A versatile puzzle designer, Kohfuh Satoh

I would like to introduce you to a Japanese puzzle designer who has a playful spirit with a design sense. He is Kohfuh Satoh. I don't remember very well, but maybe I first met him at the site where the Academy of Recreational Mathematics, Japan was held.

Here is his portrait that was assembled with tangram. Making a portrait using puzzle pieces is very Kohfuh Satoh. He is quite a puzzle lover.

He is a multiple talented puzzle designer. He pays attention to a variety of wonders and offers various kinds of interesting creations; puzzles, illustrations, writing, event planning, editing books and so on.

For example, this is the mathematical magic book he has participated in editing, "Encyclopedia of Mathematical Magic" (Sorry, this book is only a Japanese version). Here is a photo of "Encyclopedia of Mathematical Magic." The cover design of this book was also his.

This is my personal opinion, there is no one except him who is suitable for drawing illustrations for mathematic or puzzle books because he majored in mathematics at university. It's better for someone who understands the contents of a book to draw illustrations. In fact, he designed the poster for The Mathematical Society of Japan in 2012.

Let's get back to the subject, puzzles.

I found his puzzles at my favorite puzzle shop in Tokyo, Japan, Torito. 

I guess some of you guys who read this blog visited Torito when you went to Tokyo, Japan for IPP.

Puzzle Shop Torito
http://torito.jp/shopping/search.cgi?series=kohfuh

Kohfuh feels sorry for puzzle lovers who live outside of Japan that his puzzles are a little difficult to obtain.

He says that his puzzles are not very difficult, but tricky.

What a nice word, tricky! I'm sure that most puzzle lovers love something tricky.
Long ago, I got one of his puzzles "4U." As you see in the picture below, it looks very simple, but it was tricky.
When I uploaded the picture of "4U" onto my blog, some readers said that this puzzle is impossible to solve. No, no, it IS possible.

4U

http://kofth.com/projects/4u/en.html

I'm now interested in the puzzle "Chaplin." Using four pieces you make a bowler hat. He says that "Chaplin" has an element of surprise. I'm a bit curious what it is.

Chaplin

http://torito.jp/shopping/item.cgi?_chaplin

Looking forward to seeing what he is going to do for his next step forward.

Kohfuh's website - Kofth :  http://kofth.com/en.html

Kohfuh's Twitter : https://twitter.com/kohfuhsatoh

Puzzling Times - Kohfuh confuses! : 

http://allardspuzzlingtimes.blogspot.com/2013/10/kohfuh-confuses.html