Urashima's Box

The Karakuri Creation Group from Hakone, Japan is very well known for their fabulous and superb quality wooden puzzles and puzzle boxes. Equally well-known is that every year in the weeks leading up to Christmas, they will ship out their "Christmas Presents" to those who have joined the "Karakuri Club" and pre-ordered puzzles from a panel of designers, as early as the beginning of the year. 

The puzzler selects the designer(s) of his choice, but would not know what sort of puzzle he/she will receive from their selected designer(s) until it arrives. It's a "surprise" to say the least! Not a cheap affair as well considering each puzzle is about US$100/- and there are usually an average of about 8 presents available per year. A full set will set you back about US$800/-. 

For the rest of the year, the Karakuri Group designers release various designs and these puzzles can range anywhere from US$125/- to well over US$1,000/- a pop. Expensive would be somewhat of an understatement, but the design concept, theme, craftsmanship and attention to detail is simply incredible. Take a look around their site and you would know what I mean. From a puzzling perspective, some puzzles are pretty simple and provide little challenge for seasoned puzzlers but some designers like Hiroshi Iwahara create extremely challenging pieces.   

Aside from exquisitely crafted puzzles, Karakuri also retails wooden puzzle kits. The one shown here is the Urashima's Box, which I purchased during IPP33 in Tokyo several years ago. I have had it for quite a while and totally forgotten about it until recently.

The kid is made of plywood and while there is nothing exotic about plywood, the pieces are very well cut and precise. It has even got a nice woody scent to it. It costs only about 2,000 Yen (US$17.50) but the quality is very good.

The kit comes un-assembled of course and this one has 16 pieces including the string. When fully assembled, it is a trick opening box. everything you need is in the kit except glue and here I used an inexpensive wood glue called Wessbond White Glue which dried quickly and gave good results. Smears and stains were easily cleaned off with a damp tissue. There is no need to go for epoxy and other fancy glues for this sort of work.

Although the instructions are all in Japanese, the diagrams are easy enough to understand for the assembly of the box and no translation needed. It took me no more than half an hour or so to glue all the parts together and another 6-7 hours or so for the glue to dry properly. The finished product was strong, sturdy and nice to look at, especially with the ribbon tied.

I don't think I need to explain the object of the box here and from photos i think you can quite guess how the mechanics of the puzzle works. So if you can't afford or don't want to shell out the dollars for the ala carte puzzles on their Michelin-starred menu, you can still own a Karakuri puzzle...get a kit! They are great fun and relatively easy to build and will astound your non-puzzling friends for sure!

2015 Karakuri Christmas Present #8 - Bean Bag Drawer 2

Update 23 October 2017 - Dear Reader, please check out my new puzzle blog and e-store at http://mechanical-puzzles.com

Note: Most puzzlers would have received their Christmas presents by now, however, in order not to reveal any spoilers, there will be no photo(s) of the solved puzzle posted here. Instead there is a password protected link further down the page for you to click on should you wish to see them.

Name
Bean Bag Drawer 2. This is the actual name as stated on a card which came inside the packaging.

Designer
Hiroshi Iwahara

Type & Classification
Trick Opening Puzzle Box

Dimensions
13.5cm x 9.5cm x 9.5cm (the largest of the Christmas presents this year)

Materials & Construction
Combination of at least 4 different woods including what appears to be cherry and maple More information once the solution/specs are sent to me early 2016. Construction fit and finish is excellent.

Overview
To find the hidden compartment. Multiple moves (can't give the exact number at this moment as not fully solved) required to open the box.

Solution
WARNING: The link here shows the partially solved state of the puzzle. Password - hiwahara
There are spoilers. DO NOT click on the link if you do not wish to see it. 

Difficulty Level
I only managed to solve this puzzle partially. There are two stages and the second has eluded me so far, despite getting some hints from Otis Cheng. Like Iwahara's 2014 present Confetto Box 2, which I solved halfway (without realizing there was more), the Bean Bag Drawer 2 surpasses its 2014 cousin in terms of difficulty. This latest present appears very difficult, for me definitely... not merely by Christmas Presents standard but also measured against other puzzle boxes I gave played with in general. But it seems that quite a few puzzlers have managed to get this one solved! 

