Japan is a country that is brilliant for many reasons. What we’re going to focus on today is how innovative and creative their population are. Here we present some of the awesome things that you can find in Japan that other countries could definitely benefit from. Some are so simple yet make such big differences! Japan is definitely on our list of places to visit as we really want to see some of these things with our own eyes. Take a look and see what you think!
One of the lovely things about having a partner is resting your head against their lap. It’s warm, it’s comfortable and it’s intimate. What’s not to like? Unfortunately, not everyone has a partner whose legs they can perch upon. But, why should they miss out on such an enjoyable experience? Well, over in Japan, no one has to miss out, as you can simply go and purchase yourself some leg shaped pillows, complete with clothing!
There are always jokes made about ‘if only dads could breastfeed’. Even films such as ‘Meet The Fockers’ included a device made up of artificial breasts that could be worn to feed a baby. Well, it appears that this isn’t just a made up thing as over in Japan you can get your hands on a feeding gadget that is similar to the one from the movie! Now dads (and friends and family) can get in on the action a little easier!
There are plenty of people who enjoy wearing various wigs. However, over in Japan, this trend goes even further! People can buy the hair-on-a-stick type thing that you see below and put it to numerous different uses. Apparently, some people keep them on hand in their offices so they can look better during video calls. And, of course, they make snapping a quick selfie a walk in the park!
So many of us can’t help but fall asleep on public transport, or, battle extremely hard to stay awake. But, it doesn’t have to be this way! If you could put a little faith in your fellow humans like the Japanese do, everyone could get a little extra rest on their travels! The hat in the image below roughly says ‘wake me up at…’ so fellow passengers know when to help out. We think for hygiene reasons it would be best if people bought their own hats rather than used universal ones.
When you have a cold or allergies, you can go through toilet paper like there’s no tomorrow. However, it’s hugely annoying getting up and down, going back and forth, even moving a mere meter can be annoying. But, you’re allowed to be lazy when your sick! One way you could make your life easier is to invest in this toilet roll holder that attaches to the top of your head for quick and convenient access to your much needed tissues.
The image you see below is of a capsule hotel in Japan. Designed for people who just need to get a good night’s sleep. We think that they look pretty cool although we’re not too sure about the see through doors! We would be very interested in giving this experience a go! These pods probably wouldn’t suit people who are claustrophobic but they look ideal for those who like things to be minimalistic!
It’s highly annoying as a smoker if you’ve gone out without matches or a lighter and you can’t find anyone to help you out. However, this wouldn’t be a problem if you carried this handy device around and used the natural resource of the sun! Of course, this would only work when the sun was out, and admittedly it is quite a large item to carry around when compared to a lighter or matches. But, we think it looks super cool!
Don’t you just hate it when your feet get wet and dirty, more importantly, your lovely shoes? Unfortunately, we can’t control the weather. But, we can control how we protect ourselves! We think Japan are on the right track with these strange yet adorable shoe umbrellas. We would be curious to do a test to explore just how effective they are at keeping shoes and feet dry!
Most people can’t guarantee themselves a seat on public transport. In fact, some people know that due to their route there is no chance of getting one. Many have the attitude that they don’t really mind standing, they just wish it was a little more comfortable. That’s wear this chin supporting device comes in! It allows you to rest your head, and if you’re someone who can rest their eyes easily, you could even get some extra sleep! Though, we don’t think we could properly shut off if we were standing!
Umbrellas are a great invention and they get the job done relatively well, however, there’s always room for improvement and Japan may have just nailed it. A standard umbrella will do a fairly good job at keeping you dry depending on how harsh the weather conditions are, but throw in some wind and heavy rain, well, you’re guaranteed to get wet. With this simple alteration, you can have full visibility and full coverage!
Now, these slippers would definitely take some mastering to get the technique right but if you practiced enough, these could come in super handy! No need to grab the dustpan and brush, just do a quick shuffle with your feet and voila! We would like to see a video of these in action because we can’t imagine they would be the easiest things to maneuver…
Now this is one we really love. Simple yet so helpful! No one likes putting their bag on to a dirty floor, but it’s also a nuisance having to take up table space as an alternative. These chairs have such a small alteration in them yet they become so much more useful! We would feel like our possessions would be a lot safer like this also as most people would be leaning back against their chair.
It doesn’t matter how many times we do it, some of us just can’t master applying lipstick nicely. One day it will go well and the next it’s a complete disaster. Many people opt to doing their make up on their commute to work which can make the process even harder. Well, if you were the owner of this mouthpiece, with a little practice you could ensure you had perfect lipstick with minimal effort! It does look a little scary though!
