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About
Our Japanese Puzzle Boxes
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 As
with any items made from wood
they will swell when exposed to
high temperatures, liquids, or
humidity. Japanese puzzle boxes
should be protected from
extremes in temperature and
humidity. The inside of your
home or office is fine, just
keep them away from direct
sunlight.
About
Our Puzzle Boxes
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Japanese
Puzzle Box Glossary |
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 Any
time an art form is brought from
its native country, along with
it comes many terms that need
translation to understand. These
terms are also incorporated in
the names of the articles
themselves and the designs and
patterns. Below is a list of
terms relative to Japanese
Puzzle Boxes.
Puzzle
Box Glossary
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A
Closer Look at Yosegi |
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 Yosegi
Zaiku, is an intricate mosaic
marquetry process that is made
into a beautiful veneer. This
veneer is used to decorate
everything from chopsticks and
serving trays to the amazing
Himitsu Bako (Japanese Puzzle
Boxes). Various woods of
different colors are harvested,
dried, and shaved or cut into
different shapes that are then
combined to make the basic
patterns. These patterns are
then arranged to make sheets
that are shaved into the veneer.
Yosegi
Sample Pictures
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Himitsu
Bako |
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 Himitsu
bako is a name given to small
boxes made by combining unique
puzzle mechanism with Yosegi-Zaiku
and/or Moku-Zougan
inlay work. The merging
of two arts, native to a single
small town along the banks of
Ashino-Ko Lake. Welcome to
Hakone, Japan and the art of the
Japanese Secret Box, also known
in the west as a Japanese Puzzle
Box.
Himitsu
Bako
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Challenge
your Mind with Himitsu Baku
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The
Himitsu Baku is a Japanese
wooden puzzle box, handcrafted
from wood by one of many master
craftsmen. The men who create
these boxes in Japan are
renowned for their
craftsmanship, because these are
simply no ordinary boxes. The
Himitsu Baku Japanese puzzle box
is said to have been first
developed in or around 1893,
which was the tail end of the
Edo period in Japan.
The
purpose of the Himitsu Baku
Japanese puzzle box is to
challenge those who wish to open
it. The Himitsu Baku box
consists of a number of small
panels, decorated in intricate
Japanese patterns that make it a
perfect mantle piece decoration.
These panels need to be moved
slightly in different steps, and
each of the steps loosens
devices within the box that will
allow it to be opened after a
certain sequence has been
completed. The most popular and
more easily found Himitsu Baku
Japanese puzzle boxes are found
in four-step, seven-step,
ten-step and twelve-step
variations, though there are a
number of other variations as
well. There have been Japanese
puzzle boxes created by master
craftsmen that require as many
as 125 or 150 'moves' to open
them, but these boxes are
extremely difficult to find, and
many of the craftsmen
responsible for their creation
have passed on.
Read
More... |
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Collectible
Japanese Puzzle Boxes
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Himitsu
Baku Japanese Puzzle Boxes are
unique and fun to collect wooden
box puzzles that have become a
true passion for people who
enjoy stimulating their minds in
unique and innovative ways.
These Himitsu Baku Japanese
puzzle boxes are all functional,
intriguing and truly beautiful.
They are filled with secrets
because they require between
seven and one-hundred fifty
special moves before they can be
opened correctly. They can be
found all over the world, but
all authentic Himitsu Baku
Japanese puzzle boxes are from
Japan, which is where they are
hand carved and crafted by some
of the most innovative master
artisans in the entire world.
Read
More...
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Himitsu
Baku 101
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| Himitsu-Bako
is the formal name of the
artistry referred to as the
Japanese Puzzle Box, or
'personal secret box'. Over a
century ago, talented artisans
began
using various woods of the Hakone-Odawara
area in Japan to handcraft
intricately designed storage
boxes. Months could pass between
not only choosing a variety of
woods and letting them dry but
carving them and piecing them
together. Taking the assorted
flat pieces in an array of
different colors, artisans
worked masterfully complex
designs. The result was a
sleekly designed piece of art
that was anywhere from one inch
to one foot in length. Each box
is a work unto itself with no
one box an exact copy of
another.