Summary
This is my second puzzle from Iwahara and certainly won't be my last. From what I can tell, the general consensus is that Iwahawa designs are clear favorites among puzzlers who go for Karakuri presents (alongside Kamei puzzles). A large and great looking puzzle box which displays beautifully.

For information on Karakuri Christmas Presents generally, please click here.

2015 Karakuri Christmas Present #7 - Coin Box

Update 23 October 2017 - Dear Reader, please check out my new puzzle blog and e-store at http://mechanical-puzzles.com

Note: Most puzzlers would have received their Christmas presents by now, however, in order not to reveal any spoilers, there will be no photo(s) of the solved puzzle posted here. Instead there is a password protected link further down the page for you to click on should you wish to see them.

Name
Coin Box. For obvious reasons as you can see from the photo above. Name to be confirmed.

Designer
Fumio Tsuburai

Type & Classification
Trick Opening Puzzle Box

Dimensions
9.5cm x 8.5cm x 6.5cm

Materials & Construction
Looks to be paduak throughout with yosegi finishing on the top surface. More information once the solution/specs are sent to me early 2016. Construction fit and finish is excellent.

Overview
To find the hidden compartment. 5 moves required to open the box. Not only a puzzle but functional as well. You can actually deposit coins into it like a piggy bank.

Solution
WARNING: The link here shows the solved state of the puzzle. Password - tsuburai
There are spoilers. DO NOT click on the link if you do not wish to see it. 

Difficulty Level
This one totally stumped me. Thanks to Stephen Miller (the inventor of the Fire puzzle), who happened to have purchased all 9 presents and who told me what I needed to do to solve the puzzle.

Summary
This is my first puzzle by Tsuburai. The solution and way to solve was certainly not what I expected; hence a bit of a surprise here. For this puzzle, some accompanying instructions I think would have been appropriate. I don't want to put a spoiler here so I will update this part once the solutions to all the presents have been sent to their owners early next year.

For information on Karakuri Christmas Presents generally, please click here.

2015 Karakuri Christmas Present #6 - Rectangular Box

Note: Most puzzlers would have received their Christmas presents by now, however, in order not to reveal any spoilers, there will be no photo(s) of the solved puzzle posted here. Instead there is a password protected link further down the page for you to click on should you wish to see them.

Name
Rectangular Box. Sorry for such a lousy working name, but I couldn't think of anything else which will not give any clues away. Name to be confirmed.

Designer
Hideaki Kawashima

Type & Classification
Trick Opening Puzzle Box

Dimensions
11cm x 6cm x 6cm

Materials & Construction
There's a bit of purpleheart here and there but I can't really tell what is the wood used for the overall build. More information once the solution/specs are sent to me early 2016. Construction fit and finish is excellent with nice detailing and everything slides smoothly as intended. 

Overview
To find the hidden compartment. A whopping 16 moves (thanks to Brett and Oli for highlighting this to me; I had missed the last 4 steps) required to solve the puzzle completely.

Solution
WARNING: The link here shows the solved state of the puzzle. Password - kawashima
There are spoilers. DO NOT click on the link if you do not wish to see it. Also DO NOT click on the comments below as there are spoilers in the comments.

Difficulty Level
Moderately difficult, by far the most challenging, compared to the previous 5 presents.

Summary
This is my first puzzle by Kawashima. A rather unusual puzzle box with quite a number of moves by Karakuri Christmas Presents standard. Quite a fair bit to do here. Very tricky to the last and requires careful observation to get the moves right. Got me stumped for a while. IMHO, this is the level of difficulty appropriate for a Christmas present, not easy yet sufficiently difficult to let puzzlers feel they are really getting puzzling value for money.

For information on Karakuri Christmas Presents generally, please click here.