We’re not really sure what to make of this one. To be honest, we’ve never thought to ourselves ‘we wish we had a way of collecting rainwater on the move’. We wouldn’t go as far as to go this invention useless, rather just a little bizarre! We wonder if people actually use these? And, if so, why? We need to know more about the rain water collecting umbrella contraption!
Some people can self apply eye drops with absolute ease, whilst others need to be pinned down and forced. Some people no matter how hard they try just can’t bring themselves to keep their eye open and squeeze the drops in. But, this would be way easier if you owned a pair of these funnel glasses! It’s harder to know when the drops are going to fall in so just try really hard to keep your eye open and before you know it, the job is done!
It can be extremely annoying when you’re out and about and the weather decides to make your day bad. Sure, a bit of rain never hurt anyone, but these situations often occur when you least want them to, such as on the way to a job interview or a big meeting. Many people forget or just can’t be bothered to take an umbrella out with them but with this umbrella tie all the effort is removed! Just remember not to put it back on straight away after using it!
Mannequins can be so boring. More often than not they are terrible at representing the average body shape and they just stand there looking mundane and a little creepy if we’re honest. But, things don’t have to be this way! Why not take a leaf out of Japan’s book and jazz up our mannequins?! How much more eye catching and engaging are the dudes below than your average ones? A hell of a lot more we’d say!
Noodles are enjoyed by many on a daily basis. The food, although delicious, has its downsides. Most of us are impatient so end up burning out tongues, but that’s not really the biggest issue. Splash back can cause a right old mess on your clothes and hair. This is hugely annoying if you’re about to go out! No one wants to smell of noodle juice and have bits and pieces on them. So, we can completely appreciate why some people would choose to wear this amusing looking facial attachment!
No one likes cutting or slicing their finger open. But, unfortunately, accidents happen and this is one that happens quite a lot to some people. If only there were a way to hold your food in place like a hand would, without putting yourself at risk. Oh wait, there is! This sort of creepy looking hand piece assists you with your chopping and cutting making sure that you don’t hurt yourself.
Most of us are willing to admit we are guilty of wiping our hands on our backsides on some occasions. This is often an accidental reflex to get rid of excess water after just washing our hands or to rub off a bit of whatever when we can’t find a towel. If you’re someone who does this often, maybe the pants in the image below would be perfect for you. With built in patches for wiping, you don’t ever have to feel ashamed again!
Some jobs require you to wear specific uniforms. More often than not this is for your own safety. However, it sucks when it’s super hot out side and you’re being forced to cover up almost from head to toe. If you’re someone who has to endure this awfulness, you might fancy investing in one of these air conditioned outfits! We have to say, having your own personal breeze all day long sounds wonderful!
When you’re hungry sometimes you’re a little too impatient and end up burning your mouth on your food. In Japan, this often happens with noodles. If you’ve got a fairly strong hand, this chopstick fan could change the way you eat forever! Never have to manually blow your food again as you have a constant cooling breeze on your meals.
As many people are aware, karaoke is huge in Japan. Everyone likes to get involved, even those who don’t necessarily have a good voice. This is fine as everyone is entitled to have fun, but sometimes it’s nice to be considerate of those around you. That is why the ‘silent karaoke’ device was born. It allows you to practice your singing without disturbing anyone else and it connects to an application where you can mess around with the sounds. We would actually be so interested in trying this out!
Some people say that they are so bad at cooking, they couldn’t even butter some toast. Well, although a seemingly easy task, getting the perfect amount of butter distributed evenly can be a task for some people. If you feel like it’s you we are describing, this butter grater could change the way you eat toast forever! We need to get our hands on some of these and hand them out to everyone we know!
It sucks when you’ve got an earache but you really could do without going to the doctors. For people who have recurring ear problems, sometimes it’s easy to self diagnose the issue, if only they could see what was going on! Well, this issue is a thing of the past with the clever creation below! Now you can see inside your ear with ease and make an assessment on whether you need to see a specialist or if it’s just something small.
Carrying things in your pockets can be so annoying. Your look often gets ruined by bulky items bulging out of your sides. Most men aren’t likely to carry a bag with them and there’s only so much room in a jacket pocket. If these are issues that bug you, maybe you would benefit from this multi functional tie! Complete with slots for cards, a pen and even a pair of scissors. Could this take off around the world do you think?
