Japanese culture is really fascinating. But their genius is sometimes frightening. It is one of the oldest ancient Asian civilizations still standing, along with China and India. They are also among the most advanced in science and technology. Keeping its ancient traditions alive while at the forefront of the most sophisticated inventions and technological developments, Japan is one of the most interesting countries to visit. There are a lot of countries that are famous all over the world for some peculiarities, and Japan is probably one of the most obvious ones.

Talking about Japan requires thinking in different words. Their delight for technology and love for video games and anime are just some of the most recognizable stereotypes. But beyond that, the Japanese are a real mystery to all of us who haven’t had direct contact with them. And this country is well known for its inventions. Some of them are strange, some are crazy, while others are in the middle. For example, when the selfie stick landed in the West, which caused so much mockery, in Japan it was already a popular consumer product. The Japanese are internationally known for their ingenious inventions that make life easier and more comfortable, although they often reach a very extreme level.

15. Bachelor’s cafeteria

People usually have addictions. One of the most popular and widely accepted addictions in the world is coffee. Millions of people can’t go a day without a cup of coffee. And since drinking coffee has become a social activity, much like going to a bar to drink beer, people frequent coffee shops at any time of the day. The problem is that you don’t always get company, and going alone is a little embarrassing. But in Japan, the problem has been solved, as there are cafés that have found an excellent solution: each customer is sit on the table with a toy doll, so no one feels alone while drinking and eating.

14. Diagonal zebra crossing

Many people know the bitter situation that when you are walking on the street and you feel the need to cross a diagonal intersection, but you cannot do so, because it is a traffic violation and it is also dangerous. So, what do you do when you’re in a hurry to get to a work appointment and the street is crowded with people waiting for the traffic light to go red so you can cross from one side to the other? Well there’s nothing more to do than wait and run as soon as the pedestrian light turns green. Although you can also go to live in Japan, which, in many of its big cities, due to the large number of passers-by, there are streets that have diagonal crossings.

13. Bathroom special slippers

Whether it is personal hygiene or regarding the cleanness of a specific space, this is a very important matter for the Japanese. These people are raised from a very young age to be respectful of others. And it is such an obsession with cleanliness and neatness that in every Japanese house you will surely find this type of special slippers for bathrooms. For the Japanese, even the cleanest bathroom is considered the dirtiest and most contaminated place in the house, so they can’t get in there with the same shoes or slippers they wear to walk around other rooms in their home.

12. Robot-driven stores

The Japanese love and passion for technology is making designs and advances in robotics more and more impressive. Japan is internationally known as the land of robots and all kinds of machines, which over time are increasingly replacing the activities and trades performed by humans. For example, in this temporary store there are no cashiers or human helpers, but robots. ‘Pepper’, the name of this nice robot, will be responsible for answering questions and concerns of customers and advise them which is the product they need. This kind of technological “breakthroughs” for the future are a real paradise for introvert people, since they do not have to interact with humans.

11. Liberation wrapper

One of the best pleasures of being a man is not having as much modesty to eat as a woman has. But the situation is complicated if that woman is Japanese, because in that country, cleanliness and decency are a natural part of their culture. That’s why eating a huge hamburger, for which you have to open your mouth widely and get dirty with sauces, was not something that sympathized very much with women, because many times they are ashamed of doing this and prefer not to order them. Trying to solve this problem, the owners of a hamburger restaurant found out and decided to wrap their big, juicy hamburgers in napkins that hide what’s really going on behind them.

10. Cleaning suit

Although the rate of newborns per year is falling in Japan, because young people are not as interested in formalizing a family in a traditional way, the imaginative mindset of these people does not stop. Quite the opposite. That’s why they designed a special suit for babies before they are able to walk, because they want these little creatures to help with the housework. If babies crawl all over the house, why not take advantage of them by putting on a suit that cleans the floor while they learn to walk? The result is something as funny as it is useful, since the baby’s clothes have feathers that are used to remove dirt from the floor.

9. Chastity corset

Even though the Japanese today do not feel marriage as important in their lives as it was in previous generations, the great scientific minds of this country have developed an interesting way for men who are about to marry to protect their marital interests. What better way to stop your future wife from rebelling before marriage? Well…with a chastity corset that, more than for women, is actually for men who are about to marry and want to make sure that their girlfriend is not tempted by other men. Clearly sounds like some of Japanese men need to be more secure in their relationships and actually trust their partners. No woman deserves to be treated like this and we hope they run for the hills if a man even mentions a chastity corset!

