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Jigsaw puzzles from Japan

"None of the above"

February 2007: None of the above? ...a new page for puzzles that defy classification!

1000 pieces

Historical Japanese banknotes
© Tokyo Shogeikan

Historical Japanese banknotes

A collection of banknotes spanning nearly a century... here is a translation guide to the key on the back of the box:

KeyValueType of banknoteDate
110 yenMilitary note1940
210 senBank of Japan1947
31000 yenBank of Japan2004
410 yenBank of Japan1943
55 senBank of Japan1944
65 yenMilitary note1940
71 yenBank of Japan1946
810 yenBank of Japan1943
95 senMilitary note1939
1050 yenBank of Japan1951
111000 yenBank of Japan1950
1250 senGovernment small denomination note1938
13100 yenBank of Japan1953
1410 yenBank of Japan1946
15100 yenBank of Japan1946
1610000 yenBank of Japan2004
17500 yenBank of Japan1969
18500 yenBank of Japan1951
191000 yenBank of Japan1963
2010000 yenBank of Japan1958
215 senBank of Japan1948
2210 yenMilitary note1940
2350 senGovernment note1945
241 yenBank of Japan1943
2510 senBank of Japan1944
265000 yenBank of Japan2004
271 yenConvertible note1916
281 yenMilitary note1940
2910 yenBank of Japan1946
3050 senGovernment note1948
315 yenBank of Japan1930
325000 yenBank of Japan1957
33100 yenBank of Japan1945/1946
342000 yenBank of Japan2000
A1000 yuanRepublic of China central bank1945
B10 rupeesMilitary note, Oceania1942
C10 yuanRepublic of China central bank1936
D10 pesosMilitary note, Philippines1942
E5 yuanRepublic of China banknote1935
F100 yenBank of Japan1946
G20 yuanRepublic of China central bank1930
H50 senGovernment small denomination note1938

Notes: The sen is no longer used, but is equal to 1/100 of a yen. The Chinese yuan is basically the same currency name. Banknotes keyed with letters are in the background, and only partially visible.

Detail

Wikipedia has an article on the Japanese yen and there is more relevant information in the article on the Chinese yuan.

* This puzzle is numbered on the back so it is possible to work out where a piece goes.

In stock
An Appleone puzzle: 1000 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20")
Code: A10473 (1000-473 on box)
Retail price ¥3000 (approx. US$29.13 €18.52 £14.63)
Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$11.65 €7.41 £5.85)
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Japanese family crests
© Appleone

Japanese family crests

A total of 220 traditional family crests, or mon appear in this collection, presented as wood carvings. Some particularly significant ones appear in the centre - including the sixteen-petal chrysanthemum that is the mark of the Japanese Imperial Family (2nd from top), and the hollyhock crest of the Tokugawa Shogunate (2nd from bottom).

Rather like the coat of arms in Europe, these crests are now used almost entirely for decorative purposes. Incidentally, the red seal in the middle of the picture simply says "Collection of family crests" in stylised form.

Detail

Wikipedia article: Mon (badge)

* This puzzle is numbered on the back so it is possible to work out where a piece goes.

In stock
An Appleone puzzle: 1000 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20")
Code: A10479 (1000-479 on box)
Retail price ¥3000 (approx. US$29.13 €18.52 £14.63)
Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$11.65 €7.41 £5.85)
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Historical Japanese coins
© Appleone

Historical Japanese coins

An amazing collection of coins dating from 1668 to 1917 - shown on the puzzle itself at approximately actual size.

The back of the box has a key (in Japanese) to each coin, including the dates it was issued, and details of the composition and weight...

Translation guide
品位Composition (parts of gold, silver, etc)
Gold
Silver
Copper/bronze
量目Weight (in grams)
New
Old
Yen (currency unit from 1870)
Sen (1/100th of a yen)
不明Unknown

* This puzzle is numbered on the back so it is possible to work out where a piece goes.

In stock
An Appleone puzzle: 1000 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20")
Code: A10477 (1000-477 on box)
Retail price ¥3000 (approx. US$29.13 €18.52 £14.63)
Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$11.65 €7.41 £5.85)
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Other "Puzzler's puzzles"

A random selection of puzzles that seem to have been designed to be interesting (or difficult, if you prefer)... and a couple of "different" categories, Mandalas and Fireworks

2016 pieces

Cherry avenue
© Epoch
Position map

Cherry avenue

This avenue runs along the bank of the Gongendô river, in the middle of the Kanto Plain, and is a famous location for cherry-blossom viewing.

This will not be an easy puzzle - more than half of the area of the picture is occupied by the mass of pink blooms.

* This puzzle has smaller pieces than the standard size.

In stock
An Epoch puzzle: 2016 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20")
Code: E23504 (23-504 on box)
Retail price ¥2500 (approx. US$24.27 €15.43 £12.20)
Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$11.65 €7.41 £5.85)
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1500 pieces

Ginkgo avenue in Tokyo
© Epoch
Position map

Ginkgo avenue in Tokyo

Sunbeams filter through the bright yellow leaves of the ginkgo, a popular tree for city planting, and often to be seen in Tokyo.

See my "Plant Watcher's" page on the ginkgo.

* This puzzle has smaller pieces than the standard size.

In stock
An Epoch puzzle: 1500 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20")
Code: E15515 (15-515 on box)
Retail price ¥2500 (approx. US$24.27 €15.43 £12.20)
Shipping from ¥1200 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$11.65 €7.41 £5.85)
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1000 pieces

Hokkaido sunflowers
© Beverly Enterprises
Position map

Hokkaido sunflowers

Hokkaidô, the northernmost large island of Japan, is typified by gentle landscapes that give it a much more "European" feel than the other islands. Vincent van Gogh would surely have felt at home in this field of sunflowers, outside the town of Biei.

The official Biei town website (in Japanese)

Permanently unavailable
A Beverly puzzle: 1000 pieces; 72 x 49 cm (28" x 19")
Code: B100121 (100-121 on box)
Retail price ¥1980 (approx. US$19.22 €12.22 £9.66)
Shipping from ¥1100 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$10.68 €6.79 £5.37)
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Ginkgo avenue
© Yanoman
Position map

Ginkgo avenue

Brilliant gold! The ginkgo is a popular tree for city planting, and is seen to advantage here in Tokyo. Another puzzle for those who like a challenge.

See my "Plant Watcher's" page on the ginkgo.

In stock
A Yanoman puzzle: 1000 pieces; 75 x 50 cm (30" x 20")
Code: Y101011 (10-1011 on box)
Retail price ¥2500 (approx. US$24.27 €15.43 £12.20)
Shipping from ¥1000 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$9.71 €6.17 £4.88)
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500 pieces

Bamboo pathway
© Sekai Bunka Photo
Position map

Bamboo pathway

A puzzler's puzzle! A stepped footpath climbs through the bamboo grove in Rakusai, Kyoto. There is a lot of green in this puzzle, in a gradation from the dark shadows among the bamboo trunks to the sunlit sky seen through the topmost fronds.

In stock
A Road puzzle: 500 pieces; 52 x 38 cm (20" x 15")
Code: RS5580 (RS-55-80 on box)
Retail price ¥1600 (approx. US$15.53 €9.88 £7.80)
Shipping from ¥800 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$7.77 €4.94 £3.90)
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Mandalas
Fireworks

Absolutely none of the above

None of the above is also a band that plays in the North of England (including my good friend Harry Somers)...

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