Saka Karakuri
Saka Karakuri paper trick mechanisms
beautifully designed, easy to make, quirky Japanese humor

Karakuri (Japanese meaning “trick mechanism”) are devices whose mechanical movement is designed solely to amuse or surprise. These charming Karakuri papercraft kits by Japanese designer Keisuke Saka are indeed full of surprise with a dose of dark humor: Climate Change (a penguin tries to fly), Doomed (one last flop in resistance to the chef’s knife), Hesitation (an aviator has last-minute doubts about his invention), Maternal Dilemma (one worm, three hungry mouths, what is a mother to do?), and Teeter Totter (an adorable robot takes a few small steps for robo-kind). A motorized in-store display is available with either the robot or penguin atop. Talk about penguins and climate change – this display really heats up sales!

Keisuke Saka is one of Japan’s most honored paper engineers. His beautiful designs are thoughtful with only a few moving parts, yet producing elegant movement. The kits require cutting (scissors and a craft knife), folding, and gluing (white school glue) to assemble. Each one takes less than two hours of time to complete. When finished, the models are good sized – the robot stands 10” T and its base is 4” W. The Karakuri are printed on quality paper and packed in an 8 1/2” x 11” sleeve with a colorful cover boldly showing each model.up. A great gift for tinkerers!

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saka karakura paper animations seen in motion:
teeter totter robot, maternal dillema, doomed (koi), and hesitation

 

saka karakuri doomed (cropped)