Japan has a well-known reputation for electronics, automobiles, smart gadgets, and robotics. Japanese scientists and experts always try to come up with smart technologies and devices to make life easier. In the pursuit of convenience and comfort, however, they have also created some truly strange inventions. These things are useless and extremely wacky — take a look at some examples below.
A giant Swiss Army knife for any fan of Alan Titchmarsh. There’s a shovel, rake, pickaxe, and trowel among other things. Gardeners complain about bad backs all the time — they’ll probably be rushed into the ER with a slipped disc after using this thing.
Some things should only be used for one thing. Bowls, for example, should be used only to hold things — not to enhance hearing in weird ways! This Japanese invention is called the Ear Enhancer. It was made with what looks like bowls to enhance your range and accuracy of hearing. For many people, it has actually worked and doesn’t seem like much at all.
Those unfortunate enough to live in areas with limited access to water will appreciate this one. It is an upside-down umbrella designed to collect rainwater. It is hooked up to a bag designed to hold the collected water. It’s a somewhat good idea, except that consuming the water collected might not be hygienic, given the many pollutants that might have drifted along with it. Also, bottled water would be far more convenient than having to carry around a bag of rainwater.
Some people love their shoes so much that they will do anything to protect them. This has created a whole market of shoe-protective novelties, like plastic bags that wrap around the shoe. This novelty was designed for the same purpose. One would be wrong in thinking those mini umbrellas can be hooked up to just any shoe, however — as it happens, they come with this specific pair and are fixed to it. It’s a fashion statement and not a solution to anything, so it doesn’t really solve the problem that a good pair of boots can.
For those who are allergy-prone, you no longer have to carry around boxes of tissue to wipe nasal discharge during allergy season. An enterprising Japanese individual solved this problem by inventing toilet paper that you can wear on your head. It is, quite literally, toilet paper that one wears like a hat. You won’t have to carry boxes of tissue, but people will stare with disbelief as you pass by. If you don’t want to be stared at, a pocket-sized pack of Kleenex is a better option.
You know what it’s like — you’ve got heavy shopping to carry home on a rainy day. You either distribute your heavy bags between both hands and get drenched, or you carry the umbrella in one hand and all the shopping bags in the other. You stay somewhat dry, but you have to constantly swap the umbrella between arms before your arm gives out. Well, not anymore — once you’ve obtained the amazing and ultra-cool-looking umbrella headband/hat thing. Problem solved!
Fed up with having to keep your boxes of matches out of reach of your children? Worried about keeping large quantities of dangerous lighter fuel around your home? Or having matches snap while striking them against the box for the eleventh time? Then why not take the solar option! Solar power is said to be the future, although this device doesn’t look very futuristic. It uses a magnifying glass to focus sunlight on the tip of a cigarette. It was a good idea that, unfortunately, took an awfully long time to light anything up.
It’s beyond easy imagination that someone would think to invent this, but here it is. It takes the simple act of applying lipstick to levels never before seen. While makeup stencils work great, this one looks like it won’t — unless your lips naturally line up perfectly with the cutout, and you don’t mind looking like Hannibal Lecter while using it. It doesn’t help that it’s made of fabric, which will make the stains difficult to remove after even just a single use.
They say one can’t be too prepared. Some bring a utility knife wherever they go, while others bring more emergency supplies than seems necessary. Whatever the case, people who like to over-prepare will love this unique tie design. It has many pockets, giving quick access to anything someone might need. It’s not such a bad idea if one didn’t mind all that weight concentrated around the neck. But people who like over-preparing have better options available, such as bags or jackets fitted with many pockets.
If you have a habit of falling asleep on the metro or train while coming back home, this helmet is for you. Just stick it to the window, wear the helmet, and you are all set for the perfect train nap. The message board shows the station name for people to wake you up on time. (Message: Wake me up at station “…” – Thanks oj, Jessie and Marina)
Sure, babies and pets bring joy into the household. But you can’t expect them to do household chores — or can you? Apparently not to the industrious individual who designed these items so the otherwise less-than-useful members of the household can pull their own weight. Unfortunately, unless these outfits are washed often, babies and pets will constantly be breathing in all that dirt, redirecting any money saved on cleaning bills to hospital visits instead. Skip this one and get a vacuum.
