Update!

(15 August) The database should now be fixed, so there are no more stray funny characters... but there may still be glitches. I just discovered that all of the Peanuts puzzles had disappeared, because "artist=peanuts" was not matching "Peanuts"; so there is more to do in sorting out case-insensitive matching.

Database problem!

Apologies! A recent database upgrade has left lots of Japanese text corrupted, and also some variant characters, such as the e-acute in "Pokémon," not showing correctly. I am working to correct this but may take some days...

申し訳ありません 現在、データーベースの問題でほとんどのパズルの詳細などの日本語が文字化けになっています。修復するまで何日かかかるかも知れません。ご了承ください。

Chit-chat from Imaginatorium Shop

New puzzles and new features

Blog entry for November 2018

The shop front page is covered with new puzzles again at last; and during October we got back to the previous level of 1200+ titles in stock. I have also restored the Epoch website guide so you can check for other new issues, but now the Yanoman website has been redesigned (it looks harder to use), so this is temporarily not available.

And new puzzle features, too. Many puzzles have special features, though most require no explanation: "Tiny pieces", "Glow-in-the-dark", and so on. But one that could be a bit mysterious is "SNS background"... the idea being that you want to show yourself to your friends right in the picture you have just put together. So although the picture looks complete in itself, it has a deliberate area for you to pose: just complete and frame the puzzle, then stand in front of it for a "selfie"... of course I cheated, as you can see!

Tenyo 1000-piece (full-size) prices

Back in August, Tenyo announced an increase in the prices of these puzzles. This is very unusual, I think the first time prices have been changed like this, and we held the old prices for as long as possible. But inevitably we will have to update them: generally they have all risen by 200 yen, so for example standard 1000-piece from 2800 to 3000 yen, canvas finish Kincade puzzles from 3600 to 3800 yen. I have just decided we will do this at the end of November, so you have a week to slip under the net!

Brian Chandler

"A kind of blog..." My sporadic comments, mostly topical, on shop matters. (Brian Chandler)