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Karakuri Puzzle Box 2024/8/24 09:42
I am looking for places that might sell Karakuri puzzle boxes. I know that they are a specialty of Hakone/ Odawara and I know that there is a karakuri museum in Hakone. While I am going to Hakone I only have time to explore the area around Gora. The karakuri museum is down by Hakone checkpoint. Are there other areas that might sell these?

example of what I am interested in
https://karakuri.gr.jp/en/ I especially like the pieces that have intricate inlay work. I have bought some of these online before, but they can get very expensive especially after import/ shipping costs.
I will be in Tokyo, Kanazawa, Okayama/ Kurashiki, Art Islands, Takamatsu, Osaka (very briefly), Nara, Kyoto, and Hakone.
by PatrickSF  

Re: Karakuri Puzzle Box 2024/8/25 10:03
Maybe they'll be selling it at Aoyama Square in Tokyo.
https://kougeihin.jp/en/craft/0610/
by haro1210 rate this post as useful

Re: Karakuri Puzzle Box 2024/8/25 10:08
by haro1210 rate this post as useful

Re: Karakuri Puzzle Box 2024/8/25 11:19
Thanks Haro ... I also saw on another site suggesting that they are also sold in Gora station, which would work perfectly for me ... otherwise I could try one of those stores in Aoyama ... maybe Oriental Bazaar off Omotesando as well.
by PatrickSF rate this post as useful

Re: Karakuri Puzzle Box 2024/8/25 11:59
I will vouch for Ma by So Shi Te as I was there back in February. It is a smallish shop, so I would not bring large luggage or backpacks as it is pretty packed, and they sell a lot of different handcrafts beyond just the puzzle boxes. So it might be a good place to find other gifts as well. Check to website to see if they have what you are looking for though. But they did have a number of the traditional Himitsu Bako with their traditional inlay veneer. Very pretty, I got one of the more expensive ones for my brother in law. These were not particularly easy to find in Tokyo though.

On the plus side, the owner also speaks very good English and seems to enjoy talking to foreign customers. And if it matters the shop does also offer tax free buying. Just make sure to bring your passport, which you should have on you at all times anyway. But given how well the owner speaks English, he probably can help you either find what you need, or perhaps direct you to a place that might have what you are looking for if he does not carry it. So if you are in Tokyo first, maybe stop there and see if anything catches your eye or talk to the owner and see if he can direct you to a specialty shop that has what you are looking for.

I did stop by Aoyama Square a few weeks later looking for some generic wall scrolls (which I did not find, and in fact had a heck of a time finding in Tokyo, should have been looking in Kyoto apparently) and I did not see any of the Himitsu Bako. The place had a very expensive showroom feel though for custom gifts, more like a Ginza department store really. Whereas Ma by So Shi Te felt more like a place for more everyday items.

But both stores are within a few blocks of each other in Aoyama, so you can hit both at the same time. I would just say Ma by So Shi Te probably will have more of what you are looking for.
by Kellory (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Karakuri Puzzle Box 2024/8/25 16:36
by haro1210 rate this post as useful

Re: Karakuri Puzzle Box 2024/9/6 11:11
Yesterday, I went to both Aoyama Square and Ma by So.
Both sold 4-5 types of Karakuri Puzzle Box.
Aoyama Square has more types in larger sizes.
Ma by So also had one type of modern pattern (squares in different colors) that was slightly different from the normal pattern.
by haro1210 rate this post as useful

Re: Karakuri Puzzle Box 2024/9/6 11:32
Thanks haro will stop by there on my last day if I have no luck in Hakone/ or feel like I don't have gifts for everyone by then.
by PatrickSF rate this post as useful

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