2015 Karakuri Christmas Present #5 - Monkey

Note: Most puzzlers would have received their Christmas presents by now, however, in order not to reveal any spoilers, there will be no photo(s) of the solved puzzle posted here. Instead there is a password protected link further down the page for you to click on should you wish to see them.

Name
Monkey. Name to be confirmed.

Designer
Shiro Tajima 

Type & Classification
Trick Opening Puzzle Box

Dimensions
8cm x 7cm x 6cm

Materials & Construction
Not sure what are the woods used are but could be mahogany or teak with cherry. More information once the solution/specs are sent to me early 2016. Construction fit and finish is excellent. 

Overview
To reveal a secret compartment inside the Monkey. 5 moves required to solve the puzzle.

Solution
WARNING: The link here shows the solved state of the puzzle. Password - shirotajima
There are spoilers. DO NOT click on the link if you do not wish to see it.

Difficulty Level
Not as easy as the previous 4 presents and also quite tricky.

Summary
This is my first puzzle from Shiro Tajima. Really a very nice puzzle with great detailing and finishing. As you solve it, you will discover a rather cute surprise along the way. The mechanism is an interesting one and quite unique. A fun solve!

For information on Karakuri Christmas Presents generally, please click here.

2015 Karakuri Christmas Present #4 - Panda

Note: As quite a number of puzzlers (mainly in the US and Europe) have not received their Christmas presents, there will be no photo(s) of the solved puzzle posted here so as not to spoil their surprise. Instead there is a link further down the page for you to click on should you wish to see it.

Name
Panda. Name to be confirmed.

Designer
Osamu Kasho 

Type & Classification
Trick Opening Puzzle Box

Dimensions
8cm x 8cm x 5.5cm

Materials & Construction
Can't state for sure what are the woods used are but could well be magnolia and walnut. More information once the solution/specs are sent to me early 2016. Construction fit and finish is excellent. 

Overview
The objective here is to "open" the Panda to find a hidden compartment. 2 moves are required to solve the puzzle but finding where to start may be tricky for some.

Solution
WARNING: The link here shows the solved state of the puzzle. Password - osamukasho
There are spoilers. DO NOT click on the link if you do not wish to see it.

Difficulty Level
Relatively easy.

Summary
This is my first puzzle from Kasho and certainly won't be my last. Nice workmanship and the Panda is really very cute! Certainly will order another present again from him in 2016

For information on Karakuri Christmas Presents generally, please click here.

2015 Karakuri Christmas Present #3 - Gentleman Crocodile

Note: As quite a number of puzzlers (mainly in the US and Europe) have not received their Christmas presents, there will be no photo(s) of the solved puzzle posted here so as not to spoil their surprise. Instead there is a link further down the page for you to click on should you wish to see it

Name
Gentleman Crocodile (as stated on the label of the box)

Designer
Yun Kakuda (on her 2014 Christmas present, click here)

Type & Classification
Trick Opening Puzzle Box

Dimensions
16.5cm x 5cm x 4.5cm

Materials & Construction
Not sure what is the wood used but it looks like acacia wood for the whole crocodile and bits of walnut and maple for the hat on its head. More information once the solution/specs are sent to me early 2016.

Construction fit and finish is excellent. All panels slide smoothly and are very precisely joined. 

Overview
The objective here is to find and locate a secret compartment within the crocodile. 4 moves are required to solve the puzzle.

Solution
WARNING: The link here shows the solved state of the puzzle. Password - yunkakuda
There are spoilers. DO NOT click on the link if you do not wish to see it.

Difficulty Level
Pretty tricky to find the secret compartment. Very well hidden and not obvious at all.

Summary
Typical of Kaduda's designs, this is another animal themed puzzle. Great looking with a rather clever and cool mechanism.

For information on Karakuri Christmas Presents generally, please click here.

