On this page: Box contents - Identifying Road puzzles - Special orders
The Road brand of puzzles is now produced by a company called Kezuka, who acquired it from Sunlike in about 2002. They have a fairly small catalog, but it includes some particularly nice scenic puzzles, and a number of "character" features: a Japanese animation version of the story of Heidi, the Moomins, Raccoon Rascal,and Anne of Green Gables (Nippon Animation). Unfortunately, Kezuka has no website.
Box contents
In days gone by you opened a jigsaw puzzle box, and inside were just the pieces! But Japanese puzzles come with various extra bits and pieces. The assumption is that you will only do the puzzle once, then glue it together for wall mounting, to impress your friends.
1 Most important - the pieces
2 Instruction slip and request form for a missing piece. (Ask me for details)
3 Catalog request slip (beige)
4 Bag containing sachet of puzzle glue and sponge
Doing the puzzle
Ignore the strict instructions to do the edge pieces first: put the bits together in any order you like. If you want to display the puzzle, you can use the glue to stick it together. Spread a sheet of clean but unwanted paper under the completed puzzle, with the puzzle the right way up. Then pour the glue over the front of the puzzle: spread it out with the sponge, so all the joints get neatly filled with glue. It should dry with a nice glossy finish.
Disclaimer: I have very limited experience of gluing puzzles - I usually break them up to do again some day. But I have had some success with trompe l'oeil murals!
Please note: Actual box contents may vary slightly - if you find any major discrepancies, please let us know.
Identifying Road puzzles
There are two series of Road product codes: RS-xx-yyy for scenic puzzles and AS-nnn-mmm for character series. The Imaginatorium Shop codes squash these down, to RSzzzzz and RAwwwww respectively.
