Photo/Illutration The Aomorik Cube has proved popular as a souvenir from Aomori Prefecture. (Provided by Aomori Prefecture’s tourism policy department)

AOMORI—A tourism official’s attempt to produce an apple-themed version of Rubik’s Cube has led to several red faces.

Apples are a specialty of Aomori Prefecture, and images of six varieties of the fruit are printed on the six sides of the Aomorik Cube version.

The all-red puzzle is more difficult to solve than a standard Rubik’s Cube, which uses different colors for each face.

The original three-dimensional puzzle exploded on the scene worldwide in the 1980s and has again risen in popularity.

The idea for the Aomori variety was proposed by Yui Mikami, 34, a senior official at Aomori Prefecture’s tourism policy department.

The Aomorik Cube prototype was shown on the prefectural government’s official social media account in August 2023, and many people expressed interest. One said it “looked difficult,” while another asked the prefecture if it had “any plans to commercialize” the puzzle.

Aomori Prefecture decided to release the Aomorik Cube on a commercial basis.

“I considered creating an Aomori-specific version of Rubik’s Cube after learning that 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the birth of the toy cube,” Mikami said.

Images of the Fuji, Jonah Gold, Sekai Ichi, Kogyoku, Chiyuki and Mutsu apple cultivars appear on the squares of the cube. One side of the cube measures 6 centimeters square.

The packaging box bears catchphrases like “maximum difficulty” and “a challenge from Aomori.”

“Although these apple species are all similarly red, they can be distinguished by their own unique features, such as vertical stripes, dotted skin and color shade,” Mikami explained.

She noted that next year will mark the 150th anniversary of apple tree planting in Aomori Prefecture.

“My hope is that the cube will help garner more attention” for the celebratory year, Mikami said.

The Aomorik Cube is manufactured by MegaHouse Corp., a company based in Tokyo’s Taito Ward that is responsible for Rubik’s Cube business in Japan.

The Aomorik Cube, including a specialized stand, costs 3,000 yen ($19), including tax.

Sales of the cube started on Oct. 17 at 11 stores in Aomori Prefecture. It reportedly went out of stock within a month of its release at some locations.

A list of stores handling the Aomorik Cube is available on the prefecture’s website.

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