Calvins Puzzle Okamoto Latch Cube from Japan

Calvins Puzzle Okamoto Latch Cube 3x3

At first glance, it looks like an ordinary 3x3 cube. The difference is that on the Okamoto Latch Cube, not every face can be turned in either direction. The puzzle was designed by Katsuhiko Okamoto from Japan (the first version appeared in 2010), and the official version is made by Calvins Puzzle. We offer the variant with a black body.

How the Latch Cube works

Each of the 12 edges has an arrow on one of its stickers. White arrows mean a clockwise turn, black arrows mean a counterclockwise turn. A face will not turn against any arrow that is on it. In practice, it works like this:

• a face with no arrows turns in both directions,
• a face with arrows of only one colour turns in one direction only,
• a face with arrows of both colours is locked.

On a solved cube, three adjacent faces turn only clockwise and the other three only counterclockwise. The locking comes from a latch mechanism between the centre and the edges. The corners have no arrows and do not affect whether a face can turn.

Why it's hard

After scrambling, several faces are usually locked, and while solving, more of them keep getting locked. Because of this, standard 3x3 algorithms often don't work, as halfway through a sequence you run into a face that won't move. However, the cube can never get permanently stuck, because every move can be undone by turning the same face three more times in the allowed direction. Many people start by positioning the edges so that the arrows end up on the right faces, and only then solve the rest with short sequences that don't break this arrangement.

Who is it for?

For anyone who can already solve a classic 3x3 cube and wants a puzzle where you have to figure things out yourself rather than repeat memorised algorithms. It is not a cube for speedcubing or for learning to solve from scratch. It makes a great gift for a collector or a fan of unusual puzzles.

The Okamoto Latch Cube is the original design with latches on all six faces. Don't confuse it with the later Latch Cube II versions (with 2 or 4 latches).

Specifications

• Type: 3x3-based puzzle with restricted turning direction
• Designer: Katsuhiko Okamoto
• Manufacturer: Calvins Puzzle
• Body colour: black
• Dimensions: approx. 6.3 x 6.16 x 6.1 cm