We have had lovely weather lately, and today was another beautiful day. The temperature dropped a little more, and it felt cold this morning. At this time of year, more and more things remind me that the end of the year is approaching. In shops, entire walls are filled with calendars for next year, and I also see plenty of planners and other items for the coming year. For most people in Japan, December 31 marks the end of one year, with a fresh start on January 1. The displays in shops naturally reflect this way of thinking. It feels as though many things reset on New Year’s Day, and we begin again. For people who run their own businesses without forming a company, the year used to calculate income tax also ends on December 31. Perhaps this calendar-year way of thinking is reflected in many parts of government administration too.
When I think about it that way, there are only a little over two months left in the year. I have already made some plans for November, so deciding what to make during these last two months is a little difficult. Of course, I could always make some of the boxes in January, but perhaps because I have Christmas sales in mind, these two months feel busier than usual. After the 3-sun boxes I am working on now, I have decided to make some wide puzzle boxes for the first time in a while. Many of you may not be familiar with this size. These boxes use the same long side panels as my 4-sun boxes, but they are much wider.
It is not quite a perfect square, though it may look that way from above. To be honest, this is not one of my most popular boxes 😂 I personally like the design, but perhaps it does not look like a standard Japanese puzzle box. I think it offers good value, although it costs more than a 4-sun box because it uses more Yosegi veneer. In return, it also has more space inside. This time, along with the usual design with Yosegi on both the top and bottom panels, I am planning to make a version with traditional Yosegi only on the top panel. Including an order from an overseas shop, I am thinking of making about 30 boxes. The mechanism will be the same as before, with 14 steps.
The biggest challenge in making this box is getting the mechanism to move smoothly because of its width. The side Aruki sliding panels that hold the sliding keys are wider than usual. Of course, that makes sense—the box itself is wider! Usually, an Aruki panel moves more steadily when it is narrow across the direction of movement. In this box, the panel stretches a long way across, almost like a bar braced between two sides. I need to make it slide smoothly, so adjusting it takes a slightly different approach from my usual Aruki panels. When I first made this box, I was worried that this part might not work very well. Fortunately, it worked out quite nicely and has never caused any major problems. It has been a while since I last made these boxes, but I will carefully adjust them to move smoothly again! Writing this reminded me that I may not have any checkered Yosegi ready for this box. The dimensions are a little different from those of a 4-sun box. Perhaps I can use the red-and-white checkered Yosegi I made recently. If not, I will make some new sheets!
