Jigsaw puzzles from Japan
Some traditional themes - there is much overlap with the "Lucky!" page, as these are invariably chosen to be auspicious. Mount Fuji is an obvious topic - it's a handsome mountain, and is invariably shown in red, a depiction of a phenomenon said to occur once a year or less, in which the whole mountain glows pink at dawn. Then we have the gamut of nature represented by various plants and animals.
On this page: Red Mt Fuji - Flowers and birds - Carp - Fortune-beckoning cats - The ten goodnesses
 © Harai Kayomi / Studio Oz 2016: Fuji and phoenix (Kayomi)A phoenix in dazzling colours, set against red Fuji in the background - a traditional composition, yet in Kayomi's distinctive "feathery" style of painting.  No biographical details available. She signs her given name Kayomi in Roman letters.
 In stockAn Epoch puzzle: 2016 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20") Code: E23302 (23-302 on box) Retail price ¥3600 (approx. US$48.65 €37.11 £30.77) Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$16.22 €12.37 £10.26) Buy this puzzle Add to basket All about ordering (please read first) |
 © Kimura Keigo 2016: Heaven and Earth - Red Fuji (Keigo)A classic composition: the deep red Fuji, surrounded by golden sky and mist... Born in Kyoto in 1944, Kimura Keigo spent a halcyon childhood collecting beetles in the hills to the east of the old capital. A love of nature brought the desire to paint - animals, trees, rocks, and the traditional subjects from dragons to waterfalls. Kimura is his family name, and as is usual with artists he uses his given name professionally, but does not appear to sign his paintings.
In stockAn Epoch puzzle: 2016 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20") Code: E23016 (23-016 on box) Retail price ¥3000 (approx. US$40.54 €30.93 £25.64) Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$16.22 €12.37 £10.26) Buy this puzzle Add to basket All about ordering (please read first) |
 © Harai Kayomi / Studio Oz 2016: Fuji owls (Kayomi)A pair of bright-eyed owls perch on a pine branch, with the auspicious Mount Fuji in the background. The owl is perhaps universally revered for its wisdom, but in Japanese tradition the owl is also associated with many other lucky properties, bringing monetary fortune, success in business and study, marital harmony and long life. No biographical details available. She signs her given name Kayomi in Roman letters.
In stockAn Epoch puzzle: 2016 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20") Code: E23055 (23-055 on box) Retail price ¥3000 (approx. US$40.54 €30.93 £25.64) Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$16.22 €12.37 £10.26) Buy this puzzle Add to basket All about ordering (please read first) |
 © Kimura Keigo 1500: Red Fuji (Keigo)The original title, Engetsu akafuji, literally means "Red Fuji, with the distant moon." In addition to the perspective, the foreground is filled with golden foliage, for a rather unusual effect. This puzzle will not be easy — it is a "grade 3" challenge puzzle. Born in Kyoto in 1944, Kimura Keigo spent a halcyon childhood collecting beetles in the hills to the east of the old capital. A love of nature brought the desire to paint - animals, trees, rocks, and the traditional subjects from dragons to waterfalls. Kimura is his family name, and as is usual with artists he uses his given name professionally. He signs his paintings with his given name and a seal of the same.
In stockAn Epoch puzzle: 1500 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20") Code: E14110 (14-110 on box) Retail price ¥3500 (approx. US$47.30 €36.08 £29.91) Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$16.22 €12.37 £10.26) Buy this puzzle Add to basket All about ordering (please read first) |
 © Tatsuji Kajita 1000: Mt Fuji cranes (Kajita)A faithful pair of cranes, but the others flying by make an auspicious total of seven. Red Mt. Fuji in the background, together with red and white plum blossoms and a couple of turtles, complete this very traditional painting, in Kajita's distinct and vibrant style. Born in Nagoya in 1936, the artist became a successful illustrator of books, and commercial articles. In the late 1980s, he embarked on a second career, in oil painting, with which he has had many personal exhibitions. He paints a wide range of subjects, signing the more traditional pictures with the characters for his given name, Tatsuji, together with a seal, whereas on the illustration-style paintings of trains and sailing ships he signs "T. Kajita" in the western style.  Out of stockResupply date uncertain A Yanoman puzzle: 1000 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20") Code: Y101000 (10-1000 on box) Retail price ¥3000 (approx. US$40.54 €30.93 £25.64) Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$16.22 €12.37 £10.26) Buy this puzzle Add to basket All about ordering (please read first) |
 © Kimura Keigo 1000: Red Fuji with pine (Keigo)A classic painting, Fuji a deep red, surrounded by a sea of mist, and an abstract gold background, with the single gnarled pine tree in the foreground. Though the finished effect is beautiful, this will not be an easy puzzle—yet, the sky is full of gradation, so there are no completely uniform areas. Born in Kyoto in 1944, Kimura Keigo spent a halcyon childhood collecting beetles in the hills to the east of the old capital. A love of nature brought the desire to paint - animals, trees, rocks, and the traditional subjects from dragons to waterfalls. Kimura is his family name, and as is usual with artists he uses his given name professionally, but does not appear to sign his paintings.
