Great Ball Contraption (GBC) at Japan Brickfest 2023

[@thinkiamsad]

Something I love about the Japanese GBC community is its focus on visual clarity and elegance. Often, American GBC modules have very interesting and clever mechanisms, but are also covered in exposed studs, elements with mismatched colors, or visually noisy cosmetic theming, which can distract from the actual mechanism transporting the balls. In Japanese modules, the mechanism itself is the focus. I'm also happy to see many modules by other builders here! I love your modules Akiyuki, but I was worried you were lonely, lol.

[@eclipsemantis]

I wholeheartedly agree.

[@FIIRdesu]

3:35 i love this mechanism for how outside the box it is.

[@timehunter9467]

Akiyuki is the best GBC builder ever, the cup to cup type 2 looks amazing!

[@spicetea4060]

These get more and more creative every year. Along the Ring is my favorite

[@ob0273]

This is great! After a long time I can see many new and ingenious models - especially Swing Spiral by yabukita made me happy.

[@matthi2358]

Guy with the green backpack at the beginning is me! Such a great experience seeing Master Akiyuki's work in real life.

[@TheZeatt]

man the other builders were also phenomenal but then the akiyuki section at the end my god

[@_IsaacJames_]

This is so cool. Thank you so much for sharing!

[@schrodingers_kater]

Amazing constructions.🤩

[@JTCF]

I remember watching a 2014 GBC overview, and this still brings back good memories. I wish to visit the next one someday.

[@Nico71Fr]

Very impressive design ! Japan GBCs are very elegant and interesting !

[@skylark.kraken]

When so many GBC contraptions use the same concepts over and over it's amazing to see so many imaginative ideas. GBC is one of my favourite Lego categories but I've been a bit bored of how stale others have made it become. Amazing work to all

[@AdriaGarriga-Alonso]

These are so clever. I really like the invisible lift -- very pretty and cool. The Acceleration module is very novel too, I hadn't seen anything like it!

[@AdriaGarriga-Alonso]

@Ellis my guess is the transparent things are tilted open to the right, but also upwards, forming 'rails' on which the balls can roll down. The circumference that rolls is much smaller (due to being closer to the edge) and the balls rotate much faster. Similar to having two metal rails which are level, but open outwards; and thus actually form a ramp for the ball to roll forward.

[@xMegaVideos]

Some very impressive and unique modules!

[@watatsumi-ksrgs2500]

知ってたら行きたかったなー 六甲アイランドとか1時間ありゃ十分行けるし

[@HH-ub2pm]

專業，充滿創意，遠遠超過其他作品

[@McDaniel77]

Amazing work, beautiful to see it working.

[@SkylerDK]

I love this so much! All of you that do this stuff are so awesome and amazing!!

[@FOXduFutur]

thanks alot for sharing, amazing modules ! Greetings from France !

[@Bluesky35102]

Invisible lift is awesome!

[@zeruzio1345]

Exactly! I came looking for the invisible lift love. Such an awesome contraption with so many amazing creators.

[@gregcollins3404]

You sir are are flippin mechanical genius....

[@DudeMcDuderson]

2:56 basketball goes missing :D

[@zeruzio1345]

Ha, I was just thinking how amazing it was that there were so few (none that I saw) balls going off the rails. Good eye!

[@Javin12345]

These are absolutely amazing!

[@ichbin4040]

hammer! 🤤 genial!

[@liam_smith_65536]

神が動画を投稿なさった、めでたい、者ども宴の準備じゃ

[@Sam_596]

I love this. It's fascinating to see the various complex and simple and elegant mechanisms all doing something relatively simple and silly like moving Lego balls around a loop. Keep up the good work! It's also weird hearing a random burst of English among the Japanese.

[@50-50_Grind]

Very impressive!

[@roemerbouma1824]

does anyone have more information about 1:24 Along the ring by Hiro, i cant find it anywhere

[@__w__o__w__]

acceleration 10/10 Why do you have so many contributions Akiyuki?

[@SkibidiSensei]

I used too watch you as a kid omg

[@marsan-1]

来年こそは行くから！(2回目

[@MrMilleno]

Awesome

[@KlausHansen-j5g]

I am a fan of Flexible Stairs. Is there a build guide on it?

[@Ronal_d]

This puts the american and european GBC loops to shame. Great work!

[@Thinginator]

To be fair, the American GBC community seems to be more focused on growing the number of builders in the community by encouraging as many people as possible to contribute, which means sharing instructions for simple GBC modules and even setting up workshops where people can come and build a specific design so they have something to contribute. That’s why American GBC layouts often have a ton of modules with the same basic mechanisms. The idea is to make a gateway into it so eventually the builders of basic modules will learn more about engineering and contribute more interesting stuff in the future.

[@kABUSE1]

3:15 This one looks so stressful on the flex pipe parts. I bet he has to replace them every few hours.

[@firenfirst1234]

does anyone know where to buy these lego bricks and parts ? Are they all made by lego or some from other brick makers ?

[@voidarchon908]

2:56 leonardo di caprio pointing meme

[@s.p.nazocinemas]

これこそ、akiyukiさんは、レゴのからくり系だけど、 Akiyukiだけでなく、他のアーティストもいるのです。