Jigsaw puzzles by Kagaya

Fantasy Art by Kagaya

On this page: Celestial exploring - Galactic railroad - Starry tales - About the artist

Separate page: Kagaya zodiac collection - twelve-in-one (1000/2000 pieces) and individual signs (500 pieces)
Browse all Kagaya puzzles
Almost all of these fantasy puzzles are glow-in-the-dark versions, and the latest use hexachrome printing for super-vivid colours.

Celestial exploring

1000: Earthlight

"The surface of the moon was an ideal viewpoint.
"The travellers from a faraway world paused here to gaze at the sacred planet that was their objective.
"While from this first stopping point, earth-dwellers could contemplate home, with all the emotion of looking back over a life lived. "There can be no more joyful celebration than to gaze on the birthplace of humanity!"

Celestial exploring... Kagaya's fantasy world

This is a glow-in-the-dark puzzle.

This puzzle is printed with more ink colours for extra-vivid effect.

In stock
A Yanoman puzzle: 1000 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20")
Code: Y101097 (10-1097 on box)
Retail price ¥3900 (approx. US$37.86 €24.07 £19.02)
Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$11.65 €7.41 £5.85)
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Miyazawa Kenji - Galactic Railroad

1000: Fantasy railroad in autumn

A portrayal of one of the best-known works of fantasy fiction by Miyazawa Kenji, Japan's much-loved poet and author of children's literature. The original title is Ginga tetsudô no yoru, probably best known in the West from the anime film "Night on the Galactic Railroad" (but there are many variations on this translation).

Kagaya portrays the train in earthbound mode, yet in a surreal setting.

Wikipedia article on Miyazawa Kenji

This is a glow-in-the-dark puzzle.

In stock
A Yanoman puzzle: 1000 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20")
Code: Y101042 (10-1042 on box)
Retail price ¥3900 (approx. US$37.86 €24.07 £19.02)
Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$11.65 €7.41 £5.85)
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1000: The Northern Cross

Kagaya's portrayal of the Northern Cross, one of the stations visited on the fantasy journey in Ginga tetsudô no yoru by Miyazawa Kenji, probably best known in the West from the anime film "Night on the Galactic Railroad." Kagaya's image makes it reminiscent of a Christian cross, but in the story this is the cross-shaped constellation, Cygnus the swan.

Wikipedia article on Miyazawa Kenji, Japan's much-loved poet and author of children's literature

This is a glow-in-the-dark puzzle.

In stock
A Yanoman puzzle: 1000 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20")
Code: Y101017 (10-1017 on box)
Retail price ¥3900 (approx. US$37.86 €24.07 £19.02)
Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$11.65 €7.41 £5.85)
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Starry tales

1000: Andromeda

"In a long-gone golden age, heaven and earth were as one, a shared home for gods and mortals..."

The prayer of a princess - Andromeda gazes wistfully at a temple set in the sea...

This is a glow-in-the-dark puzzle.

This puzzle is printed with more ink colours for extra-vivid effect.

In stock
A Yanoman puzzle: 1000 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20")
Code: Y101103 (10-1103 on box)
Retail price ¥3900 (approx. US$37.86 €24.07 £19.02)
Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$11.65 €7.41 £5.85)
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1000: Pleiades

Kagaya's portrait of the Seven Sisters - the star cluster properly known as the Pleiades. Of course there are seven figures dancing in the middle - who would the two looking on from the side be?

This is a glow-in-the-dark puzzle.

This puzzle is printed with more ink colours for extra-vivid effect.

In stock
A Yanoman puzzle: 1000 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20")
Code: Y101078 (10-1078 on box)
Retail price ¥3900 (approx. US$37.86 €24.07 £19.02)
Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$11.65 €7.41 £5.85)
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500: Phoenix, eternal wings

Kagaya's phoenix sports a long incandescent tail, soaring towards the moon over a magical river.

This is a glow-in-the-dark puzzle.

This puzzle is printed with more ink colours for extra-vivid effect.

In stock
A Yanoman puzzle: 500 pieces; 38 x 53 cm (15" x 21")
Code: Y05870 (05-870 on box)
Retail price ¥2500 (approx. US$24.27 €15.43 £12.20)
Shipping from ¥800 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$7.77 €4.94 £3.90)
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500: Artemis, goddess of the moon

Artemis is also the Greek goddess of the hunt - and here she draws her bow exactly to the rim of the moon...

This is a glow-in-the-dark puzzle.

This puzzle is printed with more ink colours for extra-vivid effect.

In stock
A Yanoman puzzle: 500 pieces; 38 x 53 cm (15" x 21")
Code: Y05873 (05-873 on box)
Retail price ¥2500 (approx. US$24.27 €15.43 £12.20)
Shipping from ¥800 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$7.77 €4.94 £3.90)
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All about ordering (please read first)

Kagaya Yutaka

Born in Saitama (just north of Tokyo) in 1968, Kagaya spent his childhood in wonderment of the stars in the sky, and never stopped painting them. He has had a successful career as an illustrator for astronomical books and magazines, and many of his works have been turned into jigsaw puzzles, among other products. Since 1996, he has worked exclusively in the digital medium, using a Macintosh. Perhaps that is why he does not appear to sign his pictures.

He goes by his family name; his given name appears to be Yutaka, but in English you will also find him called Joh Kagaya (Jô is the Chinese reading of his name).

The Kagaya Studio site includes lots more information, including some in English.

He has been honoured by having an asteroid (no. 11949) named after him. It's a long way away, but only a few kilometres across, so you could walk round it in a day. (Here's the technical information)

Note: The translations of titles are mine.

Looking for other Kagaya puzzles?

Try the Yanoman website. If you find another puzzle you want, please ask me about special orders.

Deleted puzzles

For reference: you can view all the Kagaya puzzles that are out of print in the Attic.