project seeks to preserve and promote the local folklore of Fukui. We’re producing two translations of this book: one in modern Japanese and one in English, so that people in Japan and all over the world can enjoy these unique and rare folktales.

We’re also partnering with local artisans who are experts in Fukui’s traditional crafts. Fukui has been a center of papermaking and lacquerware for more than 1500 years, as well as candlemaking since the middle ages. In addition to the book, we’re producing unique yokai goods using these ancient techniques that have been handed down from generation to generation.

The Kickstarter is schedule to start this fall, and I will have more details to share during the next few months. In the meantime, you can sign up to be notified as soon as the Kickstarter launches at this link. There are special rewards for early bird and return backers, so make sure to sign up so you don’t miss out on those!