Maki Kaji
In mountain climbing there are several different entrances.
According to the one you pick it might become
a steep slope midway through. Sudoku is the same.
Maki Kaji Born in Hokkaido. After leaving Keio University, he spent many different types of jobs until establishing Nikoli with his friend in 1980 and creating their own puzzle magazines. Since then, his company created about 300 types of logic puzzles. Many of Nikoli’s puzzles are handcrafted which makes the company the only kind like it in the world. Now Nikoli publishes more than 150 puzzle magazines and books in addition to providing puzzle supplies to more than 100 newspapers and magazines. Kaji has a vision of creating a worldwide puzzle community with foreign publishers and through multi-media platforms such as video games, cell phones and an online puzzle site on www.nikoli.com.
The game Sudoku had its break in England three years ago, and following that it became a big boom that took the world by storm in a flash. Now there are said to be Sudoku devotees in over 70 different countries. The Japanese creator of this game, Maki Kaji, is the owner of the puzzle company Nikoli. It is said that he got his inspiration on the way home from the racetrack when he happened to see a magazine featuring the game “Number Place.” Mr. Kaji, known as “the godfather of Sudoku,” talked to Chopsticks NY about the game’s appeal and secret strategies.
As the creator of Sudoku, a game which entertains people throughout the world, what do you see as its appeal?
Like crossword puzzles, the rules are simple. Because it’s just a matter of putting in the numbers 1-9, you don’t have to calculate and as all that is required is an attention span. Sudoku can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of age. It can be solved by kids as young as five and elderly as old as 96. The hurdles that have to be overcome are low, and numbers are a universal language.
It is said that you got your inspiration from the American puzzle “Number Place”, but how is Sudoku different from this game?
The appearance of Nikoli Sudoku is point symmetrical so from a design standpoint there is this. Also, one example is that in the beginning there are a lot of places numbers can be put in but it becomes difficult in the middle and then easy again at the end, so this is the essence in solving it. Currently there are 62 creators at Nikoli and they make puzzles ranging from simple to challenging so there is great variety. I think this is one of Nikoli Sudoku’s strengths.
It’s just a group of numbers, but do you mean that they can have individual characteristics?
Yes. For example, in mountain climbing there are several different entrances and you can use any of them. According to the one you pick it might become a steep slope midway through, or it might be a flat path that meanders for a long time. Sudoku is the same in that its paths vary depending on the creator. So it is interesting to have many courses along the way, and this provides a sense of accomplishment at the end. This kind of play is fun and I am often told that there is “love” in Nikoli Sudoku.
What are some tricks for improving one’s Sudoku skills?
Not being particular and looking in many places as much as possible. If you try putting in 1 or 2 and it seems like they won’t fit, soon move on to 4 or 5. Go immediately to a different spot and look for the easy place. In the case of Nikoli Sudoku, they tend to have many easy-to-fill-in spots so if you persevere you will be able to solve them. They are stimulating whether they are simple or difficult!
I play Sudoku and when I try to go from beginner to intermediate I find a great increase in difficulty. Do you have any tips for stepping up my ability?
Sudoku is like shogi (Japanese chess) or go in that they are all composed of levels, and the ways to search for clues at the beginner and intermediate levels is slightly different. Beginners usually look vertically and horizontally for what numbers will go in what squares, but intermediate level players look at the 3×3 grid and think “This number can’t go in this square or this one, so it has to go here.” In Japan there are books about Sudoku strategy, but I really want players to find those strategic patterns for themselves [laughs].
Numbers are always arranged symmetrically in Nikoli’s Sudoku. These beautifully designed and brain teasing puzzles are works of art. ©Nikoli, Co., Ltd.
I can’t seem to find strategic patterns on my own. How do I go about doing this?
It’s something you notice suddenly after playing for a while. It’s truly a matter of all of a sudden something causing you to be able to understand.
In Japan there are quiz style games for the purpose of exercising your right brain and keeping your brain active, but do you think that Sudoku is a way of doing this?
There actually was a university research team that conducted an experiment on Nikoli Pencil Puzzles to see if they had an effect on brain activity, and they were found to certainly do this. However, Nikoli makes “Sudoku for play” and they are for the purpose of relaxing and refreshing, not to work your brain. If we were asked to make puzzles for the purpose of brain training or education, that would totally stress us out [laughs]!
How do you think that Sudoku will develop in the future?
Including over the Internet, we receive offers from various countries for puzzle orders. In fact, Nikoli has about 300 types of pencil puzzles like Kakkuro, Hashiwokakero and Heyawake in addition to Sudoku. The media often says that the next big thing in the puzzle world will come from Nikoli Pencil Puzzles. So whatever comes next will not be as simple as when Sudoku burst onto the scene, but I think we will consider worldwide pencil puzzle fans and sharing Nikoli’s puzzle offerings with them.
In closing, for Chopsticks NY readers who are interested in Japan do you have your very own “recommended spot” that you can tell them about?
Roppongi, Harajuku, Asakusa and Akihabara! By covering all these, I think you can see the state of Japan which has a mix of history and high tech. In Roppongi and Harajuku, you will find temples behind beautiful new buildings created by the world’s best architects, and on the other hand in Asakusa you can find modern hotels among rows of traditional structures. If you go to places like this, I think you can experience for yourself the feeling of “They’re that different!” Foreigners also seem to be surprised by the bullet train. They arrive right on time every five minutes and cleaning ladies in their matching uniforms rush in during the limited time between departures to spruce up. You don’t have to ride all the way to Kyoto, only to where you can see Mt. Fuji and then head back. If you go as far as the Odawara area, you can try one of the hot springs in Hakone. I think this would be a good experience as it’s communal bathing. When you come back to Tokyo Station I think it is a must to go to nearby Akihabara to see the center of anime and comics, which are emblematic of today’s Japanese culture.
——– Interview by Noriko Komura & translated by Stacy Smith
Puzzling the World: Sudoku and Crossword
October 23, 6:30 PM-
Few puzzles have swept the world and created such passionate devotees as Sudoku and crosswords. While crosswords require specific linguistic capability, Sudoku players only need to understand basic numbers, a feature that makes Sudoku particularly transnational and global. Maki Kaji, the godfather of Sudoku and President of Nikoli Company and Will Shortz, Crossword Puzzle Editor, The New York Times, discuss the similarities and differences of crossword puzzles and Sudoku as well as trends and themes driving the popularity of puzzles around the world today. Moderated by Liane Hansen, Host, Weekend Edition Sunday, NPR. Followed by a reception.
Japan Society
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TEL: 212-715-1258
www.japansociety.org
