Chindōgu: 10 Hilarious and Silly Solutions for Your Everyday Problems
Have you ever felt frustrated because you had an itch on your back you couldn’t reach? Embarrassed because you keep falling asleep on strangers’ shoulders in the MRT after a long day of work? Or have you ever felt too lazy to mop the floors?
Well, fret not because Japan's got just the solutions! Introducing Chindōgu (珍道具) — the art of silly inventions. You'll never have to worry again, as these extremely wacky but equally ingenious gadgets can help solve your everyday problems!*
* That’s if you’re prepared to look like a fool, or perhaps someone of great intellect, if you’re confident enough to rock them with style.
What is Chindōgu?
Did you know that the literal translation of Chindōgu is ‘weird tool’? This term was coined by Kenji Kawakami, former editor of the Japanese home-shopping magazine "Mail Order Life”. He frequently showcased bizarre product prototypes in the magazine and later on grew to become the one and only Japanese gadget guru extraordinaire and anarchic progenitor of Chindōgu!
Read on to find out 10 of our favourite Chindōgu inventions of all time!
1. The Umbrella Tie
Picture this: It’s your first day of work at a new office job in the CBD. You're wearing your favourite power suit. But the weather forecast calls for a 50% chance of rain in the afternoon. You don't want to ruin your fabulous outfit by carrying an ugly umbrella. Especially not if it's not actually going to rain.
Well then, this miraculous invention is the answer to all your problems! It’s both a tie and an umbrella. It’s going to put a bit of strain on your neck, but the security of knowing you’ll never mess up your hair in the rain will make it worthwhile.
Besides, when it does start to rain, whipping this out is sure to earn you some brownie points among your colleagues or even your boss! You’ll be the only one smart enough to have an umbrella (physically) on you.
2. The Train Nap Cap
Photo credits: Aaron “Tango” Tang on Flickr
Continuing with the previous scenario, you've had a long day of work and it's time to go home. You’re desperately in need of your power nap to rest and recharge yourself. But you don’t want to inconvenience others and embarrass yourself by snuggling into an unsuspecting commuter’s shoulder on the MRT.
Now, this is when you need the Train Nap Cap. Just slap it on to the wall behind your seat and you’re good to go! Holding your head in place, it effectively ensures a peaceful and fuss-free journey home.
Additionally, the handy sign on your cap informs other passengers which stop you're getting off at, so they'll know when to wake you. Say goodbye to sheepish apologies to your next-seat neighbour and hello to a refreshing, undisturbed nap for maximum utilisation of your time!
3. The Portable Zebra Crossing
Photo credits: Anthillonline.com
The tyranny of automobiles is making life increasingly tough for us environmentally conscious pedestrians. Finding a safe place to cross the road is now taking up more time than ever, resulting in endless inconvenient diversions and wasted precious time.
Now, you can fight back. With the Portable Zebra Crossing, simply roll it out in front of you when you've found a suitable crossing point. Then, in a safe manner, cross the road confidently at your own pace. Traffic has to stop for you now; it’s the rules.
Pro tip: If you want to feel like a celebrity walking down your own red carpet, simply get a Humble Servant (aka your unwilling friend) to lay the Portable Zebra Crossing down for you whenever you cross the road!
4. The Shoe Umbrellas
Photo credits: Theresa Kruger on Flickr
Tired of having your brand new shoes ruined in Singapore’s unending downpour? These shoe umbrellas are the perfect invention for you!
Small but handy, they protect your Guccis and Nikes from the inclement weather, keeping them in perfect mint condition. For the ultimate rainy day outfit, pair these with the Umbrella Tie so you’ll always be prepared for bad weather any day.
Plus, you no longer have to worry about getting soggy socks, which is almost the worst thing to exist in the world.
5. The Hay Fever Headset
Let’s face it, purses and pockets are fine for storing items that can be found at one’s leisure. But when you need to be fast, they’re simply an inconvenience. The Hay Fever Headset does a lot more than keep toilet roll close at hand. It helps to prevent torn tissues, messy bags, coins and keys from flying across the room whenever a sneeze suddenly strikes.
