Karakuri Creation Group. A small company of talented craftsmen from Japan, led by Akio Kamei.
Karakuri means “trick” in Japanese, and thus the boxes they make are packed with creative tricks.
According to Kamei – “The trick box, which is opened by the effort of one person, can’t be opened if that person doesn’t enjoy humor”.
My belief in Japanese work as a whole is very strong, as Japanese people tend to be very hard-working and skillful.
Karakuri Creation Group doesn’t have an history of making devilishly difficult puzzles – they have a reputation of genious craftsmen.
And their works are of supreme quality.
But with great quality comes great price.
And while most of Karakuri’s works are not healthy for a low budget, there are some works that can be afforded even then.
And the answer for that follows.
The Small Boxes are a series of affordable boxes for those who want to have a go at Karakuri’s creations.
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Many Small Boxes
Karakuri’s small box series are very very small. So small two of them can fit the palm of your hand!
They are based on their other designs, but much more affordable. Which makes them the go-to for the new Karakuri enthusiast.
The goal in all the boxes is simple.
Open the Box!
And as you all know, simple does not guarantee easy.
Karakuri Small Box #6
| Characteristic | Details |
|---|---|
| Puzzle Type | Take-Apart – Puzzle Box |
| Designer | Karakuri Creation Group |
| Manufacturer | Karakuri Creation Group |
| Budget | Medium |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Material | Wood |
| Quality for Price | Good |
| Puzzling Value for Price | Low |
| Best for | *Hunters |
| Warnings | Harder for completely inexperienced puzzlers |
One year before I enlisted to the army, I went to Japan for a trip.
While strolling through Tokyo’s Ginza, A 5-floor toy shop waited for me patiently.
Being the gentleman I was, I didn’t want to keep the lady-shop waiting.
So I rushed inside. As expected of Japan, cool creations were everywhere – legos, gimmicky items, models of anime characters. It’s the kind of place I’d take my future kids to, but secretly have fun myself.
But everything vanished for me when I saw one corner.
Back then I already knew Karakuri boxes are something I should try. Without thinking too much, I reached for Small Box #6.
And after a short while I was wandering Ginza again, with a small box in my bag and a a smile on my face.
While writing this post, I actually found the shop this happened at. Nostalgic…
The Experience
The journey to buy #6 was quite a memorable one.
When I came back to the hotel, I was eager to try it.
It felt sturdy for it’s size, and when I picked it up you I could feel it’s not a normal box.
So I opened the nylon package, and then…
Solved it very quickly.
It took no more than 2 minutes, in fact. As I later found out, it is normal for this one with somewhat experienced puzzlers.
With that said, the execution is super smooth, and the box is very well made, especially for its size.
Do I regret buying it?
Not at all, but it goes without saying that this is more of a collector’s item to me than a challenging puzzle.
It’s a cool puzzle I give my friends to try, and some of them don’t get to open it without clues.
Actually, last week a non-puzzling friend of mine came over and I gave it to him to try. He was able to open it pretty quickly, but it took him near an hour to find the correct way to do so.
We both had a great time with it.
My Recommendation?
While not a hard puzzle by any means, Karakuri Small Box #6 is an awesome collector’s puzzle box, and also neat to stump non-puzzling friends with.
If you’re short on budget and want to get the most puzzling value for your money, small box #6 may not be the best option for you.
The small box series by Karakuri are still a great way to get familiar with their designs.
Maybe someday I’ll be able to try all 8 of the series and tell y’all what’s the best one to start with if you can only afford one…
Until then,
Puzzle on.