Ukiyo Tarot: A Journey into the Floating World by Pietro Turino

Japanese Ukiyo Culture Meets Contemporary Anime-Inspired Tarot

Step into the floating world.

Created by Italian artist and designer Pietro Turino, Ukiyo Tarot: A Journey into the Floating World reimagines the 78 cards of tarot through a fascinating meeting of 17th-century Japanese ukiyo culture and contemporary anime-inspired illustration.

The Japanese word ukiyo, meaning “floating world”, became associated with the vibrant urban culture that flourished during Japan's Edo period.

It was a world of entertainment, beauty and earthly pleasures.

Kabuki actors.

Geishas.

Sumo wrestlers.

Fashion.

Theatre.

Music.

Art.

And underneath all that colour and activity sat a rather more profound idea.

Everything is temporary.

Pleasure passes.

Beauty changes.

Moments disappear.

Life moves.

Ukiyo Tarot takes those ideas of transience, impermanence and living within the present moment and brings them into the symbolic language of tarot.

The result is a deck that looks towards historic Japan while remaining unmistakably contemporary.

🌸 What Does Ukiyo Mean?

The word ukiyo has a fascinating history.

Earlier Buddhist usage carried associations with the suffering and impermanence of earthly existence.

By the Edo period, however, the meaning had shifted.

The “floating world” became associated with enjoying the fleeting pleasures of urban life, particularly in cities such as Edo, Kyoto and Osaka.

Entertainment districts flourished.

Artists captured actors, courtesans, landscapes and scenes from everyday life.

Woodblock prints became one of the defining artistic forms of the period.

Yet the idea of impermanence remained.

Enjoy the moment because the moment will pass.

That tension between beauty and impermanence makes ukiyo a fascinating world through which to explore tarot.

Tarot, after all, continually asks us to consider change.

What is beginning?

What is ending?

What are we holding onto?

And what might happen if we allow life to move?

🎴 Japanese Inspiration Meets Modern Tarot

Ukiyo Tarot doesn't attempt to reproduce historical Japanese artwork card by card.

Instead, Pietro Turino draws inspiration from the aesthetics and philosophy of the floating world and combines them with a modern anime-like illustration style.

The result creates a bridge between past and present.

Traditional influences sit beside contemporary character design.

Japanese cultural references meet familiar tarot archetypes.

Historic inspiration is translated through the visual language of a modern artist.

That makes Ukiyo Tarot particularly appealing for readers who enjoy Japanese art and culture but want something more contemporary than a reproduction of traditional woodblock prints.

🔮 78 Cards Through the Floating World

Across the complete 78-card tarot deck, familiar tarot themes are transported into the visual world created by Turino.

The Major Arcana explore life's larger archetypal experiences.

The Minor Arcana move through the everyday challenges, relationships, ambitions and emotions that shape our lives.

But the concept of the floating world adds another layer.

Tarot constantly reminds us that circumstances change.

Fortunes turn.

Relationships evolve.

Opportunities appear and disappear.

Nothing remains entirely fixed.

Seen through the philosophy of ukiyo, those changes become part of the reading rather than something to fear.

The cards invite you to recognise what exists now, while remembering that the next card can always change the story.

🌊 Beauty, Pleasure & Impermanence

There is something wonderfully appropriate about combining tarot with the concept of ukiyo.

Both ask us to pay attention to the present while recognising that life moves in cycles.

A joyful moment cannot be held forever.

Neither can a difficult one.

Success changes.

Loss changes.

Love changes.

We change.

That doesn't make those experiences less meaningful.

Perhaps it makes them more meaningful.

Ukiyo Tarot invites readers to explore that space between enjoying what exists and accepting that nothing remains exactly as it is.

For intuitive readers, that creates some particularly interesting possibilities around questions involving transition, change, relationships and personal growth.

🎨 Created by Pietro Turino

Pietro Turino is a Naples-based designer and illustrator whose creative work is strongly influenced by Japanese culture.

He holds a master's degree in Japanese language and anthropology, bringing academic knowledge of Japanese culture into his artistic practice.

A self-taught illustrator, Turino began drawing in 2018 and has developed a contemporary style influenced by both Japanese culture and modern visual media.

