99 More Unuseless Japanese Inventions: The Art of Chindogu

by Kenji Kawakami, Dan Papia

A second volume of "Chindogu," the Japanese word coined for bizarre but logical gadgets designed for everyday life, includes a solar-powered torch, a device that lets you eat while you exercise, and car that dries your laundry as you drive. Original.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Japan, Comedy

160 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 1997

About the author

Kenji Kawakami is the inventor of the Japanese craze Chindōgu.

Reviews

[BookieWookie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read a book about the art of chindogu, a Japanese term for making bizarre but ingenious gadgets that seem to be ideal solutions to (very) particular problems, but more often than not will cause more problems than they solve.

It's a fun little book, and also a bit of an artifact since some inventions in here are now commonplace such as selfie sticks and such. Actually, pretty much any invention in here involving cameras is now taken care of with smartphones. Quite a few things would also likely show up on "life hack" videos today. Anyway, the more outlandish inventions are a lot of fun, though there are a few too many focused on working away from the office but that's not surprising considering Japan's salaryman culture.

Some of my favourites include an umbrella with a bicycle bell on it to trick people into moving out of the way for you, a device that chews food for you, a portable device that forces you to smile should it be required, gloves with thumbtacks to make sure you don't lean, a device that chains cigarettes together so you can literally chain smoke, clotheslines on a car so you can air dry your outfits while driving, and more.

[Seven Pesos · Rating 4 out of 5]

LMAO! This is the kinda "WTF Japan" type shit that I loved seeing as a kid. A curious cultural relic of a consumer culture come-and-gone. Funny how the selfie stick is featured here as a ridiculous object in light of how they're more or less commonplace these days. This was pure fun.

[HeavyReader · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book amused me mildly. Maybe I'd be into this sort of thing if I were Japanese or knew more about Japanese culture.

I thought the full color photos of very serious-looking people using the unuseless inventions were the best part of the book.

The book was given to me. I read it quickly. I will now pass it on to a Japanofile friend.

(My favorite unuseless invention featured in this book was the baby mop. The one that made me burst out laughing was the contact lens protector. Also of note was the ancestor of today's ubiquitous selfie stick.)

[Adribasuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

The thing that i always remember about this book is about innovative in a very very less way

[Hoby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books ever for a quick laugh, a long laugh, or causing other people to laugh. Wonderful stuff.

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

as with the first book some of these things are truly hilarious, and some are truly horrifying.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a lot of junk ideas in this book! They were all truly Japanese in their thoughts and ideas. But a great read nonetheless!

[Crnbryeggshls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars. Why? Because you can't help but be filled with wonder when presented with the fact that these are real inventions.

[Mark Beaulieu · Rating 3 out of 5]

It and the previous version are a bookend pair.