Welcome.This site is a directly managed online-shop of OKA CRAFT. We specialize in Japanese puzzle boxes (Himitsu-Bako)!

5 sun 27 steps box (2)

It’s raining again today, but I’m continuing with the structural work on the 5-sun 27-step puzzle boxes. It looks like I’ll be able to make one extra box beyond what I’d planned, so I’ve decided to add a design with a solid wood top panel. Just one😅 Today, I assembled the frame and attached some of the smaller internal parts. Since this batch is relatively small (a bit under 30 boxes), I should be able to move through it fairly quickly. I haven’t pasted the traditional yosegi sheets for the top and bottom panels yet because I’m currently out of shina-plywood. It should arrive tomorrow, so I’ll get to that step as soon as it’s here.

I’m attaching parts like those shown in the photo. As usual, I already made some extras in advance, so I’ll be using those for this batch. This nearly exhausts my stock of these parts, though, so I’ll have to make more soon. If possible, I’m planning to make another batch of 4-sun 27-step puzzle boxes before the end of 2024, so I’ll need to prepare parts for that as well. I’m hoping that new traditional yosegi sheets will arrive before then...🧐 Next time, I plan to make a version with a traditional yosegi design on the top and bottom panels for this 4-sun box

Halloween is just around the corner! Is everyone prepared? In Japan, it’s rare for families to celebrate Halloween at home, but stores and amusement parks are fully decked out for the holiday. Actually, we have a giant pumpkin set up at our front entrance of my house! And yes, its eyes even light up at night🎃 We don’t have plans for a party, but we’ll probably buy some Halloween-themed food, like party platters, from the supermarket to enjoy at home.
I was planning to go to "Costco" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costco) this week (do you have one near your place too?), but it’s likely packed with Halloween shoppers, so I decided to wait until next week instead. Costco is so much fun with all the different items they offer, although I usually end up buying mostly food🤣