Tsumibobo Building Blocks

Many areas of Japan have a folk character that is supposed to bring good luck: Aizu in Fukushima has the red cow Akabeko, Shimane has the hariko tiger, and Takayama has Sarubobo, a baby monkey (also usually red) that both brings good fortune and keeps bad things away. Inspired by the Sarubobo, the woodworkers of Shirayuri Kobo, a workshop in Hida Takayama, have created the Tsumibobo Building Blocks, a toy that allows children to develop their creativity in ways that most building block sets don't!

The Tsumibobo Building Blocks come in two sets: one with six Sarubobo figures and one with 16 pieces. In the first, three of the figures come in the natural colors of cedar and silver maple, and the other three in red. In the larger set, they come only in the natural colors of the two woods. Despite their somewhat specific shape (or exactly because of it), the figures can combine in countless ways, as many as your children's imagination! Balancing them, joining them, or stacking them, your kids cultivate their imagination and refine their motor skills, and at the same time appreciate one of Japan's oldest traditions and crafts!

Specs and Features:

• Based on the Sarubobo character from Takayama, Gifu Prefecture
• Made by traditional woodworkers in Hida Takayama
• Options: 6 pieces, 16 pieces
• Piece dimensions: 8 x 5 x 2 cm (3.1 x 2 x 0.8")
• Weight (6-piece set): approx. 20 g (0.7 oz)
• Weight (16-piece set): approx. 50 g (1.8 oz)
• Materials (6-piece set): non-coated cedar, non-coated red cedar, non-coated silver maple, non-coated red silver maple
• Materials (16-piece set): non-coated cedar, non-coated silver maple