Nob graduated from the
Tokyo Institute of Technology in applied chemistry. After becoming disenchanted with his career in high-polymer engineering, Nob turned to high school teaching as an educator of chemistry and mathematics. As a puzzle columnist, Nob was an active contributor to many journals and had monthly columns in various popular magazines, including
Quark. He penned over 80 books on puzzles. Perhaps best known as a puzzle inventor, he commercially licensed his designs, such as the
Rush Hour puzzle game, to companies including Binary Arts (now known as
ThinkFun),
Ishi Press, and
Hanayama. He was also a computer programmer who used computers to help solve
mathematical puzzles. ==Awards and honors==