Pond 12

Yuu Asaka was born in Takasaki, Japan, and studied art at Akita University. During his third year, he decided to design a puzzle as part of a project. He wanted to explore unspoken assumptions and rules created by people, and the result was a fascinating puzzle that requires true “out-of-the-box” thinking to solve.

He is the creator of Jigsaw 29 – the puzzle that received an “Honorable Mention” at the Nob Yoshigahara Puzzle Design Competition 2018. Since then, he has continued to develop a long series of puzzles called “Play Time,” including Jigsaw 19, Wave 5, Wave 7, and Ice 9.

•Type: Frame and packing puzzle in acrylic
•Dimensions: approx. 10 × 10 cm (frame)
•Pieces: 12 uniquely shaped fish-like pieces
•Material: High-quality transparent and colored acrylic
•Designer: Yuu Asaka (Japan)
•Difficulty: High – requires imagination and perseverance
•Packaging: Elegant box, perfect as a gift or collector’s item

At first glance, Pond 12 looks simple – but once you try to fit the twelve fish-like pieces into the frame, you’ll quickly realize that nothing fits as expected. The clever design and unexpected shapes make the puzzle frustrating yet incredibly satisfying once solved.