8. Portable food blower

The Japanese are characterized by living a life on the edge as time is concerned. Don’t get us wrong. There is no one in the world more punctual than the Japanese, because complying with schedules is a way of showing respect for others. And because of the hustle and bustle they have to deal with every day, there is often no time to eat. But since eating is vital for human health, it was necessary to invent a quick way to prepare food and eat it in record time. It is for this reason that the pre-cooked food was invented and is ready in 3 minutes just by adding hot water. The problem is that you never know if the food may be too hot, so better bring your portable blower.

7. Flower hair holder for when you’re having ramen

This popular invention has a direct relationship with the description of the previous object. Let’s be honest. It’s a “nightmare” to eat soup or noodles and that our Disney’s fairy tale princess long hair ends up inside the dish, getting dirty and ruining our food. Then, in order to avoid this major inconvenience, Japanese avant-garde science and engineering designed a system that helps women’s or men’s hair stay put behind that big rubber flower, and not end up getting into the food dish. After all, how uncomfortable it is to passing hair behind your ear with your hands.

6. Sleeping space cubicles

In Japan, it is very common for people to take short, small naps in the afternoon, either after lunch or when they leave their offices and workplaces. This with the idea of recovering a little energy and doing more willingly what needs to be done the rest of the day. The problem is that the distances in this country are often very long, so moving from work to home to take a short nap is not a good idea, as it would waste a lot of time on the road. That’s why they designed special rooms in certain hotels so that people could rest like if it was a space capsule.

5. Tie-umbrella…why not

Many men in Japan like to dress elegantly. It doesn’t matter if it’s to go to work, to have a date or just to be at home or to go out to a shopping center. The etiquette is very important in that culture, so for men, the tie is practically the holy grail of elegance. The downside is that the weather in Japan is quite variable, and although weather information is always accurate, forgetting the umbrella at home is a frequent occurrence. But that will be ancient history, since they have invented the tie-umbrella, an object that fulfills the function of two. And best of all, its dual function is virtually invisible.

4. Tie-wallet…again very practical?

Starting from the same principle explained above, Japanese designers took inspiration from the tie-umbrella to develop the tie-wallet. On this occasion, the idea is to satisfy the need of those men who do not want to carry a heavy wallet inside their trousers or in some other pocket of their attire. So, what better way to stay elegant and at the same time carry your credit card, money, coins, small scissors for the moustache, toothbrush, a pen, the house keys and even the comb in the back of your tie? Now do you understand when we told you that in Japan inventions are on a completely different level from what is manufactured in the western world?

3. Ear explorer

The human body is a machine full of secrets and mysteries that goes from the tip of the toes to the top of the head. Many questions or curiosities arise from our own bodies, and since we are not all doctors or scientists to understand them, it is interesting to at least see what it feels like to put a stethoscope over the heart and listen to its beats. It is for this reason that in Japan they designed a system that allows people not to have to go to an otorhinolaryngologic to examine and clean our ears, but can do it from the comfort of our home, in a self-taught and fast way. A million-dollar idea, no doubt.

2. Toilet paper 24/7

Hasn’t it happened that you are walking peacefully and happily in the street, when all of a sudden you sneeze and you don’t have anything to wiping your nose? In Japan, this is no longer a problem, as they have decided to tackle this public health problem from the root. The most extraordinary minds in the country have come together to invent a portable toilet paper system that sits on top of your head, like a hat, so you can have immediate access to toilet paper and wipe your nose in the face of any sudden sneeze. Say goodbye to a dirty nose, whether it’s from the flu, allergy or whatever reason.

1. Sink located above the toilet tank

The problems of the 21st century are very different from those of the past centuries. At this time, the mindset of saving and low consumption of non-renewable resources is beginning to penetrate the minds of many cultures. In Japan, for example, they want to take care of water consumption, giving the environment and the ecosystem a break by avoiding spending more than necessary. That’s why they have designed a washbasin that is connected to the toilet tank, so the toilet tank doesn’t get clean water from the pipe but the water that runs out after you wash your hands. In this way, water is reused.