Toys for the Living Room

Toys for the Living Room – Fun to Play With, Beautiful to See

おもちゃ特集

When in your living room, about to change your mode from “ON” to “OFF,” why not have some toys that adults can also enjoy? You will forget your troubles and you may gain new insights as you become absorbed in playing with them.
Today we introduce beautiful items that have unique designs and structures and can be displayed on your side board. You can display and play with the delicately made Kumiki wood puzzle or a top. The deer head and globe are both made of paper, and you can make them by hand without scissors or glue.
We recommend these intellectual interior toys, full of appeal as craftwork items, for use as unique gifts.

The Secret to the Appeal of Puzzle-Solving is Cuteness

Mouse, cow, tiger… the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac have become wooden toys in U-Plan’s “Chinese Zodiac Poly Cube Puzzle.” While having a cute and heartwarming feel, this toy is a highly difficult puzzle using a 3D pentomino. The 2D frame has 2,339 combinations and making it 3D increases the combination to 3,940.
After studying oil painting in art school, the designer of this puzzle, Mr. Saburo Oguro, built learning tools for the school of the visually impaired and contracted with Naef of Switzerland as a designer before establishing U-Plan Co., Ltd. Mr. Oguro holds personal exhibitions and provides technical training throughout Japan as the country’s top craftsman for Kumiki wood toys.
The animals are skillfully carved out of a single sheet of wood. They each have a cute design that expresses the unique feature of each animal. The rounded, soft shape is gentle to the touch, and small children can play with this toy as animal-shaped blocks. This heart-warming puzzle is perfect for families to display and use for a long time in the living room.

New and Beautiful Form Born from a Series of Cut Surfaces

The toy called “d-torso” from Aki Co., Ltd. makes use of cardboard to create unique and beautiful forms. The company, based in Kunisaki Peninsula in Oita Prefecture, developed a 3D modeling system that uses laser beams to cut out parts in slices like CT scans that can be used to rebuild 3D forms. The fundamental beauty of human and animal forms emerge from the non-continuous cut surfaces of the cardboard sheets.
The photo shown here is of the “Deer Head Mini,” a reindeer-inspired work that can be hung on a wall. You can assemble this 32-piece 3D puzzle to use as an accessory holder. You can enjoy it in various ways as a palm-sized craft for use as a Christmas ornament, a gift, or greeting card.

Creating Another Earth Using a Polyhedron

The geodesic dome was invented by Buckminster Fuller, a famous thinker and inventor of the 20th century. The “80-hedron [Platinum] Geodesic Globe” was designed as model of Earth using a polyhedron consisting of a series of triangles by making use of the geodesic structure.
Marumo Printing, famous for specialized printing ad processing, used high-tech cold foil technology to print a globe with beautiful silver foil and detailed lettering on paper. The inside of the globe has an illustration of the core and mantle to let you see the internal structure of our planet.
You just fold the paper and fold it in to construct. It can be marked with whiteboard markers, so after completion you can use it for practical purposes such as drawing in travel plans and business routes. Please experience the appeal of Fuller’s geometric design that was the source of his inspiration in your living room.

Enjoying a Shining Maki-e Mini-Universe

A spinning top has a mysteriously calming appeal. Korindo’s “Maki-e Top” is a work of art that applies traditional Japanese Echizen lacquering techniques to the top - a traditional item considered to bring good fortune.
Korindo has been making modern and elegant lacquerware since its founding in 1938, inheriting the freeform spirit of the Rinpa school that affected Echizen lacquerware. The top was created using this technique and has a daring interpretation on traditional design, giving it a sense of presence when used to add an accent to your interior decoration.
The craftsman took great care in placing the center of gravity for the top. When you spin the top on its axis, the shining Maki-e finish makes beautiful bands to create a mini-universe that is different than when the top is stationary. It is a unique Japanese item that is perfect as a gift to your close acquaintances.