The Japanese spawn the greatest inventions. This anatomical sleeping bag is perfect for those of us who forget which nerve is connected to what muscle.

SPONSOR

If you’ve ever felt lonely, with the computer screen blaring in your face, look no further than Tengu, here to keep you company. Just by plugging him into your computer through your USB port, he will sing along to any music that you play in addition to making seven different facial expressions.

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.

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.

SPONSOR

This amazing looking thing can be found wandering the streets of Shibuya Station in Tokyo, Japan, dishing up ample servings of Coca-Cola and gripping the city’s teenagers with a sudden fear of the future.

In Japan, like in other countries of the world, more people are living alone. So experts on commercialization have created products to satisfy a new demand. One of the most recognised products is the man arm-shaped pillow. It’s an arm that doesn’t include a body, so — for better or for worse — it lacks snores, nasty smells, and human warmth.

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.

From the depths of functional creativity comes this invention out of Japan: the back scratching t shirt, the fastest and most illogical solution to fight an itch.

SPONSOR

The new Japanese battery — NoPoPo — ensures that you will never run out of energy, even in those unexpected moments. This promise is made possible because you can charge them by inserting either water, urine, blood, apple juice, beer and saliva into their base with a teat pipette which is included in the package. So now you know it! Is this a way of turning drunks into real plants that generate energy? Their operation is possible thanks to the reaction produced by the magnesium and the carbon of the urine. According to the online magazine The Register, these batteries are only being sold in Japanese stores and the date of the arrival to the Western markets is unknown. Unfortunately they can only be charged between two and five times — an ambiguous number — and the price is not cheap at U$15.

From the what will they think of next box comes [drum roll please] Pileus — an umbrella connected to the Internet, ‘to make walking in rainy days fun’. Pileus has a large screen on the top, a built-in camera, a motion sensor, GPS, and a digital compass. And it provides two main functions: social photo-sharing and a 3D map navigation. Yes, indeed, rainy days will never quite seem the same again.