Meanwhile, not only are your tissues always in sight, alerting you when you’re running low, the Hay Fever Headset serves as a warning to everyone else in the vicinity that sudden gusts of wind should be expected.
And for those with allergies, these are practically made for you. To keep tissues spooling toward your nose at all times, simply reach up and pull down! With one simple move, you’ll be all set for allergy season. No more gross snotty messes in public, how disgusting!
6. The Baby Mop
When raising a child, practicality is the name of the game.
Parents are so busy making sure that their children are well cared for, fed and bathed, how can they ever have enough time to get to the household chores? Meanwhile, there's nothing lazier than babies. They constantly require food and attention, but never offer anything in return. Honestly, when was the last time your baby helped you out around the house?
Well, now they can! With these Baby Mops, it’s time to turn the tables on these miniature hobos. The Baby Mop will transform your shiftless, good-for-nothing baby into a useful cleaning machine. Thanks to this parent labour-saving device, your floors can now be spick and span!
Don’t worry, this invention is safe to be used by babies. And maybe it’s time to get one for my niece…at least then she’ll clean up her own messes while she’s crawling around looking for things to destroy.
7. The Diet Half-Bowl
Photo credits: Touristo on Flickr
Don’t lie to yourself, you’ve been on 101 diets, but when have they ever worked out? You always end up reaching for the bag of cookies two weeks later anyway, letting temptation get the better of you.
But this doesn’t have to be the case! The Diet Half-Bowl is the end to all your troubles. With a mirror in place of half the bowl, you can trick your eyes and your stomach into believing you’re eating a full meal, when in reality you’re scarfing down only half a portion. Maybe then you’ll finally convince yourself you’ve been eating too much.
Besides, if it doesn’t work out, at least you’ll be one step closer to finding what works. In the wise words of Thomas Edison, “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”
8. The Chopstick Fan
Photo credits: Coisa Pakka on Flickr
Any noodle lover will understand just how essential this gadget is – especially when it’s 12am and your supper-hungry body is craving that delicious ramen fix. Waiting for your piping hot bowl of Ichiran to cool down is simply not an option.
Enter the Chopstick Fan, which automatically cools your noodles to the perfect temperature right before every slurp, not too hot to scald your tongue and not too cold to be completely disgusting. This sounds like the ultimate dream come true...I need it!
You can now enjoy your noodles in peace, and even flex on your friends with your own homemade version of this sick gadget. During this tough COVID-19 situation, this is also a creative and hygienic way to cool down your food (instead of blowing on it)!
We know you’re busy and don’t want to wait for your noodles to cool on their own. This is for you.
9. The Back Scratcher’s T-Shirt
Telling your friends exactly where to scratch on your back can be a tiresome chore. Up a little. Right, some more. No, back down.
But slip on this Chindōgu shirt and use the accompanying chart to identify where your itch lies, and you’ll be pleasantly relieved all at once. With the alphabetised and numerised grid, your scratch companion now knows the exact square to attack in order to appease you.
If you suffer from chronic back itch, this is the perfect technology for you. You might even want to get 7 pieces of this shirt so that you’ll be itch-free every day of the week. Besides, I’m sure it would make a great statement piece, and an even better conversation starter!
10. The Eye Drop Funnel Glasses
Sometimes your eyes need drops. You could hover the eye dropper above your peepers and hope for the best. But we know how that always ends. 50% of that precious cooling solution eventually flows down your cheeks, glistening with the tears that fall together. You can't be wasting eye drops like that. Not in today's economy.
Good thing you've got the Eye Drop Funnel Glasses. Now, you can drop any liquid into your eyes with 100% pupil-point accuracy, making your eye drop administration process idiot-proof.
Just be careful not to blink so that your precious eye drops won’t miss your eyes and roll down your cheeks again!
Which was your favourite Chindōgu invention?
As a frequent commuter of public transport, mine is definitely the Train Nap Cap — it’s such an ingenious way to avoid a universally embarrasing situation by making you look even more ridiculous!
At the heart of it all, humour is the sole reason for creating Chindōgu. This playful art has no doubt fascinated people from all over the world, uniting us and making us laugh together.
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