As with the best of Karakuris, this 2017 Karakuri Idea Contest winner beautifully integrates its theme with its solution.  It has two parts: a box containing a concealed compartment and a mechanical compass.  The box has a partial arc of a circle on top.  It’s both a puzzle to solve and a puzzle to consider the mechanic behind it.  All original packaging included. Ordinarily I'd include Karakuri's product description of the puzzle, but it is rather spoilery.  Please click through on the...

In 2016, Hiroshi Iwahara, one of the premier craftsmen of the Karakuri Creation Group, released his House Collection: a series of six architectural-themed, sculptural puzzles.  Part artistic display, part playful puzzle, each piece resembles a unique building and conceals a hidden mechanism or compartment within its form. This auction assembles 4 of the 6 architectural creations:- Windmill- Oops House- Four Color Palace- Design HousingIn addition to hardwood construction, each also features ve...

Hungry Sea Otter by Yasuaki Kikuchi of Karakuri Creation Group (KCG)Puzzle (and box) are in perfect conditionStored in a humidity and UV controlled room Shipping to be determined after auction ends - please do not pay invoice until after shipping is determined - I can ship from US or Canada Payment by PayPal F&F preferred *Buyer pays shipping costs and PayPal fees if not paying with F&F. I understand the importance of G&S with buyer protection just please account for PayPal fees.*Any questio...

A 2020 Christmas Present from the Karakuri Club.  Box is in excellent condition.  It has been solved and reset several times.  Original box is included.Per the Karakuri website:Christmas bootscraftsmanYasuaki KikuchiITEMZ-9Created11/2020Size(box body)47×84×108mmSize(storage part)24.5×65.5×14.5mmMaterialchanchin, mizuki (dogwood), magnolia, keyaki (zelkova), walnut, maple, etc.This work was designed as a Christmas present for 2020.I made a pretty box with Christmas boots as a motif.The gim...

Vaulting Horse is from the second ever Karakuri Idea Contest, in 2010.  It depicts a miniature vaulting horse of the sort you might see in a gymnastics competition.  It has two parts: the vaulting horse platform (including a cloth inlay on top) and its springboard (with a functional spring action).  It was crafted by Hideaki Kawashima, reflecting one of his early works as a member of the Karakuri Creation Group.  To the best of my knowledge, Vaulting Horse has never been on the auction marke...

As with the best Karakuri Idea Contest winners this puzzle box beautifully combines theme and puzzle.  It’s made to look like a blown up version of a pack of gum, and its solution is very much in keeping with this theme.  It was crafted by Hideaki Kawashima and reflects the precise woodworking that is a hallmark of his work.  To the best of my knowledge, Karakuri Gum has never be on the auction market previously.  The puzzle comes with all original packaging.  Karakuri product descriptio...

Shiro Tajima is celebrated as one of the most inventive and distinctive early Karakuri Creation Group artisans. His designs often draw from Japanese heritage, with puzzles that revel in tight tolerances and elegant motion.  Sheep, his 2014 Karakuri Christmas puzzle, is from his series inspired by animals from the signs of the zodiac.  The highly stylized, abstract form of the sheep reflects Tajima’s minimalist conceptual aesthetic, and the solution (to its multiple compartments) is elegant...

Odawara Lantern is a classic, hard-to-find 2008 Karakuri creation by famed craftsman Tatsuo Miyamoto.  The puzzle is inspired by the traditional Odawara chochin, a foldable traveling lantern historically used in the Odawara region where Karakuri is located.  This Odawara lantern has multiple compartments that open in a satisfying, beautiful way.  It is fairly large and has fantastic shelf presence.  All original packing material is included. Karakuri product description: This is one of the...

