illustrated stories of yokai, ghosts, and weird tales from rural Japan
Latest Updates from Our Project:
February Status Update
21 days ago
– Thu, Feb 05, 2026 at 01:29:18 AM
Hello backers!
It's been a while since the last update, and I wanted to share an update on the current state of production of the book.
The Japanese text is finalized and laid out, while the English version is following close behind. Right now, our designer is making the final tweaks to the book's interior design -- particularly with areas like the artist bios, preface/afterward, bibliography, and so on; while the main layout of the stories and illustrations is basically complete. The book design is inspired by old Edo period books, although it is not intended to 100% replicate their appearance; just give the impression.
Here's a preview of some of the interior pages as they currently stand (Japanese language version! English will come later.):
the title page, with a hand-designed font saying "Echizen-Wakasa Kidan"
The two-page map of Fukui Prefecture, inspired by the impressive birds-eye-view maps of Yoshida Hatsusaburō. This map was extremely intensive to paint, and took over a month to complete! Note that this screenshot is just a draft version of the map. The final version will have more map details, adjusted colors, and of course there will be an English version for the English book.
There is a second map for the stories that take place in Fukui's castle town, for which we are able to pinpoint the precise locations of many of the stories in the book! The map here is an actual Edo period map of Fukui, rather than a painting of my own creation.
This is the general layout of the Japanese version of the book, with vertical, right-to-left text as is found in Edo period texts, and the large illustration on the opposite page. The English version will naturally have a layout different to this, but capturing the same "old book" feel.
The stories have different lengths, so some of them are displayed in 2-columns, or 1-column formats, or even multi-page formats if necessary.
The chapters of the book are divided by region, and each chapter starts with a two-page landscape of a famous place in Fukui Prefecture.
Meanwhile, the traditional crafts are also in production. Because each one is handmade, it takes a while to produce a large number of them. (There is still time to place orders for add-ons, or order extra books on Backerkit; however, orders will be locked down as we approach production time.)
There's still a lot of work to be done before printing takes place, but seeing the progress on the book like this is very exciting!
Lastly, there are still over 100 backers who have not completed their survey. Please make sure you visit https://echizen-wakasa.backerkit.com/ and complete your survey! We will not be able to ship your rewards if you don't complete this.
Reminder: Please Complete Your Surveys!
about 2 months ago
– Wed, Jan 07, 2026 at 06:56:20 PM
Hello everyone, and Happy New Year! I hope you all had a nice holiday.
Now that we're in January, the final "Pay Over Time" payments have been made and everyone should be able to complete their surveys.
89% of surveys are currently complete, but there are still almost 200 people who have not completed their surveys! Please make sure to do this ASAP. An incomplete survey means that your name will not be listed as a backer in the book, and the handmade crafts are produced one by one, and take time to produce — so if your order is not confirmed on time, it may result in a delay in your shipment.
If you did get your survey email, please make sure your survey is complete ASAP. You can check the status of your survey by visiting https://echizen-wakasa.backerkit.com/
If you already completed your survey, you're good! Thank you! :)
We are expecting to lock down orders at the end of February, so there is still time to add items. But after that, no new orders will be accepted.
You will still be able to change your shipping address until just before we begin shipping. I'll give plenty of notice as that deadline approaches.
Thanks again for your support on this project! I'm super excited to get my newest book and the traditional crafts out to you guys. I'll have more images to share as production begins.
Matt
Please Don't Forget Your Survey!
2 months ago
– Sun, Dec 21, 2025 at 07:28:59 PM
Hello everyone!
It's been a week since the Backerkit surveys were sent out, and over 1/3 of you still have not completed the survey. Please don't forget to do so, as this is necessary in order to get your order!
The name list for the book needs to be finalized soon, so people who have not completed their surveys by the end of December will not be able to include their name in the book among the list of backers. You will still be able to add items to your order or change your shipping address later, but it is vital that you complete the survey.
Lastly, if you are a return backer, the return backer pledge reward will automatically be added to your order if you are using the same email address as your previous pledge. If your email address has changed and the returnee reward was not automatically added, please send me a message so I can fix that for you.
Thank you all and Happy Holidays!
Matt
Edit: I've learned that backers using Kickstarter's Pledge Over Time option won't get their surveys until the final payment is made. So I will make sure to wait until Pledge Over Time is finished before finalizing the names for the book. Please be sure to fill out the survey ASAP once it arrives!
Backerkit Surveys Going Out
2 months ago
– Tue, Dec 16, 2025 at 05:38:22 PM
Hello backers!
It took a lot longer than expected for Kickstarter to finish with the credit cards and transfer everything over to the Japanese bank, but that is finally completed. I am happy to say that the Backerkit surveys are beginning to go out!
Your survey email will arrive some time this week. The sending is a bit staggered to make sure it goes smoothly, but it is very important that you complete they survey so that we have your shipping address and the name you want for the book credits. You can also add items to your order, or change your pledge level in the survey if you wish to do so. So please keep an eye out for the Backerkit email this week!
- Matt
Pre-Order Store is Open, Pledge Manager Coming Soon!
3 months ago
– Fri, Nov 21, 2025 at 03:59:15 PM
Hello everyone!
It's taking a bit longer than expected for Kickstarter to collect all the funds and transfer them over, so the opening of the pledge manager is taking a bit longer than expected. I initially said your survey emails would come later this month, but it probably won't be until the end of November or the beginning of December. Backers will be able to add extra items to their orders once that opens, but please hang on a bit longer for that to be ready!
In the meantime, for people who missed the campaign, the pre-order store is now open. You can place orders for all of the pledge items and add-ons from the campaign (although the deadline to have your name in the book has passed).
Lastly, I've added a few new items to the pre-order store and pledge manager, based on your feedback! We've had a lot of requests for my previous books, and while you can order the physical copies from yokai.com/shop right now, the ebooks have been made available in PDF and ePub formats in the pre-order store/pledge manager! Also, we've added four yokai stickers that you can add to your order, and the two yokai pin badges can also be selected as add-ons if you missed the early bird or return backer rewards.
You can check out the pre-order store here, and for backers your surveys will be ready in a couple of weeks.
