Iki is a strategy board game set during the Edo-period in Japan (1603-1868). Edo was the name of Tokyo during that period. In the Nihonbashi area was located the most animated market of the city. Along the main street of Nihonbashi, many storekeepers of various activities installed their shops and invited customers to do business. Close to the main street, there was a fish market where boats arrived with their catch and where you could hear the voices of fish sellers and buyers.
Living in houses around the main street called Nagayas, craftsmen and merchants with various skills helped support the common people of Edo. There are said to have been between 700 and 800 different professions in Edo at the time and many of these unique professions are featured on the cards in this game: lantern or folding fan makers, tatami makers, woodblock printers, street merchants, sushi and tempura sellers, geishas and kabuki actors.