So, I've now had the instructions for the super-rare trick "Sawa's Walt Disney World" translated.

First, as we know, it's a new method for Martin Sunshine's "Color Vision," where a cube with a different color on each of the six sides is put inside a box by the spectator with the chosen color upward. This is given to you behind your back and you secretly move the lid from the top to one of the sides, so that when you bring it in front of you, you can clearly see the color on top through the open side of the box.

So what has Sawa done that is different?

First, the lid for the box has sides that go all the way to the bottom. This means that even if you were to receive the closed box behind your back and move the lid to another side, you still would not be able to see anything.

Second, the box is never placed behind your back. You are always facing forward and you never move or manipulate the lid.

How does it work? This is a screwy method (it's cool, but crazy) and you can see why Tenyo didn't make many of these. On the sides of the interior cube are the faces of six Disney characters, one per side. The side with Mickey Mouse has a magnet behind it inside the cardboard cube. You must memorize all six characters on the cube and their relative positions to the magnetic/Mickey side. (The box, lid, and cube are all made of cardboard.)

You are provided with a small bag of iron filings, which you are told to secretly spread around on the table in front of you.

You turn around (or the spectator turns around) and he chooses one side of the cube, puts it in the box, and puts the lid on. While you are both facing forward, he hands it to you.

You place the box on the table and talk for a moment. Then you slowly turn the box over while it's on the table, one side at a time, until all six sides have touched the table where the iron filings are. During this, you are talking about each of the six characters on the cube. The naming of each character gives you a motivation for turning the box over. Note that the box is turned over while it remains on the table.

Now when you lift the box, one of the six sides will have iron filings on it. That is the side with Mickey. Since you know the relative positions of the other five sides/characters, you are immediately able to name the character/side chosen by the spectator.

You wipe the iron filings off with your finger and hand the box to the spectator to open.

It's pretty clever, but using iron filings in this way is very messy. A better way, of course, not available at the time Tenyo first marketed this item in the mid-1970s, is to use a PK ring and turn the box over in your hand. That makes the trick performable.

Wow, thanks Richard!

Not too difficult to make one by yourself I believe as they are impossible to find. I'll give it a try perhaps

Thanks for sharing that Richard. Does having the magnet only on one side of the cardboard cube make it noticeably unbalanced? With todays micro neo magnets you could easily have them postioned differently on the six faces which would eliminate having to turn the box on the table. Definitely a neat idea for its' time.

John

Thank you for this great informations, this magic is actually surprising for several reasons ! The method is truly astounding. I would love to have a nice picture.

You cannot feel that there is a magnet inside the cube--it doesn't feel unbalanced. The only way I could locate the magnet (before receiving the translated instructions) was to put the bag with the iron filings right up against the side. It's a pretty weak magnet, and would need to be! If the magnet is too strong you won't be able to get the iron filings off.