4 Sun 21 Step | Japanese Koyosegi Puzzle Box

A genuine, traditional Japanese puzzle box made in the Hakone region of Japan by Himitsu-Bako Master craftsman.  

Traditional Japanese secret opening boxes were first made in the Hakone region about the 1890’s by master woodworker, Ryugoro Okawa, and are decorated with a veneer called, "Yosegi-zaiku" (Marquetry.) These days there are about 80 craftspersons working to make these puzzle boxes. Only about 10 of them are the traditional industrial artists who passed qualification tests given by the Association for the Promotion of Traditional Craft Products of Japan (JTCC) and the youngest is said to be aver 60 years old. This very precise process starts with selecting the wood to be used taking care with the combination of colors to be used, then allowing it to dry, before cutting the wood and then gluing it together to form the desired pattern. The box is then built, and each movement must be tested to ensure all the mechanics of the puzzle are working correctly.  Lastly, very thin sheets of the glued patterns called, "Zuku" are shaved with a special plane, and glued on to the puzzle to give the final marquetry finish to the piece.

Size: 4 Sun (a traditional unit of measure to denote length)

Moves: 21

Exterior Dimensions: 120mm x 83mm x 52mm / 4.72 in x 3.26 in x 2.04 in

Interior Dimensions: 73mm x 60mm x 32mm / 2.87 in x 2.36 in x 1.26 in

Difficulty Rating: 4 / 10

Solution included

NOTES:

The makers have assembled this batch of puzzle boxes to be quite firm so we have opened each one to double-check they are moving ok. Over time they will loosen with use. 

Because each puzzle box is handmade in Japan by individual craftsmen, the pattern on each box will vary. Your box will be selected at random.  The photos show how they can differ from one to another.

Dimensions are manually measured, and are approximate.

"Himitsu-Bako" in Japanese means Personal Secret Box

"Koyosegi" means Small Parquet (Patterned wood surface)