2015 Karakuri Present #2 - Box Wrapped With Bow And Ribbon

Update 23 October 2017 - Dear Reader, please check out my new puzzle blog and e-store at http://mechanical-puzzles.com

Note: As quite a number of puzzlers (mainly in the US and Europe) have not received their Christmas presents, there will be no photo(s) of the solved puzzle posted here so as not to spoil their surprise. Instead there is a link further down the page for you to click on should you wish to see it

Name
Box Wrapped With Bow And Ribbon. This is my "working name" at this point in time. Actual name to come later.

Designer
Akio Kamei (on his 2014 Christmas present, click here)

Type & Classification
Trick Opening Puzzle Box

Dimensions
8cm x 8cm x 5.5cm

Materials & Construction
A combination of exotic hardwoods with contrasting colours including what appears to be purpleheart, teak and walnut. The two layered bow on top is a real beauty. More information once the solution/specs are sent to me early 2016.

Construction fit and finish is excellent. All panels slide smoothly and are very precisely joined. 

Overview
The objective here is to open the box which resembles a box wrapped with ribbon and bow. 5 moves are required before the top portion of the box is detached to reveal an empty container housed within.

Solution
WARNING: The link here shows the solved state of the puzzle. Password - akiokamei 
Its a spoiler. DO NOT click on the link if you do not wish to see it.

Difficulty Level
Not difficult once you discover the solution but pretty tricky at the beginning. I found myself fiddling with the puzzle for a while before figuring out the necessary steps to open.

Summary
Beautifully made with all the details and nice finishing touches. Great for placing small items inside like jewellery and other keepsakes.

For information on Karakuri Christmas Presents generally, please click here.

2015 Karakuri Present #1 - "Book"

Name
Book

Designer
Tatsuo Miyamoto (on his 2014 Christmas present, click here)

Type & Classification
Trick Opening Puzzle Box

Dimensions
10.5cm x 12cm x 4.5cm

Materials & Construction
A combination of exotic hardwoods with contrasting colours including what appears to be walnut and paduak. More information once the solution/specs are sent to me early 2016.

Construction fit and finish is excellent. All panels slide smoothly and are very precisely joined. With nice finishing touches like a spine label, the puzzle really looks every bit like a real book!

Overview
The objective here is to "open" the book. 4 moves are required before the box is solved and the "pages" slide out revealing a cavity which can hold small items. There are two circular cut-outs so the designer intended for small pieces of paper, cards etc to kept inside and easily taken out.

Difficulty Level
For anyone who has had some experience with trick opening or Japanese puzzle boxes, its pretty easy.

Summary
Miyamoto's 2015 Christmas present has a nearly similar mechanism to his 2014 puzzle but with a couple of more steps added this year. And applied to a different object. Very nice indeed and a great display piece!

For information on Karakuri Christmas Presents generally, please click here.

Karakuri Christmas Present #4 - Confetto Box 2

Update 23 October 2017 - Dear Reader, please check out my new puzzle blog and e-store at http://mechanical-puzzles.com

A Very Happy New Year everyone! 

Here's my first post for 2015...on my fourth and last Karakuri Christmas present which I received a couple of weeks back last Christmas.

This puzzle box was designed and made by Hiroshi Iwahara from the Karakuri Creation Group. 

This box is made (most likely) from Walnut with a different (unidentifiable) wood for the internals. There are also a number of steel parts (rods) inside the puzzle. Nothing more to add about its quality and construction other than its excellently made with very tight tolerances throughout. Everything moves and slides smoothly as intended.

This first three presents (see my last three blog posts) were very easy to solve, including #2 the "New Parcel Cube" from Akio Kamei, which was the hardest of the three. The Confetto Box here surpasses the previous three in terms of difficulty. In fact when I first played with it for the first few minutes...I said to myself...hmm, this one looks like a tough one!

The goal of this puzzle is to slide the side panels of the box (partially) open, as shown in the photo. To do this, the first moving panel needs to be found, which I did, after a bit of pushing here and there on all the sides. Thereafter I slowly discovered the rest, but not without some experimentation (and difficulty) especially for the first couple of panels.