In stockAn Epoch puzzle: 1000 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20") Code: E11313 (11-313 on box) Retail price ¥3000 (approx. US$40.54 €30.93 £25.64) Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$16.22 €12.37 £10.26) Buy this puzzle Add to basket All about ordering (please read first) |
 © Hamada Taisuke 
1000: Dawn Fuji, crashing waves (Taisuke)Waves crashing into the shore provide a dramatic foreground to this traditional Red Fuji painting. Traditional not only in composition, but also in its luxurious metallic finish. Born in Aichi Prefecture in 1932, Hamada followed graduation from what is now the Kyoto City University of Arts with a career in art. He has had many successful exhibitions, both in Japan and in America, where he spent considerable time in the 1960s. He signs his pictures traditionally, with his given name, Taisuke, and full-name seal.
In stockA Beverly puzzle: 1000 pieces; 72 x 49 cm (28" x 19") Code: B91101 (91-101 on box) Retail price ¥3600 (approx. US$48.65 €37.11 £30.77) Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$16.22 €12.37 £10.26) Buy this puzzle Add to basket All about ordering (please read first) |
 © Kurata Tatsumi
1000: Red Fuji at dawn (Tatsumi)The classic red Fuji - a dazzling red, yet austere in its simplicity. The dark trees and the soft mist alone set off the mountain. A traditional Japanese painter, Kurata Tatsumi was born in Mie Prefecture in 1944. He signs his given (brush) name Tatsumi with a seal of the same characters. In stockAn Epoch puzzle: 1000 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20") Code: E11091 (11-091 on box) Retail price ¥3000 (approx. US$40.54 €30.93 £25.64) Shipping from ¥1100 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$14.86 €11.34 £9.40) Buy this puzzle Add to basket All about ordering (please read first) |
The auspicious crane, the showy peacock, the humble chicken - this common style portrays birds surrounded by suggestions of their natural habitat...
 © 1000: The bird of good omenA gorgeous historical screen painting from the Kanô school - a number of birds parade in surroundings of peonies and plum blossoms, with a backdrop of rather abstract mountain scenery. This will not be an easy puzzle, given the considerable area of golden brown background, but it will surely be interestingly different.  Useful Wikipedia article on the Kanô school In stockA Road puzzle: 1000 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20") Code: RS11140 (RS-11-140 on box) Retail price ¥3000 (approx. US$40.54 €30.93 £25.64) Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$16.22 €12.37 £10.26) Buy this puzzle Add to basket All about ordering (please read first) |
 © Ozuma Kaname 1000: Cock and hen (Kaname)The long, clear call of the cockerel has made it a traditional symbol for long life. Here Kaname surrounds the cock and hen with flowers, particularly the auspicious peony, in a classic 'bird-and-flower' (kachôzu) composition. The painter Ozuma Kaname was born in 1939, in Niigata. He studied traditional Japanese art, and his pictures are generally based on traditional themes. Ozuma is his family name: he signs paintings with the single character of his given name only. In stockAn Appleone puzzle: 1000 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20") Code: A10326 (1000-326 on box) Retail price ¥3600 (approx. US$48.65 €37.11 £30.77) Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$16.22 €12.37 £10.26) Buy this puzzle Add to basket All about ordering (please read first) |
 © Takeuchi Hakuga 1000: Peacock legend (Hakuga)A total of three birds display their plumage in a florid setting. The peacock has been revered since ancient days in India, for its usefulness in eating poisonous snakes. The artist was born in 1948, in Niigata. After working for a textile company, he went independent as a textile designer. He has his own individual drawing style, bringing a fresh approach to many traditional art themes. He goes by his given name, Hakuga, in the traditional way, signing his paintings in a stylised, but non-cursive form. In stockA Road puzzle: 1000 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20") Code: RS11268 (RS-11-268 on box) Retail price ¥3000 (approx. US$40.54 €30.93 £25.64) Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$16.22 €12.37 £10.26) Buy this puzzle Add to basket All about ordering (please read first) |
 © Yoda Sasuga 1000: Flower profusion (Sasuga)A classic composition of all the auspicious flowers you can think of, with a pair of faithful mandarin ducks, lucky white sparrows, and Mount Fuji in red to complete the set. Few biographical details are available, but the artist fell in love with traditional Japanese painting at Tama Art University, and has been specialising in the birds-and-flowers and similar traditional themes ever since. He signs and seals with his brush name Sasuga, which is written with the characters 'Flowing stone'. In stockAn Appleone puzzle: 1000 pieces; 50 x 75 cm (20" x 30") Code: A10668 (1000-668 on box) Retail price ¥3000 (approx. US$40.54 €30.93 £25.64) Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$16.22 €12.37 £10.26) Buy this puzzle Add to basket All about ordering (please read first) |
