My nephew, Barry and his wife, Miho went to Japan and brought back a Nanoblock puzzle for us of Date, Masamune who was a very famous, powerful leader in Sendai. They brought this particular puzzle because my mother is from Sendai. I got the following information from Wikipedia.
Date Masamune (September 5, 1567 – June 27, 1636) was a regional strongman of Japan's Azuchi-Momoyama period through early Edo period. Heir to a long line of powerful daimyo in the Tōhoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city of Sendai. An outstanding tactician, he was made all the more iconic for his missing eye, and Date was often called dokuganryū (独眼竜), or the "one-eyed dragon".
.... He showed sympathy for Christian missionaries and traders in Japan. In addition to allowing them to come and preach in his province, he also released the prisoner and missionary Padre Sotelo from the hands of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Date Masamune allowed Sotelo as well as other missionaries to practice their religion and win converts in Tōhoku....
When I saw the teenie weenie, super tiny pieces, I told Art there was no way he'd be able to put this thing together.
So...of course that was a challenge he couldn't disregard.
He had to use a little magnifying glass at times because some of the words were also nano sized, but the statue slowly started to take shape.
And it's done!
Here's a photo we took in 1996 with my grandmother and aunt in Sendai in front of the statue of Date, Masamune.
It was the first trip to Japan for my children.
I understand Barry and Miho also brought one of these puzzles for their dad and mom.
Good luck, Dennis and Nancy!
.... He showed sympathy for Christian missionaries and traders in Japan. In addition to allowing them to come and preach in his province, he also released the prisoner and missionary Padre Sotelo from the hands of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Date Masamune allowed Sotelo as well as other missionaries to practice their religion and win converts in Tōhoku....
When I saw the teenie weenie, super tiny pieces, I told Art there was no way he'd be able to put this thing together.
So...of course that was a challenge he couldn't disregard.
He had to use a little magnifying glass at times because some of the words were also nano sized, but the statue slowly started to take shape.
And it's done!
It was the first trip to Japan for my children.
I understand Barry and Miho also brought one of these puzzles for their dad and mom.
Good luck, Dennis and Nancy!
Now those are the smallest puzzle pieces I have ever seen. And of course Art was successful. Did you really have any doubt? :-)
ReplyDeleteActually, I did have doubts. There were a LOT of little pieces and even some left over. Still, it kept his mind off the frustration of trying to load something on his MacBook Air.
DeleteGood for Art, he is amazing! Wow that photo is from 18 years ago, kind of sad how time flies.
ReplyDeleteVery nice gift and kudos to Art for assembling it. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteWow, that is an amazing 3D puzzle and Kudos to Art for putting that together. I had thought I might want to tackle one, this changed my mind.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful photo of your family, and you got old Masamune in the frame! Hope Art's eyesight has recovered.
ReplyDeletewhat a smart husband!
ReplyDeleteI remember reading or hearing about when Christian missionaries reached Japan, they were shocked to see a land where the Bible had no followers had such a moral society.
ReplyDeleteKind of makes me mad when the right-wing Christians claim morality only comes from the Bible.
tiny legos!
ReplyDeleteArt loves a good challenge, and the gift recalls good memories of a past visit. That makes it a great gift!
We need stuff that challenges our mind sight and dexterity as we age. Good boy Art!
ReplyDeleteFrom the pic of Art bent studiously over, you just know he must have enjoyed the challenge immensely.
ReplyDeleteL...w
He was really enjoying it because it took his mind off of the frustration of working with his new MacBook Air.
DeleteA very interesting history. The puzzle pieces came together beautifully. Art must be very focused. He certainly was up to the challenge of so many tiny pieces.
ReplyDeleteThere is something strangely cool about this. Of course I loved the Lego Movie!
ReplyDeleteWhat an intricate project--great souvenir too.
ReplyDeleteHello, greetings.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting information on Date Masamune and how he helped Christianity to grow in Japan. Lovely photos.
Best wishes
You husband is a patient person..
ReplyDeleteBlessings...
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Art!
Oh my goodness, gracious sakes alive!! How did he ever do it. I have never seen puzzles like this.
ReplyDeleteIt made me smile to read that Art couldn't pass on the challenge - and he put it together perfectly! What an interesting man Date Masamune was!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful Sunday, Kay :)
You didn't really doubt for a minute that he would take up the challenge and succeed, did you! Fun gift.
ReplyDeleteThat's really cool. And I always like things from the Edo period. ;)
ReplyDelete