In a way its similar to a traditional multiple-moves Japanese puzzle box. However, Iwahara's box is different in that there is greater (and more subtle) "interaction" between the panels, facilitated by the internal mechanism, which makes this puzzle not that easy. It takes a bit to understand how the puzzle is suppose to work. I am still not too sure how the internal mechanism functions (although I have a vague idea) as only a glimmer of the insides is visible. Peeking in, all I can tell is that it looks pretty intricate. 

And unlike the more typical traditional box, there is also no internal space or cavity (for storage of small items) to be found as none of the panels on the Confetto box can slide more than a quarter open. It would appear the box was intended solely as a puzzle. Well, unless I am way off tangent here, the solved state of the puzzle is the one as shown in the photo above. 

If anyone who owns this box knows otherwise and has managed to go beyond this stage, please PM me.

[Edit 1st Jan 2015 - Apparently what I have solved above is only half the solution to the Confetto Box 2. Peter Hajek had emailed me after reading my post to say he had reached the stage I was at and that he believed there was a hidden compartment in the Box. A short while later, he emailed again to let me know he had solved the Box fully. He very kindly gave me some instructions and following them, I also managed to solve it. 

The Confetto Box 2 is much more difficult than anticipated and is definitely the hardest of my four presents. Just look at the intricate and complicated internals and you can see the work and craftsmanship that went into the puzzle. A really great puzzle box. For the price, also a lot of puzzling and value for money]

Karakuri Christmas Present #3 - The Owl Shocked

Present #3 from the Karakrui Creation Group is "The Owl Shocked". No need to guess the name of the puzzle; its written on the packaging. And no need to guess the designer also; its a bird puzzle, an owl to be specific...and can only come from...yes, Yun Kakuda.

What I am not certain is the wood that was used to make the puzzle; guess I will have to wait until more owl information reaches me early next year. What about quality and construction? No guesses needed. It is very well made with fine finishing and attention to detail.

I was wondering if the object was to open the top or release a drawer... but nothing of either sort. After some fiddling with the puzzle, the goal as I discovered, is to get the owl's head (which appears half-recessed into its body) to extend fully.upwards. As though something had caught the owl's attention! I played with it some more but there appears nothing more to solve. [Please see edit below]

Like my earlier Kakuda puzzle, the Skunk Attack, this one takes just 2-3 moves to solve and very easy too! Notwithstanding, I still like the owl which is really high on the cute factor, with nice eyes and a beak.

[Edit 1st Jan 2015 - Two well known puzzlers in the community (Louis Coolen and Peter Hajek) contacted me to let me know there's one more step to go for the Owl to reveal a secret compartment. I went back to the Owl and lo and behold, I found it...well hidden. I should have looked at the Owl more carefully during play...silly of me to have missed it]

Karakuri Christmas Present #2 - New Parcel Cube

Merry Christmas to all my readers! Hope everyone is having a great holiday and puzzling time!

This is my Karakuri Christmas present #2. My guess is that this puzzle box was designed and made by Hiroshi Iwahara. How come I don't know the designer/maker? Well you can read a bit about the annual Karakuri Christmas Presents here. Again, if anyone knows to the contrary, please PM me, thanks. [Edit 27 Dec 2014 :- it's been confirmed to me that this box is from Akio Kamei, not Iwahara. Tell tale signs are the external cardboard box packaging as well as the Chinese character inside the box which means "peace", both hallmarks of Kamei].

I have called this one the "checkered" box for now. [Edit: 10 Jan 2015 - its called the New Parcel Cube] Its got two solid stripes running across the six sides of the box. Not merely for decorative purposes, but they serve a function too.

Like all Karakrui puzzles, the "checkered box" is extremely well made and finished to very tight tolerances, yet everything moves and slides smoothly. It looks to me like Yellowheart and Walnut [Edit 10 Jan 2015 - its made of Walnut and Japanese Torreya] has been used for its construction, but I can't be sure. I will update this post once more information on the puzzle has been sent to me early next year in 2015. 