Lazy Wolf is a fantastic example of celebrated puzzle craftsman Osamu Kasho’s singular combination of playful, character-driven Karakuri design coupled with delightful puzzling mechanic.  It presents you with a charming, slightly rotund wolf.  Can you open him up and discover what he just ate?  While the solution is only a few steps, it hinges on a key movement that is deceptively simple yet difficult to find.  This is a wonderful puzzle that is fun to solve and looks great on display. ...

Planet with a Ring II by Hideaki Kawashima (2024).Solved a few times but in perfect condition. Includes the original solution sheet.Description from the KCG website:This Karakuri box is based on a planet with a ring. The ring is in the way and the lid will not open, but it does not require any force to remove the ring. Please wrack your brain and think of a solution. There is enough space for the finger ring.The strength of the internal structure has been improved since it was made in 2017.The s...

Fortune Card - Rare version with marquetry on the back.They currently make this box with just a plain back, this one has the inlaid marquetry.Like new condition.Puzzle will be shipped in a sturdy cardboard box with plenty of bubble wrap.Buyer pays shipping determined after close. Please do not pay until shipping cost is confirmed.Paypal only - friends and family is preferred.Please contact me if you want more photos or information

This is an early box from Shou Sugimoto.The Somersault Box was part of the the "Travel" from 2018This is a beautiful box with an inlaid dragonfly. There is a very small imperfection along one edge. A slight indentation. I tried my best to show it in the photos. It doesn't really detract from the beauty of the box, but I wanted to point it out.Puzzle will be shipped in a sturdy cardboard box with plenty of bubble wrap.Buyer pays shipping determined after close. Please do not pay until shipping co...

Maze Box - Akio Kamei KCG Karakuri Box The Maze Box (M-4) was created Akio Kamei in 1983. Who is a Karakuri Creation Group’s master of craftsman. It is his classic work and  features very interesting mechanism. a beautiful shape and grain of box as a piece of art. This Maze box is similar in design to Top Box (M-5-1, M-5-2), but the mechanism is completely different.This box is one of Kamei's early works, which uses gravity mechanism.The Kamei’s Stamp is on the bottom of the box.Also this...

2015 Karakuri Christmas Gift.Per the Karakuri website:Bean Bag Drawer 2craftsmanHiroshi IwaharaITEMRF-41Created11/2015Size(box body)93×93×135mmSize(storage part)*****Materialwalnut, oak, maple, bubinga, magnolia, etc.FacebookTwitter共有This work was designed as a Christmas present for 2015.This is a developed version of “Bean Bag Drawer (RF36)” that was designed in 2013. The goal is to find the hidden deep inner space of the drawer. You should move the four white plates in correct order....

This box is phenomenally well made.  It's Kamei at the top of his game.Per the Karakuri website:PARCEL BOXcraftsmanAkio KameiITEMM-41Created11/2010Size(box body)80×80×80 mmSize(storage part)*****MaterialJapanese Torreya, walnutFacebookTwitter共有This work was designed as a Christmas present for 2010. ”PARCEL" (K-10)wascreated in 1982. "PARCEL CUBE" (M-16) was created in 1989. These works are similar in the surface design. The newest, "PARCEL BOX" was made like an interlocking puzzle.The p...

Flaskolation is a creative, beautiful, and unusual Karakuri, epitomizing Kikuchi ‘s puzzle style combining playful themes, puzzle cleverness, high craftsmanship, and conceptual originality.  It has three parts: the box, a syringe, and a stand for the syringe.  This puzzle is particularly distinctive – it came out during the COVID pandemic, and was a direct response to it.  Very few are in circulation.  More about its pandemic inspiration can be found in the Karakuri description. All orig...

This fantastic puzzle from 2008 is a classic work by Karakuri founder Akio Kamei. True to his style, it showcases exquisite craftsmanship, an inventive concept, and a solution that rings true to the puzzle’s whimsical form. All original packaging included. I usually list the Karakuri product description, but it’s a bit spoilery – the solution isn’t exactly what the description seems to suggest, but might give you more information than you’d like.  If that’s ok, the link is https:/...