Japanese Inventions

Japan is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world. In fact, it probably has more famous automotive and electronic companies than any other country (including the USA).^* Today, I will look at some Japanese technological achievements that have not caught on out side of Japan. Most people think Japan is awash with bizarre inventions but that is not really true. One of the best Japanese inventions I have seen is actually a modification to the toilet, but before I deal with that, I will introduce you to a few bizarre inventions just to keep the myth alive!

First, the “Eco-Otome Toilet Sound Blocker.” When you are in a cubicle of a public toilet and do not wish the person next door to hear the sound of you excreting (if there is any sound at all!), you press the button on the “Eco-Otome Toilet Sound Blocker” and are treated to the sound of a toilet flushing for 25 seconds at sufficient volume to mask any undesirable sounds that may be produced by you. This could also come in useful if you are vomiting in the toilet. The device is small and attaches to your key ring. It’s an interesting invention but I don’t know anyone who owns one.

Second, the “boyfriend arm pillow” and its male equivalent, the “lap pillow.” I think the below photos are self-explanatory. There must be many lonely girls and dirty men in Japan! 

 

Third, the “baby mop.” Once again, the below photo is self-explanatory. It’s not child exploitation because it’s cute, right?!

 

Still, the best Japanese invention that I have seen, and one which is very common, is the cistern/basin (please see the below photo). As you know, the water we flush down the toilet is precisely the same water that comes out of our bathroom tap. Every toilet flush uses (or wastes) several liters of water. The cistern/basin minimizes this wastage by piping the water, which refills the cistern after each flush, through a tap into a basin on the top of the cistern. After flushing the toilet, you wash your hands in the stream of water that automatically flows from the tap into the basin. The water from the basin then drains into the cistern so it can be used for the next flush. Ingenious! The cistern/basin (1) saves water, (2) improves hygiene by removing the need to touch tap handles in order to turn the tap on and off and (3) saves space by removing the need for a separate basin. These should be everywhere!

Thank you for reading and take care.

Our Man in Japan.

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* Here is a list of famous Japanese companies I could think of off-hand. As you can see, there’s a lot.

Automotive: Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Mazda, Toyota, Daihatsu, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Nissan and Bridgestone.

Electronic: Sony, Sanyo, Panasonic, JVC, Casio, Kenwood, Daikin, Pioneer, Ricoh, Seiko, NEC, Toshiba, Fuji Xerox, Hitachi, Akai, Nintendo, Sega, Korg and Kawai.

Photographic: Canon, Nikon and Minolta