A time-honored tradition of Japanese craftsmanship

Japanese puzzle boxes are as collectible today as they have ever been. Thanks to the expanded exposure gained through the internet, there are more designs being produced today than ever. So the collector that is looking for variety, has endless possibilities available.

Japanese puzzle boxes (himitsu-bako) are beautiful, functional and intriguing. Unique Box Shop offers you a wide selection of Japanese puzzle boxes with great prices and outstanding customer service. We make it easy for you to add to your collection of Japanese puzzle boxes or to start it.

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Japanese Puzzle Boxes: What you need to know ...

Chinese Puzzle Boxes? Japanese puzzle boxes are often erroneously called Chinese puzzle boxes. Although a few Chinese puzzle boxes may exist, the Japanese puzzle box is what is usually inferred when Chinese puzzle boxes are referred to.

Japanese Puzzle Boxes are called "himitsu-bako" in Japan, which translates to "Personal Secret Box". The first Japanese puzzle boxes were designed over 100 years ago in the Hakone region of Japan. The mountains in this region are known for their amazing variety of trees. Japanese puzzle boxes take advantage of these natural wood colors and textures to produce their elaborate geometric patterns.The techniques used to make these puzzle boxes have been used for generations in Japan and have been surpassed by none.

The finest Japanese puzzle boxes are still made in the Hakone region of Japan. There are very few traditional puzzle box artisans and for a while it seemed almost like a dying art. Luckily the artform has gained many new enthusiastic collectors from around the world and some very talented craftsmen are now emerging and creating fantastic new designs and opening methods.

The making of a Japanese puzzle box is comprised of two distinct crafts - the box making and the marquetry.

Box Making... The himitsu-bako craftsmen do not create the marquetry that covers the box. They create and design the puzzle box itself and then apply the marquetry afterwards. Before creating a new box, they first design how the box mechanisms will work. They then select the wood to be used and let it dry for a time. After the wood has dried, they cut the pieces and assemble the box. Finally, the marquetry is applied.

Marquetry... The marquetry on puzzle boxes is the technique used to adorn the outside of the puzzle box. The 2 major marquetry types are Yosegi-zaiku and Zougan art.

Yosegi-zaiku is a mosaic woodwork usually applied to small handicrafts such as trays, chests, and in our case - puzzle boxes. Using the large variety of trees available in the Hakone region of Japan, skilled craftsmen make patterned blocks using the shapes and color varieties to make the design they desire. After the pieces are glued together, thin layers are shaved off and then applied to the Japanese puzzle box or other artform.

Zougan art is a traditional Japanese artform in which elaborate pictures or scenes are made from inserting very thin pieces of inlay of the surface of the puzzle box. Some of the more popular scenes include Sansui (mountain lakes), Mt. Fuji, and Tobizuru (Flying Geese). The inlay is done by first chiseling out the desired shape from the box and then inlaying the area with another wood. This artform is exclusive to the Hakone region of Japan.

What do "SUN" and "STEPS" refer to? "Sun" and "Steps" are 2 terms used to describe most Japanese puzzle boxes. Sun describes the approximate length of the puzzle box. 1 Sun is about 30.3 mm or about 1.22 inches. The "Sun" measurement only applies to the length. It does not refer to width or height of the box. The number of Steps necessary to open the puzzle box are also an important factor. Usually, more steps denote a higher difficulty to open.

Most Common Woods Used in Japanese Puzzle Box Marquetry...