Music of the spheres
The Yupina brand of beautifully crafted wooden objects hails from the Yatsugatake South Alps region of Nagano Prefecture, where it collaborates with local designers and artisans. It evidently finds plenty of inspiration from the region, having created a line of unusual musical novelties. One of our favorites is the Maru Orugoru, a spherical wooden music box, or rather ball. Unlike a box, the Maru Orugoru's shape encourages you to cup it in your hands. And as the melody starts the ball gently vibrates, enhancing the enjoyment of the tune. When placed on a flat surface, the vibration also makes the ball rotate by itself. To wind it up, simply turn one of the two halves of the ball clockwise. As with all Yupina's objects, the Maru Orugoru is a terrific sensory experience. Available in three wooden finishes, it is priced at ¥15,000 and can be ordered from Yupina's online store.
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