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 humour. For example, Climate Change (a penguin tries to fly), Doomed (one last flop in resistance to the chef’s knife), and Teeter Totter (an adorable robot takes a few small steps for robo-kind). A motorised in-store display is available featuring either the robot or penguin. Talk about penguins and climate change – this display really heats up sales!

Keisuke Saka is one of Japan’s best 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 (school-type PVA adhesive) to assemble. Each one takes less than two hours to complete. Karakuri are printed on quality paper with a colourful cover boldly showing each model.

The models are packaged in a letter-sized sleeve, and assemble to approximately 13cm to 25cm T and 10cm to 15cm W.