Read
More...
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Himitsu
Baku Masters
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The
skill that goes into making a
Japanese Puzzle Box is, at its
core, a fusion of age old art
and science. Also referred to as
Himitsu Bako, the mechanics of a
Japanese Puzzle Box requires
flush parts that can move
together in fluid and flowing
motions. This is no small task.
As many an apprentice has come
to find, being off by even the
smallest measurement will either
make the box too tight and
difficult to open or entirely
too slack. Learning this ancient
and respectable art takes many
years and there are a few who
have made a name for themselves
doing just so. Their skill and
contribution in this ancient art
is the very embodiment of
today's modern Japanese Puzzle
Box.
Read
More...
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Japanese
Puzzle Box Marquetry
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Along
with the intriguing sliding
parts of a Japanese Puzzle Box,
the beautiful designs covering
the outside can be just as
captivating. These designs can
consist of mountain and lake
scenes or geometric patterns.
This enchanting artistry is
referred to as marquetry and
requires as much craftsmanship
and skill as the box making
itself. Marquetry artisans use
woods with no artificial tints
or dyes to create vibrant
multicolored designs. Himitsu
Bako craftsmen typically create
the design of their boxes and
have the outside design applied
at a later date. Yosegi-zaiku
and Zougan
are the two chief styles of
marquetry found on the Japanese
Puzzle Box.
Read
More ...
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The
Value of Japanese Puzzle Boxes
as a Collectible
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In
the world of antiques and
collectibles, the Japanese
Puzzle Box is an item that
instantly catches attention.
Their staggering price tags are
a testament to the fact that
compared to many other
historical cultural items from
around the world; the Japanese
Puzzle Box has steadily
maintained its allure for well
over a century. Many wonder how
it is an item could possible
warrant such pointed interest.
In truth, anything that stands
the test of time usually
consists of not only good, solid
construction but precise, one of
a kind craftsmanship and
artistry. These two main
ingredients make up the Japanese
Puzzle Box.
Read
More...
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Making your Puzzle Box Last with Proper
Care
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Puzzle Boxes
Designs
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What are Puzzle
Boxes ?
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Puzzle Box Master
Craftsmen
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Yoshio
Okiyama - Master
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Yoshio
Okiyama Gallery
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Patterns
in Our Japanese Puzzle Boxes
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 The
Japanese Puzzle box is a merging
of two Art-Forms. The art of
creating a box with sliding
panels that can only be opened
if you know the exact sequence
of moves. (or follow the
directions we provide with each
box) The second art is that of
wood marquetry or Zaiku where
different woods in their natural
color are carefully cut and
glued together making beautiful
patterns. Below are several
samples of these patterns and
the woods used to make them.
Puzzle
Box Patterns |
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Exotic
Wood used in Japanese Zougan
Marquetry
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 The
mountains surrounding the town
of Hakone in the Kanagawa
Prefecture of Japan hold an
amazing collection of exotic
trees, many of which have been
used in the art of Zougan. (wood
marquetry and inlay) Below
are samples of some of the wood
from those trees. As you can
see, there is no need for dyes
or stains to make the beautiful
colors and patterns in our
Japanese Puzzle Boxes. A Yosegi
patterned box could use over a
dozen different species of wood.
Exotic
Wood Samples
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Yosegi
Zaiku and Zougan Zaiku
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 Yosegi
Zaiku and Zougan Zaiku are
traditional Japanese works of art
with a history dating back 1,000
years. It was first created in the
town of Hakone, an important stop
on the road from Kyoto (the old
Capital) to Edo (the new Capital,
now known as Tokyo). This road was
made famous by Hiroshige in his
woodblock print set “The 53
Stations of Tokaido”
Read
More...
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Himitsu
Bako - The Japanese Puzzle Box |
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| Himitsu
bako is a name given to small
boxes made by combining unique
puzzle mechanism with Yosegi-Zaiku
and/or Moku-Zougan
inlay work. The merging
of two arts, native to a single
small town along the banks of
Ashino-Ko Lake. Welcome to
Hakone, Japan and the art of the
Japanese Secret Box, also known
in the west as a Japanese Puzzle
Box.
