Boxes and Booze 11/23/19 Boxes and Booze 11/23/19

Kakoi

Japanese puzzle box artist Shiro Tajima has been inspired by the Japanese Zodiac to create a whole series of animal themed boxes over the years, and more recently, by the Japanese language itself.

Boxes and Booze 9/14/19 Boxes and Booze 9/14/19

Magic Hat

Shiro Tajima, former Karakuri Creation Group artist gone solo rogue puzzle maker, created a clever animal series of puzzle boxes based on the signs of the Japanese Zodiac.

Boxes and Booze 5/5/18 Boxes and Booze 5/5/18

Kuchinashi (Gardenia)

Shogi, often referred to as “Japanese Chess”, dates from over five hundred years ago, around the same time that Western chess was invented.

Boxes and Booze 12/16/17 Boxes and Booze 12/16/17

In a Cage

Shiro Tajima, formerly of the Karakuri Creation Group, enjoys playing with simple shapes and structures in surprising, unusual and puzzling ways.

Boxes and Booze 8/26/17 Boxes and Booze 8/26/17

Sweet Tooth Tiger

The Japanese zodiac is divided into a twelve year cycle, with repeating blocks of years represented by a different animal. It is said that you pick up a few characteristics from the animal year you were born during.

Boxes and Booze 8/20/16 Boxes and Booze 8/20/16

Snail Box (Creative Secret 1)

Sloeing things down a bit on the puzzling side as well, I present the “Snail” box, a collaborative effort from the Karakuri Creation Group.

Boxes and Booze 7/23/16 Boxes and Booze 7/23/16

Dragon Wing

Shiro Tajima, a former member of the Karakuri Creation Group, has created a series of Asian zodiac themed puzzle boxes over the years.

Boxes and Booze 12/5/15 Boxes and Booze 12/5/15

The Monkey’s Palanquin

It’s hard to imagine how a simple wooden box can surprise you. Most of the time, it's just a box, with a lid that comes off, just like you would expect. But you still want to open it. The fact that it is a box implies its opening function, and something inside you is compelled by that function. So you try to open it, lift the lid, turn the latch, swing the hinges.

A spirited journey through the world of collectible artisan puzzles