Himitsu-Bako (Secret Box)

The site for the discerning puzzler.

The Himitsu-Bako (personal secret box) was designed over 100 years ago and continues to be produced in the Hakone-Odawara region of Japan.

On the surface, the Personal Secret Box is entirely enclosed. It's just a pretty box. There is no apparent lock and seemingly no opening whatsoever. However, as one begins to investigate closely, interesting secrets begin to reveal themselves! Have a look into our own secret box and discover a world of traditional puzzles.

Here at Himitsu-Bako we have put together a collection of puzzles and mind games which we hope you will enjoy and spend many hours trying to solve. These puzzles hark back to an era before computers and game consoles, when families would come together trying to solve these puzzles. Within these pages there is a collection of traditional wooden puzzles, nail puzzle, string puzzles etc. Check out our Tavern Puzzles® which are reproductions of a type of puzzle traditionally forged by blacksmiths to amuse their friends at country taverns and inns.

Transposer Puzzles are a set of interchangeable, brightly coloured flat shapes with cut out windows manufactured from durable polypropylene. Each shape of the set is double- sided and can be laid on top of any other in any sequence, side and orientation. Your task is to create images on one or both ends of the multi- layer stack.

Whatever your interest you are sure to find a puzzle that will keep you, your children and friends amused for hours.