The fine craftsmanship and attention to detail is really incredible. And you need to handle this one with care too; any undue force and you may end up with a cracked or damaged puzzle. Not something you want happen during the Christmas holidays, or at any other time for that matter.

This one takes quite a few more steps more than my Christmas Present #1 to open. While its not difficult (but certainly more difficult than #1), the mechanism is tricky and again very well concealed by the fine construction. What you see in the photo is only a partially opened box. Fully solved, the box can be dismantled even further.

  

Karakuri Christmas Present #1 - "Lock"

This is the first of my four Karakuri 2014 Christmas presents from the Karakuri Creation Group of Hakone, Japan.

Like all Karakuri Christmas presents for the year, the puzzle comes packaged in a box....and that is all there is to it. It does not mention the designer and many don't even state the puzzle's name. You won't know who designed which puzzle in the series, unless of course you only ordered one puzzle from a particular designer (or perhaps two) or you are very familiar with a certain designer's style. For most part, if you had ordered multiple items like me, you may have some difficulty identifying the puzzle's designer. It is only during the early part of the following year when the Karakuri Group sends to all recipients information and solutions for the Christmas present puzzles that all is revealed.

For now, I am calling this puzzle "Antique Lock" because it does resemble one of those antique Chinese locks. My guess is also that this puzzle has been designed and made by Tatsuo Miyamoto. If anyone knows to the contrary, please drop me a PM, thanks. (Edit 10 Jan 2015: Yes, it's been confirmed that it's Miyamoto and the official name is "Lock") 

This one appears to be made of walnut throughout and workmanship is superb with etched lines on the body and fine detailing. Its a fairly large lock at 12cm x 9cm x 3.4cm. It even has a key hole on the front side but this as I discovered, is carved and non-functional.

The goal is to "open" the lock. When I solved the puzzle, I literally opened a drawer which is released from the bottom. Although the puzzle is very easy to solve (2-3 steps), the mechanism is very well hidden owing to the fine craftsmanship. The drawer is large enough for small items like rings, jewelry and other keepsakes. Simple puzzle yes...but looks great and displays very well.

Skunk Attack

This very nice puzzle came to me from one of the recent Baxterweb puzzle auctions. It was designed and made by Yoh Kakuda from the Karakuri Creation Group of Hakone, Japan. Who are these people, what sort of puzzles do they make, how to "join the club" and and get their "Christmas Presents" (soon to happen this month)?...well, you can check out Allard Walker's blog post which gives a good concise summary. 

Yoh Kakuda, who is one of just several puzzle craftswomen, among the many men in the Group has so far centered her creations mainly around animals. The Skunk Attack was made by her in early 2011.

It is made from a combination of woods including Wenge, Cucumber and Shiuri Cherry. Karakuri puzzles are of really exceptional build quality and craftsmanship, which accounts for their high retail price. And the Skunk is no different. The refinement and attention to detail of the puzzle is incredible. Even the packaging is high class. My Skunk Attack came in a rectangular blue box and if you didn't know it contains a puzzle, you would probably have thought it was something from Tiffany's. (For those less well informed, Tiffany's is a luxury goods and jewelry retailer whose trademark colour is egg blue, quite similar to the colour here).

From a puzzling perspective, the difficulty levels of Karakuri puzzles vary greatly. They can range from being extremely difficult right down to downright simple (ie; one or two moves to solve). If I had to grade my Skunk Attack, I would say its probably 1 or 1.5/10. For experienced puzzlers, no sweat at all. 

The object here is to open a secret drawer. What I like about the Skunk Attack (even tho it is very easy) is the cute way its solved...really gels in with the theme of "stink". In fact I have played with another of Yoh Kaduda's, the "Anteater" and that one is also very easy. Some may feel that the puzzling experience of some Karakuri puzzles do not justify the cost...well to each his own. I tend to look upon a Karakuri puzzle as a sculpture or work of art that also happens to be a puzzle.