Ukiyo Tarot marks his debut in the esoteric world, bringing those interests together within the structure of a complete tarot deck.

That background gives the concept considerably more substance than simply placing anime-style artwork onto tarot cards.

The inspiration behind Ukiyo Tarot is rooted in a genuine fascination with Japanese language, culture and anthropology.

📖 Includes a 128-Page Guidebook

Ukiyo Tarot is accompanied by a substantial 128-page booklet, giving readers additional support as they explore Turino's interpretation of the tarot.

This makes the deck approachable for newer readers while providing context for experienced tarot practitioners interested in exploring its distinctive visual language.

Use the booklet alongside your own intuitive impressions.

Notice the imagery first.

Consider what the card makes you feel.

Then explore the accompanying interpretation.

Tarot tends to become much more interesting when the guidebook joins the conversation rather than being allowed to have the final word.

✨ Why You'll Love Ukiyo Tarot

• Complete 78-card tarot deck
• Created by Pietro Turino
• Inspired by Japanese ukiyo, the “floating world”
• Draws upon Edo-period culture and artistic traditions
• Explores themes of transience and impermanence
• Contemporary anime-inspired illustration style
• Beautiful meeting of historic inspiration and modern artwork
• Includes a substantial 128-page guidebook
• Ideal for intuitive and traditional tarot readings
• Fascinating for lovers of Japanese culture and art
• Pietro Turino's debut esoteric deck
• Published by Lo Scarabeo

🌙 The Reading Experience

Ukiyo Tarot can be used for traditional tarot spreads, daily guidance, intuitive reading, journalling and meditation.

But its central philosophy makes it particularly interesting for questions involving:

Change • Transition • Relationships • Identity • Pleasure • Attachment • New beginnings • Endings • Personal growth • Living in the present

Try asking:

What am I trying too hard to hold onto?

What deserves to be enjoyed while it is here?

Where is change already happening?

What can I release?

What is asking me to be fully present?

The floating world reminds us that life doesn't stop moving simply because we'd quite like it to stay where we put it.

Tarot has been trying to tell us much the same thing for centuries.

🌿 Perfect For

Japanese culture enthusiasts • Anime lovers • Tarot readers • Lo Scarabeo collectors • Art tarot collectors • Intuitive readers • Contemporary tarot lovers • Students of Japanese culture • Lovers of Japanese-inspired artwork • Tarot beginners • Experienced readers • Collectors seeking something visually different

It is particularly appealing for readers who enjoy decks that reinterpret familiar tarot archetypes through a distinct cultural and artistic lens.

📦 In the Box

• 78 full-colour tarot cards
• 128-page companion booklet
• Presentation box

📖 At a Glance

Title: Ukiyo Tarot: A Journey into the Floating World

Creator & Artist: Pietro Turino

Publisher: Lo Scarabeo

ISBN: 9788865279830

Cards: 78 full-colour tarot cards

Guidebook: 128 pages

Card Size: 70 × 120 mm

Art Style: Japanese-inspired contemporary / anime-like illustration

Themes: Ukiyo, Japanese culture, transience, impermanence & the floating world

Creator Background: Japanese language & anthropology

UK Publication: June 2025

Language: English

Product Type: Tarot Deck & Guidebook

🖤 Why We Love It at Oneness Emporium

There are plenty of Japanese-inspired tarot decks.

What caught our attention here is the idea behind this one.

The floating world.

That strange and rather beautiful contradiction between enjoying something completely and knowing you cannot keep it forever.

It's an extraordinarily good fit for tarot.

The Wheel turns.

Death transforms.

The Tower rearranges the furniture rather dramatically.

And the Eight of Cups has already packed a bag.

Tarot has never exactly been subtle about the fact that life changes.

Pietro Turino approaches those familiar ideas through an entirely different visual and cultural lens.

We also love that his connection with Japan goes deeper than an aesthetic choice. His academic background in Japanese language and anthropology sits behind the artwork, while his contemporary illustration style prevents the deck from feeling like an attempt to recreate something historical.

Old ideas.

Modern artwork.

Timeless tarot.

And 78 reminders that sometimes the most beautiful thing we can do is actually be present for the bit we're living now.