Everyone loves a good bowl of ramen noodle soup. The savory and meaty broth always puts a smile on one’s face. The spattering of liquid broth outside of one’s mouth, however, can immediately turn that smile into a frown. This complication led to the invention of the noodle splash guard, which aims to make unruly soup stock a thing of the past. While it no doubt works, it has the disadvantage of making one look like a lion or flower from Alice in Wonderland. If one could get past looking like a complete oddity while eating soup, this could be the product for you. There are better, less outlandish ways to achieve the same result, such as refraining from slurping or wearing a headband to protect your hair.
It’s a tiny fan mounted to a chopstick that removes the need to keep blowing on soup to bring it to a desired temperature. If one doesn’t mind the unwanted attention from the sound of the fan, it might be the perfect soup companion. Looking silly, after all, beats getting your mouth scorched by hot soup. Unless the mounted fan were much lighter than it looks, however, it’s unlikely to work well. By the looks of it, the weight of the device creates problems that far outweigh the one it was designed to solve. If one were to accidentally drop it in the soup, noodles would fly across the room. Why one would use this device instead of simply waiting for the soup to cool down is anyone’s guess.
No one likes standing for long periods of time, especially on a packed train or subway. Your body begins to feel tired, and you’d love to just rest your chin on something — well, the Japanese have a solution! They might look totally ridiculous, but a chin rest is an invention many have dreamed of. It also helps you keep your balance, which is useful on a busy train.
The weather is unpredictable. People who live in areas with a high chance of getting caught in the rain would do well to prepare for it. And what better way to prepare than by bringing an umbrella? If you’ve reached the limits of your carrying capacity, don’t worry, because this one doesn’t need to be carried. The necktie design has its benefits — it doesn’t take up much space, while also making a fashion statement. The disadvantage, however, is that if it does rain, one is left with either not using the tie or wearing a drenched one — neither a good look in the workplace. Collapsible umbrellas already exist, leaving very little reason to use a necktie umbrella.
While your baby proves his usefulness by mopping his way around the house, you can look just as amusing by wearing these glasses, which solve the long-standing problem of flinching that causes eye droppers to miss their mark. The device makes sure the droplets are guided to exactly where they need to be. One could always do it the normal way and point the dropper directly at the corner of the eye, but that would be boring.
If you have little time to prepare in the morning and could do without spending time drying your hair, this invention may be for you. Every step you take pushes air up into a shower cap-like device fixed to your head, drying your hair as you walk. People will avoid you, but you’ll be early for work and your hair will dry in no time. If social discomfort is not your thing, you could always wake up earlier or shower the night before.
Everyone rushes in the morning to get to work. From taking a shower to getting dressed, making coffee and breakfast, and planning what to say in that later meeting, there is simply a lot to remember before leaving the house. This often leads to some people forgetting to brush their teeth, which is the problem this item was designed to address. There is a large market for portable hygiene products like this, with vending machines selling items like toothpaste and floss. The market is growing fast, with many companies now offering small, ultra-portable toothbrushes for people constantly on the move. One can also use a conventional toothbrush or breath mints to achieve the same purpose.
If you still use a traditional umbrella, visit Japan and buy yourself this one — you can forget about getting wet from a single drop of water. Go out in the rain and come back home completely dry. The only drawback is how someone would breathe inside it, since it is fully covered.
Speaking of ridiculous head accessories, here is another one to consider. Taking panoramic shots that stitch together well was one of the long-standing problems of photography. Thanks to one clever Japanese individual, it isn’t anymore — or so he thought. Anything this camera claims to do, like shoot panoramic photos and/or interactive 360-degree photos, can now be done by any mobile phone running the relevant app. But until one can stick a mobile phone to his head in the name of fashion, this 360-degree halo camera has a slight edge as a fashion statement.
What the hell was that!
The confusion was excruciating