News

View all
  • FACTORY'S GOODs AWARD Grand Prize

    FACTORY'S GOODs AWARD Grand Prize

    Thank you very much for your continued patronage. We are pleased to announce that our product, “Mirain,” has received the “FACTORY'S GOODs AWARD Grand Prize”. All of our employees feel...

    FACTORY'S GOODs AWARD Grand Prize

    Thank you very much for your continued patronage. We are pleased to announce that our product, “Mirain,” has received the “FACTORY'S GOODs AWARD Grand Prize”. All of our employees feel...

  • Exhibition at Ginza SIX

    Exhibition at Ginza SIX

    Thank you very much for your continued patronage. From February 15th to February 16th, 2025, our products will be exhibited at the Ginza Tsutaya Bookstore "Pop-up Shop" (GINZA SIX, Tokyo)....

    Exhibition at Ginza SIX

    Thank you very much for your continued patronage. From February 15th to February 16th, 2025, our products will be exhibited at the Ginza Tsutaya Bookstore "Pop-up Shop" (GINZA SIX, Tokyo)....

  • A Place People Instill Their Feelings: What are an 'Inkan' and Hanko?

    A Place People Instill Their Feelings: What are...

    Is a Hanko Unique to Japanese Culture? No, it isn't. It is also common in China and Taiwan. However, it could be said that no other country uses the hanko...

    A Place People Instill Their Feelings: What are...

    Is a Hanko Unique to Japanese Culture? No, it isn't. It is also common in China and Taiwan. However, it could be said that no other country uses the hanko...

1 3
View all

ZIREL

"Difficult Puzzles, Educational Toys"

Would you like to take on a fun challenge intended for adults ?

Try out this ultra-difficult 15-piece puzzle from a Japanese craftsmanship company that's serious about the pursuit of fun

Products

A fun challenge intended for adults

Zirel is simply unsolvable.
The solution is not included.
Zirel lets you enjoy the time spent on a challenge.
Impossible to tell the front from the back because both sides have a mirrored finish!
The pieces are irregularly shaped.
Thanks to its precision design, everything appears to fit but there is only one solution.

Zirel is made possible because of its gaps which are narrower than a single strand of hair

The strength of Iwai Press lies in its techniques to create these kinds of clearances.

These 0.002mm gaps, which cannot be seen with the naked eye, can be experienced with Zirel.

PRODUCTION PROCESS

Zirel cannot be mass-produced.
Each puzzle is a one-of-a-kind item that takes time and effort to produce piece by piece only after an order is made.


It requires about 10 processes over 72 hours to complete.
Iwai Press brings together several techniques to meticulously craft it.

Creating a Design

Our designers create a rough outline

Drafting

The design is then drafted into CAD data

Flattening of Metal Surfaces

Warping and other distortions of the quenched industrial stainless steel are flattened and hardened in a polisher

Pieces Cut with a Wire EDM

When the stainless steel is ready for processing, its pieces are cut using a brass wire with a thickness of 0.2mm in water.
(Processing time for one puzzle is about 10 hours)

Profile Polishing

After the cutting, each piece can have burrs about 0.05mm in size. So they are further polished while a craftsperson inspects its profile by eye

Blast Polishing

After the profiles are polished, metal powder is removed and the pieces are further polished by blasting them with diamond particles

All Pieces are Assembled

Final Polishing on a Precision Grinding Machine
After assembling the pieces, the final polishing is performed on a precision grinding machine and with our craftsmanship until the spaces between the pieces become invisible

Buffing for a Mirrored Finish

After the final polishing, buffing is done to give it a mirrored finish and glossy look that is the real appeal of Zirel