Rubik's Cube Featuring Aomori Apple Varieties Debuts Nationwide; Challenging Puzzles Already Rolling off Shelves

Yomiuri Shimbun

5 days ago

Courtesy of the Aomori prefectural government
An Aomorikku Cube puzzle toy
Aomorikku Cube, Rubik's Cube puzzles designed with apple skin coloration, sales have begun outside Aomori Prefecture. Instead of solid colors, each side of the cube is patterned on a different variety of apple produced in the prefecture.
The Aomori prefectural government sold the toys in the prefecture from autumn last year, quickly selling out.
Many people voiced their desire to buy the puzzle, so the prefectural government has begun selling them again to promote apples, a prefectural specialty product.
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the beginning of apple tree planting in the prefecture.
When the Aomorikku Cube is solved, each surface shows an image patterned after a different apple variety. The designs are: Fuji, Jonagold, Sekai-ichi, Kogyoku, Chiyuki and Mutsu.
All of them are red and look very similar. People need to align the pieces of each surface while paying attention to features of the apple varieties, making it very challenging.
In October last year, the toys began to be sold in stores at 11 locations in the prefecture.
They caught on right away and the initial run of 1,000 toys sold out in about 2 months.
According to the prefectural government's tourism policy division, many people from inside and outside of the prefecture voiced a desire to buy them even after they initially sold out.
The prefectural government decided to sell the toys again starting May 1, this time selling them outside the prefecture as well.
In Aomori prefecture, the toys are available in multiple locations, including a store in Misawa Airport. Outside the prefecture, such retailers as Aomori Hokusaikan Tokyo Store, the prefecture's antenna shop in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, and A La Ringo Kobe Factory Shop in Hyogo Ward, Kobe, sell them.
They sell for ¥3,300 each, including tax. By May 23, some shops reported their stock of the toys was low.
An official of the prefectural government's tourism policy division said, 'We want people to become familiar with the features of apple varieties and hope the toys will prompt them to visit the prefecture to try the apples for themselves.'