 © Ozuma Kaname 1000: Carp ascending (Kaname)The carp is a traditional symbol of wordly success, and these two fine specimens produce a vigorous spray as they make their way up in the world. The original title, Daishôri ("Great-rise-carp") is a pun, because with different characters shôri also means "Victory". The painter Ozuma Kaname was born in 1939, in Niigata. He studied traditional Japanese art, and his pictures are generally based on traditional themes. Ozuma is his family name: he signs paintings with the single character of his given name only. In stockAn Appleone puzzle: 1000 pieces; 50 x 75 cm (20" x 30") Code: A10346 (1000-346 on box) Retail price ¥3600 (approx. US$48.65 €37.11 £30.77) Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$16.22 €12.37 £10.26) Buy this puzzle Add to basket All about ordering (please read first) |
 © Seta Koshu 1000: Five jumping carp (Seta)Five colourful carp are surrounded by other auspicious symbols, from turtles at the bottom to Mount Fuji at the top.  Few details of the artist Seta Koshu are available: he entered the world of Japanese art through a family pottery business, but his skill with the brush was evident, and he is a skilled producer of kakemono scrolls. Seta is his family name. In stockAn Appleone puzzle: 1000 pieces; 50 x 75 cm (20" x 30") Code: A10666 (1000-666 on box) Retail price ¥3000 (approx. US$40.54 €30.93 £25.64) Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$16.22 €12.37 £10.26) Buy this puzzle Add to basket All about ordering (please read first) |
 © Nomura Sesso 450: Climbing carp couple (Sesso)The carp is an important fish in Chinese and Japanese tradition, the pair being a symbol of marital harmony. As always, they are shown striving to jump a seemingly impossible waterfall. The only information found about the artist Nomura Sesso is that he was born in Gifu in 1916, and has spent a career in traditional artforms.
In stockAn Epoch puzzle: 450 pieces; 26 x 38 cm (10" x 15") Code: E08002 (08-002 on box) Retail price ¥1400 (approx. US$18.92 €14.43 £11.97) Shipping from ¥500 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$6.76 €5.15 £4.27) Buy this puzzle Add to basket All about ordering (please read first) |
The fortune-beckoning cat: see the interesting Wikipedia article for more details...
 © Hajime Okamoto 1000: Lucky luck cats! (Okamoto)A jovial collection of maneki neko, the cats that beckon good fortune — and presumably the more cats, the more fortune they can bring! Cats are a speciality of Okamoto's inimitable style, but they are also accompanied by a number of Daruma dolls and luck red snapper fish. Born in Osaka in 1942, Hajime Okamoto is an artist with a distinctive and very jolly style, who specialises in cats — particularly the beckoning bringers of good fortune. He signs his paintings with a seal, and a stylised form of his name in Roman letters (with his family name last). Out of stockResupply date uncertain A Beverly puzzle: 1000 pieces; 72 x 49 cm (28" x 19") Code: B61302 (61-302 on box) Retail price ¥3000 (approx. US$40.54 €30.93 £25.64) Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$16.22 €12.37 £10.26) Buy this puzzle Add to basket All about ordering (please read first) |
This traditional label encompasses numerology and untranslatable wordplay. For example, "nine horses" can be read as a pun (umaku) meaning "successfully". But some of the ingredients are standard groups, like the seven gods of fortune.
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 © Takeda Koun 1000: Thirteen BuddhasThe thirteen Buddhas are a Japanese grouping of deities, traditionally seen as serving a protecting role. Although they are all quite distinct (their names are listed on the box), many of the portrayals are very similar — but notice each has a different mudra, or gesture. Wikipedia has a complete list of the Thirteen Buddhas (in the same order as the key on the puzzle box) In stockAn Appleone puzzle: 1000 pieces; 50 x 75 cm (20" x 30") Code: A10652 (1000-652 on box) Retail price ¥3000 (approx. US$40.54 €30.93 £25.64) Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$16.22 €12.37 £10.26) Buy this puzzle Add to basket All about ordering (please read first) |
 © Eto Sojun 1000: Achala and dragonAchala is one of the Five Wisdom Kings, with a fierce expression (one fang pointing up, the other pointing down) and a background of fire. He is know in Japan as Fudo, which is a translation of the meaning of Achala, "immoveable", symbolised by his seat on a solid rock. The dragon overhead is enveloped in a golden cloud, which promises also monetary fortune (another pun: "golden cloud" = 'kin-un' = "gold (money) luck"). Finally, written over the top part of the image is a sutra promising to banish any remaining evils. Altogether an auspicious painting. Mark Schumacher's page on Fudo, the Japanese name of Achala In stockAn Appleone puzzle: 1000 pieces; 50 x 75 cm (20" x 30") Code: A10661 (1000-661 on box) Retail price ¥3000 (approx. US$40.54 €30.93 £25.64) Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$16.22 €12.37 £10.26) Buy this puzzle Add to basket All about ordering (please read first) |
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Created March 2005 - Updated from time to time - WDG validated
This puzzle has smaller pieces than the standard size.