Read More...
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Himitsu
Bako - A Brief History |
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island of Japan was a closed
society for many centuries and,
despite only knowing of its
existence in the last one
hundred years, it is suspected
that the art of Himitsu-Bako
is much, much older.
Nonetheless, it was not until
the mid 1980's that Japan's
Industry Minister declared the
art form a National
Traditional Handicraft. To be
designated as such, a craft must
be manufactured by hand by
traditional artisans using
traditional techniques and
materials. The item created must
have a place for practical use
in every day life and production
must be contained to a specific
area or region.
Read
More...
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Try
the challenge of Himitsu Baku |
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In
today's society, everybody likes a
challenge. SuDoku, Kakuro,
crosswords, word searches, and a
variety of other popular puzzles
are gaining increasing popularity
as people look for new and
innovative ways to challenge
themselves. Although paper and pen
puzzles are trendy right now,
there are a lot of people who
still prefer the original puzzle,
hand puzzles that have given way
to the invention of a number of
innovative and creative puzzle
ideas through the years. Still,
there are a number of puzzles that
have been around for so long, that
while difficult to find, they are
well worth considering.
Read More...
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Himitsu
Baku Puzzle Boxes
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The
Himitsu Baku is a Japanese
puzzle box that is currently
produced by only nine
traditional craftsmen. These
artisans are not responsible for
creating the Yosegi-Zaiku
patterns that adorn their secret
boxes, but they are responsible
for producing their secret box
puzzles virtually alone from
beginning to end. Each artisan
is responsible for choosing
their own wood, then allowing it
to dry and curing it. Next, they
are responsible for cutting all
of the wood pieces and
assembling them to create the
challenging puzzle box. Finally,
they purchase the Yosegi-Zaiku
patterns in sheets, and attach
them to each face on the box
using the right finishing
techniques. The youngest of all
Himitsu Baku master craftsmen
today is around sixty years old,
though there are a number of
apprentices who are working to
learn this unique art so that
the tradition can be continued
even when the original craftsmen
have passed on.
Read
More...
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| A
Japanese Puzzle Box Makes a
Unique Gift |
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Many
people are tired of giving the
same old gifts like gift cards for
special occasions and are looking
for a unique gift. One gift you
may want to consider is a Japanese
puzzle box. These boxes are
beautiful wood boxes that have a
secret.
What
is a Japanese Puzzle Box?
These
boxes are also referred to as a himitsu-bako
which literally translates to Personal
Secret Box. They have been in
existence for over 100 years and
have been traced back to a region
in Japan called Hakone. They are
wood boxes that at first glance
look like a box that is just
beautifully decorated. However
upon further examination of the
box the recipient will soon learn
that the box holds a secret.
Read
More...
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Himitsu
Baku of Hakone
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The
Himitsu Baku means "Personal
Secret Box", and is a
traditional Japanese puzzle box
that was originally designed more
than 100 years ago, in 1893 in the
Hakone region in Japan. The Hakone
Mountains have been renowned for
the great number of different
trees that exist there, and the
Himitsu Baku Personal Secret Box
takes advantages of all of the
different colors and textures of
wood that can be found in the
Hakome Mountains in order to
create elaborate boxes with
beautiful hand-carved geometric
patterns on each face of the box.
Not only is the Himitsu Baku
puzzle box concept popular for the
puzzling entertainment that it
offers, but it is also valued as a
Yosegi-Zaiku, which is a mosaic
woodwork that is usually applied
to chests, boxes, trays and other
small handicrafts.
Read
More...
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Choosing the Best Style of Japanese Puzzle
Box
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The Evolution of the Japanese Puzzle
Box
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Determining the Complexity of a Japanese Puzzle
Box
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Tips on Choosing the Perfect Japanese Puzzle
Box
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Characteristics of the Japanese Puzzle
Boxes
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Modern Day Puzzle Box
Masters
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Puzzle Boxes
Standards
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Puzzle Boxes and Their
History
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Woods Used for Making Puzzle
Boxes
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Japanese
Puzzle Boxes