It’s no secret that babies (and adults) can be messy. Of course, most of us will clean our floors when they need it but nothing can be spotless all of the time. However, if you have a baby that crawls around a lot, why not benefit from their movement? Dress them in this hilarious onesie and they can pick up some dirt as they explore! The bristles look like they would offer some nice cushioning!
Everyone has faced the dilemma of wanting to rest their head against something but then not being able to hear the TV properly. So, you admit defeat and change positions. Well, the Japanese do something else entirely and we much prefer it! They have cool sound catching pillows that allow you to rest comfortably without hindering your listening experience. Why haven’t these taken off around the world yet? We would certainly use one!
You may or may not have known that many of the taxis in Japan have automated doors! This means you can get in and out without having to put in any effort. We think this is a win all round because the drivers can’t accuse you of slamming their doors and you don’t have to get any germs on your hands from touching the door handle that hundreds of other people have touched!
If you’re a cat lover you’ll be pleased to know that there are plenty of cat friendly cafes to choose from in Japan! You’ll never have to choose between going for a coffee or spending time with your cat because you can do both at the same time! Based on the picture below it looks like the cats can wander around and make new friends. What a cool idea!
Depending on where you live and how you feel about critter life, you may often be faced with having to kill insects. In Japan, it’s not a surprise to find a cockroach or two lurking around your home. Sometimes you have to think quickly and it’s stressful knowing what to grab. Say goodbye to that problem with these 2 in 1 slippers! Keep your feet comfortable whilst having peace of mind that you have a tool at your disposal should you need it.
In places with high populations such as Japan, parking can be a huge issue. There just isn’t enough space to go around. But, here you can see one way that the Japanese utilize what they have available! We think a lot of places could benefit from replicating this idea. Parking garages tend to have a lot of empty space that would be ideal for adding ‘second floor’ style parking spaces.
No one is left out of the loop in Japan with these announcement systems that span the entire country! Although their main use is to alert people of emergencies such as earthquakes, when they are not being used for this you can hear them playing lovely music for the public. We think every town should have this sort of system in which emergencies are broadcast from. They could save numerous lives!
So many of us would like to lose weight but just can’t seem to find something that really works. Well, how would you feel about a pair of DIET goggles? Do you think these could catch on? They say perception is everything so we can see the logic behind this. We definitely wouldn’t turn down an opportunity to give these goggles a try although we feel that because we know what the goggles do, it would be hard for us to not tell our brains it’s all a trick.
Although there are many systems available to assist blind people, much more still needs to be done. Every single can of drink in Japan has its name written in braille on the top. We think every country in the world should do this. It’s such a small thing that really makes a difference to the lives of blind people. This is a step in the right direction.
Japan has many vending machines like the one you’ll see below. They dispense ‘real food’ and proper meals! You can get everything from boiled eggs to pet food. We would be interested to see the what the quality of food is like. If it was nice, we imagine these kinds of machines will be very popular. They would probably take quite a bit of refilling, though!
If you ever happen to be traveling in Japan, you might notice that some of the trains have hot water baths for people to soak their feet in. We’re not too sure how hygienic this would be, but then again Japan is known for being super clean. To be fair, it must be quite nice to relax your feet after a hard day’s work! We wonder how busy they get? Do people battle for a seat?
Everyone has those moments where they feel tired at work. The Japanese decided that everyone should have the legal right to sleep during work hours. This is called ‘inemuri’. Just imagine, you’re feeling exhausted at work and instead of being scared to close your eyes, you embrace it and rest assured that you won’t get in any trouble! Brilliant!
You’ll find that you can hear a sweet song playing when you drive down a few of the roads in Japan. We’re not exactly sure how this works but we’re definitely intrigued! We can imagine that if you’re having a bad day, driving down a road and suddenly hearing some lovely music would dramatically improve your mood!
Hanging gas pipes are definitely the way forward! With this idea you don’t have to face those annoying situations when the pump won’t reach your gas fill point. And, if you’re worried you wouldn’t be able to reach the pump as you’re short, there’s no need as there will be employees there to fill your car for you. This is quick, easy and convenient for the customer. What’s not to like?!
Everyone loves popping bubble wrap! With this handy little creation you can pop to your heart’s content. This is great for reducing stress and is the perfect size for attaching to your keys. Now you can bring this soothing habit with you wherever you go. We think these should be handed out at schools and offices as standard. Pop, pop and pop that stress away!