"Fairtrade Souvenirs" is an adaptation of Oink Games' 2024 release, "Souvenirs from Venice". Roll the dice and move your piece while searching for souvenirs. Your goal is to collect 3 of the same souvenir (from 6 different types) before all of the tiles have been flipped over.
Up to here, it's the same as "Souvenirs from Venice", but in "Fairtrade Souvenirs" special souvenirs with the Fairtrade Mark*¹ have been added. These special souvenirs cost 2 coins to purchase, but if one is included in a set of 3 matching souvenirs, you earn bonus points. You might be collecting a different type of souvenir, but then come across a souvenir with Fairtrade Mark and want to buy it. Or you might notice when another player secretly buys something for 2 coins. This brings a new layer of fun to the game.
*1 Products that meet standards such as fair payment to manufacturers and protection of working conditions carry The FAIRTRADE Mark.
In "Fairtrade Souvenirs" the stage is set in Kamakura, which was officially recognized as a Fair Trade Town*² this year. Players move bicycle pieces in a race to collect souvenirs. There are 6 types of souvenirs: candy, chocolate, coffee, honey, soap, and wine. For each type, there are two special souvenirs with the Fairtrade Mark. If you don’t return to the station before all the tiles are flipped face-up, the train departs and you run out of time! On top of that, watch out for cats and cat-loving kids that might show up cause some unexpected trouble! With rules that are great for all ages to enjoy, this is a fast-paced yet puzzling classic-style board game.
*2 A Fair Trade Town is a community where local government, businesses, and citizen groups work together to promote fair trade. Through these efforts, they support the independence of producers in developing countries who are in disadvantaged positions and contribute to environmental protection and sustainability, all while advancing the principles of fairness. Municipalities that support the principles of fair trade and actively work to promote them are certified based on Japan’s own standards, which are adapted from those used in countries like the UK. Kamakura City in Kanagawa Prefecture was certified as Japan’s seventh Fair Trade Town in March 2025.
https://www.kamakura-ethical-lab.org/post/news25003
This product was developed, at the invitation of Kamakura City, as a board game to help raise awareness and promote understanding of "fair trade". Created with the cooperation and supervision of Fairtrade Label Japan, a certified nonprofit organization, the game incorporates the Fairtrade Mark in its design with the goal to promote awareness of the label. In addition, the product itself uses bagasse paper *3, made from sugarcane pulp, instead of regular paper, and both the box and chips are made from FSC-certified materials.
*3 Bagasse is the fibrous leftovers after sugarcane is crushed. Each year, around 100 million tons of bagasse are produced from the approximately 1.2 billion tons of sugarcane grown worldwide. While some bagasse is used as fuel or livestock feed, a significant amount is still discarded (as industrial waste). This discarded bagasse is repurposed into a raw material known as bagasse pulp. Bagasse paper is made using this pulp.
