Himitsu Bako - The Japanese Puzzle Box

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...

Yosegi Zaiku and Zougan Zaiku

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...

Exotic Wood used in Japanese Zougan Marquetry

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