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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 parquetry
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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| The
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
