The Flashlight Puzzle was crafted in 2011 and entered into the Karakuri Idea Contest. It was pretty expensive with the Yen/Dollar conversion rate not very favorable at the time, but worth collecting. I value pieces that are shaped after every day items like Pineapples, Teapots, Radios, Dice, Books, etc.. This particular puzzle was designed by Shokan Handa and was produced by Hiroshi Iwahara.
Crafted in Angsana, Cucumber Tree, Walnut and Oak, it measures 6.7 x 4.1 x 3.8 inches so it is larger than most puzzle boxes in recent years.
Two finely crafted batteries are hidden inside the secret space which I felt was quite a novel idea. It is important that this puzzle be opened over a soft surface to protect the batteries from being damaged.
The contrast of dark and lighter color woods on the face of this puzzle makes this particular Himitsu Bako very attractive. The mechanism operates flawlessly and the batteries fit in snugly. The downside of this puzzle is that it does not take very many steps to open and is not very complex. I solved this puzzle within a couple minutes. Very limited in number, this puzzle is a nice collectible for followers of Hiroshi Iwahara’s work.
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