Japan didn’t just give us the quartz wristwatch, the DSLR, and the Playstation. It also gave us the Subway Sleeper, the Hay Fever Hat and the Kaba Kick Russian Roulette Toy for Kids! The country has long been a hub for wacky inventions you never knew you wanted, so in tribute to the keepers of the bizarre, here are some of our favorite devices to make you say それはクールだ!
#1. Taily – “The Tail That Wags When You Get Excited”
We’re all fans of Necomimi, the “Brainwave Cat Ears,” right? Right. I mean, without cat ears to wiggle, how will we ever know if you liked your donut? Well, Shota Ishiwatari, creator of the Necomimi prototype, isn’t resting on his fuzzy laurels. Ladies and gentlemen, we give you Taily:
You wouldn’t wear a jacket without pants. Now there’s no need to wear those adorable kitty ears without a matching tail. You’ll be the talk of the furry convention circuit, and your friends will never have to ask how you’re feeling again!
#2. The H-Boya USB Creepy Kid
The letter “H” is bad. Very bad. So bad, in fact, that you need a bobbleheaded child to blink at you in creepy terror every time you type it. Yup. That’s all the H-Boya does. It blinks when you type “H,” because, as the story goes, “H is for Hentai,” and that’s bad. But terrifying robochildren who watch your every move? That’s totally right.
#3. The Marriage-Hunting Bra
When a suitor is feeling amorous, the Marriage-Hunting Bra helps him check his intentions. The bra sports a digital countdown timer headed for the precise moment when its wearer wants to tie the knot. It also has a ring-carrying compartment and a pen holder, so you’ll never be a a loss if you decide to jet off to Vegas for a quickie ceremony.
Lest you think we’re just beating up on Japan, we give you two humble entries from other countries with too much time to burn. First up, China’s entry:
#4. The Home Core Toilet-Sink
The iPotty was child’s play. The champion of the pro toilet circuit is industrial designer Dang Jingwei. His second toilet design (following the ingeniously low-tech Portable Paper Toilet) is the Home Core Integrated Toilet, which combines a sink, a vanity, and, of course, a toilet. It’s a bit crowded for our tastes. Gray water recycling is a fantastic idea, and we’re all for saving the environment, but a shower might be an easier place to start.
And in case you think innovation is dead in the USA, we bring you the awesomeness that is:
5. The TV Hat
Yes, that’s right. Theres no need to buy a battery-busting Galaxy Note II to watch movies when you can slap a magnifying glass over your iPhone. Plus, you get a super-cool hat to hide your identity from thieves who’ll want to break into your house and steal the hat! Or the horrifying possibility that someone you know might see you wearing this thing.
Honorable mention: the GoJo.