15 Un-Useless Japanese Inventions That Make Perfect Sense
The Japanese are known for having crazy, brilliant ideas and carrying them out: square watermelons? Yes please. Vending machines that have not only food, but a whole bunch of weird things? Sure. Cat cafes? All over it. But what about inventions that are technically almost useful, but haven't made it to the mainstream yet (and never will)? What about little umbrellas that go on your shoes so they don't get wet? Chopsticks with a fan attached to cool down your noodles as you eat? These are chindogu, which means tools that are almost useless, but not quite. If you think these ideas are genius, have a look at the crazy inventions below that technically make a lot of sense but also are pretty arbitrary. They all come from The Big Bento Box Of Unuseless Japanese Inventions.
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1
Exact location back scratcher
We all have those hard-to-reach spots that no matter how hard we try, we just can't itch them. This invention allows you to point to the exact spot where your back is itching, so you can finally get some relief. Genius.
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2
Butter grater
We all know that spreading cold butter on your toast can be disastrous. Worst case, you'll tear holes in your toast and have lumps of cold butter in between the holes. Tragic! This butter grater supposedly solves the problem by finely grating the butter so it's easier to spread. It makes sense in theory.
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3
Umbrellas for your favorite shoes
Ah, the essential umbrella shoe. No-one wants to get their favorite shoes wet when it's raining, but changing your outfit to wear more suitable shoes is out of the question. The only logical solution? Put little umbrellas on your shoes. They will make it difficult to walk, and will only provide minimal protection for your shoes. But at least you'll look awesome.
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4
Pillow disguised as a book
If you're prone to sleeping in places other than your bed, but don't want to face the embarrassment of carrying around a pillow, the disguised pillow is your best bet. Carry around your "book" and when the sleepiness strikes, discreetly open it up and rest that weary head of yours.
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5
360 degree panorama camera
Before judging this one, let's remember that this book was published in 2005, before smartphones had decent cameras. So this kind of makes sense! Using this contraption would create a pretty decent panorama, although I'm not so sure about surrounding your head with the ring of photos. Just display them on the wall.
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6
The ultra umbrella
If you'd like the protection of both an umbrella and a whole-body raincoat - but don't want to degrade your standards of fashion by wearing an actual raincoat - this is your solution. We're not exactly sure how one would get in and out of the ultra umbrella, but it does look like it'd keep the rain off you. To be safe, better wear those shoe umbrellas too.
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7
The noodle fan
How many times have you burned your tongue on hot noodles? Too many times! The only logical solution? The noodle fan, of course. When you don't have the time to blow on your noodles analogue style, just use the noodle fan to cool down your noodles at high speeds. But be careful that your noodles don't get sucked inside the fan.
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8
Hearing enhancer
If discretion isn't your thing and you want to let the world know that you don't hear very well, wear the hearing enhancer. Essentially two salad bowls will funnel all the world's noises into your ears, hopefully helping you hear better. Note: it may be difficult to wear hats with the hearing enhancer.
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9
Eyedrop glasses
If you don't like putting in eyedrops, this one is for you. I'm not exactly sure how these glasses would make putting eyedrops in easier, but let's trust that it does. Or at least it looks kinda funky.
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10
Butter stick
Another invention combating the problem of getting butter spread nicely over your toast. It really is one of the hardest challenges we face today! The butter stick promises to change everything, allowing you to spread butter on your toast via a chapstick style butter dispenser. It also makes it easy to carry your butter around, as one does.
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11
Alarm headphones
This one is for people who have a really hard time waking up. If it's not enough to have two alarms ringing near you, try putting them directly onto your ears. If that's not enough, you've got a hearing problem (so you should wear the hearing enhancer, above).
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12
Baby mop suit
Babies. What use are they, really? They go around, eating your food, living in your house without paying rent, and generally mooching off you. If you want your baby to contribute to the household duties, get yourself a baby mop suit. Instead of crawling around unproductively, your baby will clean the floor while it crawls. Genius.
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13
The crier's best friend
Are you prone to crying? Or maybe you have allergies that leave you with a runny nose? Perhaps you just like to be prepared for any kind of water-related issue and don't like carrying a packet of tissues in your handbag. Whatever the predicament, the crier's best friend will provide you with 24/7 toilet paper for blowing your nose. And it comes in a fashionable head holder.
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14
Daddy's got milk
Why should women exclusively experience the joy of breastfeeding? Good news for all the fathers out there. With the "daddy's got milk," fathers can breastfeed their babies with these realistic looking silicone breasts. Just strap on the contraption, fill them with milk, and experience the wonderful pleasure of breastfeeding your child.
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15
The upright sleeper
There's nothing more embarrassing than falling asleep on the train and waking up to find your head on a stranger's shoulder. If this has happened to you one too many times, it's time to get yourself an upright sleeper. This fashionable hat attaches to the wall behind you and holds your head upright as you sleep, so you can spend your valuable time on the train getting some much needed rest.
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