The baby mop
The first publication of the book 101 Unuseless Japenese Inventions, at the end of the 90s, was centered around Chindogu art. Created by author Kenji Kawakami, this art of unusual and useless inventions, displayed different ways of solving the everyday problems. One of the Chindogus is the Baby Mop, a pair of trousers and a sweatshirt for babies with strips that clean the floor while the baby crawls.
Tagged: Chindogu, Japan, Japanese inventions, Kenji Kawakami, The baby mop
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Japanese scientists have built a giant, hi-tech machine that can make waves in the shape of hearts, quarter notes, five-point stars, and more. They must know something we don’t, or maybe they’re figuring out how to make a giant cappuccino out of the BP oil spill.
Rinkya survival gear for cats and dogs
It is known that the Japanese are very passionate about robotic pets, but now they’re also orried about their real pets in case of an earthquake. The new Rinkya survival gear for cats and dogs is not only a shiny vest for Lassie, but is also flame resistant. It includes small bags with water and cookies for your beloved pet to have something to chew while you run away from the disaster area. But that’s not all. The survival gear also includes a set of aromatherapy oils to help your pet to relax during a disaster. It costs 38,000 yen (approximately 375 dollars) via Rinkya Stores.
Don’t let your craving for raw fish go unmet. Sushi Popper uses fish that has been frozen, keeping it fresh and edible for up to three months after you buy it. What’s more, there’s an ample serving soy sauce in the handle, so you can flavour up your lunch without getting your hands dirty.
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Rinkya survival gear for cats and dogs
It is known that the Japanese are very passionate about robotic pets, but now they’re also orried about their real pets in case of an earthquake. The new Rinkya survival gear for cats and dogs is not only a shiny vest for Lassie, but is also flame resistant. It includes small bags with water and cookies for your beloved pet to have something to chew while you run away from the disaster area. But that’s not all. The survival gear also includes a set of aromatherapy oils to help your pet to relax during a disaster. It costs 38,000 yen (approximately 375 dollars) via Rinkya Stores.
Clocky is an alarm clock that notices if you don’t wake up and starts moving all over your bedroom so you won’t be able to catch it and turn the alarm off. Its main intention is to hide and keep ringing untl you wake up. This tinny alarm clock has two all-terrain wheels that can endure all surfaces.
Only in Japan? Perhaps. The Japanese Bug Fights website promotes real bug fights, with combatants such as scorpions, spiders, mantis and giant beetles. The rules are simple: only two bugs must be engaged in the fight. External weapons are not allowed and the fight lasts till one of opponents dies. Hmmm. Read more
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Zeke Clough’s obsessively detailed drawings harken back to the mind-expanding glory days of Zap Comix. His oeuvre oozes a sense of dread, with lines snaking across the page like coiled intestines and the crosshatching of shadows growing like mold on dead flesh. Read more
What do you do with 260,000 car keys? What about 29,000 credit cards? Chris Jordan creates breathtaking images with thousands of tiny products. His creations are shocking and sometimes disturbing, always to attract attention to a social cause. Read more
Oh man, my eyeballs feel like they’re dropping out of my head. This clip is pyschedelic in a way that platform shoes and polyester shoes could never be. The Faint are the shizz, and that’s the truth.
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Derrick Chinn is turista libre, a ‘free tourist’, not afraid to go in deep into Tijuana and find the hidden gems of the city. No narco warfare. No strolls down hooker row. No donkey shows. No gringo stereotypes.
I’m one of those people who lament the death of analog film as a medium, not because I romanticize the process, but because I love the unpredictable imperfections inherent in non-digital formats. Read more
It’s only fitting a band of Canadian rootsters like this would tap a mythical figure of folklore for their namesake. Indeed, Ottawa’s The John Henrys understand the power of the familiar. Read more
It’s official, I’m back into jewellery after detoxing from the 2001 chandelier earring craze. Aurélie Bidermann used to work at Sotheby’s New York in their Impressionist and Contemporary Art department but has been slowly raising though the ranks as one of the most innovative jewellery designers around today. Her website doesn’t showcase her fantastic Spring 09 pieces. Check out the accessory report on style.com for a good look at some of her new work.
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The return of the Brionvega rr226
Italian brand Brionvega has resurrected the classy Radiofonografio piece first created in 1965. The updated version is just like the original turntable/radio unit, but also has a CD/DVD player.
It’s refreshing to see artists like Joe Kievitt who are contented to explore the beauty in simple forms and asymmetrical patterns. Read more
Francoise Nielly’s Yellow series
Parisian visual artist Francoise Nielly brings technicolour to the forefront in her latest series, Yellow. Featuring thick impasto palette knife strokes and trippy neon hues, Nielly captures the vulnerable expressions of her muses to a tee. Read more
A little infectious lollipop rock anyone? Feel free to embarrass yourself singing along at the stoplight. If the other drivers give you that look, roll down the windows and spread the love.
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Communication prosthesis by Sascha Nordmeyer
This ‘communication prosthesis’ by designer Sascha Nordmeyer is hilarious and awesome. I want to wear one to a job interview.
Made from 100 percent organic cotton and eco-friendly, this super soft tee celebrates a sinister world of kaleidoscopic colours and ripples of psychedelia, of serenading Queens, of dancing flamingos, of unimaginable euphoria. It’s all the work of Sydney label, Das Monk and it’s available through the Lost At E Minor online store for just US$40. Now, there’s one hell of a Christmas present, even if we do say so ourselves!
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