5 times 5 times 5 (2020) - Hiroshi Iwahara (Karakuri)

N-ary puzzles go back hundreds of years, with parts that move back and forth in highly systematic yet confusing patterns, having solutions that require a number of moves exponential in the number of moving parts.

Karakuri craftsman Hiroshi Iwahara is particularly well known for bringing the concept of n-ary puzzles to Japanese puzzle boxes.  5 times 5 times 5 is one of his best, requiring a whopping 125 moves to open and utilizing moves across all 6 faces.  Simply brilliant.  Plus it not only looks great but feels great – it is larger than typical cube-shaped Karakuris and has a satisfying heft to it.  All original packing material is included.

You can learn more about it at:

https://allardspuzzlingtimes.blogspot.com/2020/05/5-times-5-times-5.html

Karakuri product description:

This work was designed for an exhibition that is "GO". It also means “5”. This item has 5 times 5 times 5 moves. It has 125 moves. It’s one of the Aquarius series items. #6 plate opens in 1 step, and others open in 3 steps. Finally, the #1 plate will be taken off. Well, in fact, the move of this item is “2 to the 7th power minus 3”, not “5 to the 3rd power”. What does it mean? If you are interested, please reference the notes for fun on the craftsman’s website. (Sorry, only in Japanese for now)  All original packing material is included.

Size: 87x87x87mm

Material: birch, red sandalwood

Condition: Perfect