215. SkyDrive
What It Is: Company designing flying cars
Average Price: $500,000* (Expected Model Launch Price)
Flying cars have often been the go-to stereotype of the far, far future, but it seems as though that far-off era might be closer than we think. SkyDrive, a Japanese company, is currently developing a flying car. Established in 2018, SkyDrive has already developed cargo drones and a flying car prototype.
SkyDrive @Sky__UK/Pinterest
The flying vehicles it is currently working on will be zero-emission. Headed by Tomohiro Fukuzawa, SkyDrive is headquartered in Tokyo, and it expects to make its first real flying car by 2025. According to the company, it has a “shared vision” of a world where people are able to use “air mobility” as transport for their “daily lives.”
217. Genkan
What It Is: A combination of doormat and porch inside a traditional Japanese residence
Average Price: Unknown
Genkan is a Japanese home feature that just makes sense. You can find this feature in the entryway of traditional Japanese homes, apartments, and buildings. The invention is a combination of doormat and porch. Its primary purpose is to give guests a space to remove their shoes before entering the home or building.
Genkan @popbonbon528/Pinterest
Japanese people almost always remove their shoes before entering a house or apartment. The reason why is simple—shoes are dirty, and they don’t want to spread debris from the street into the home. The genkan is a way to make that household rule easy to fulfill.
218. Trading of the Cave
What It Is: A four-floor trading card store underneath a bridge
Average Price: $0 to visit*
This four-floor trading card store is found under a bridge, and the entrance looks deceptively small. But, when you enter, you’ll find your mind completely boggled by the floor after floor of glass cabinets. Inside these cabinets are thousands, if not millions, of trading cards.
Trading of the Cave @inspiredbymaps/Pinterest
These cards, which come from games like Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokemon, Magic, and more, include commercial and rare editions. The store is located in the Akihabara District of Tokyo, a sector of the city known for being a shopping hub. It has electronics retailers, venues specializing in video games, manga, and anime, fascinating maid cafes, and more.
219. One-Person Ramen Cooker
What It Is: Foldable ramen cooker that makes solo-serving noodles
Average Price: $59*
Made by Thanko, an Ore No Ramen Nabe is a small Japanese hot pot that is super-convenient, especially if you’re cooking for one. It fits ramen noodles, of course, and you can cook this one-person serving right on the table. You can even eat the noodles straight out of the Thanko with no fuss.
One-Person Ramen Cooker @soranews24/Pinterest
When you’re done, this hot pot is foldable. Thanko came out with the Ore No Ramen Nabe a few years ago, and it has continued to improve and update the “My Ramen Hot Pot.” Japanese companies have a knack for coming up with obscure-yet-insanely-useful inventions.
220. Neba Neba
What It Is: Sticky, slimy beans that are actually healthy for you
Average Price: $1-$2 per pack*
Every country has foods that are an acquired taste, and Japan is no exception. Neba Neba, in Japanese, means “Slimy.” These sticky beans certainly fit that description, as these beans have been eaten in the country for hundreds of years. Neba Neba includes foods like yama-imo, natto, and okra.
Neba Neba @izumi89/Pinterest
Because of their texture, a lot of people are put off by Neba Neba. These beans are healthy, as they contain vitamins and minerals like purines, Vitamin K, and selenium. According to people who have tried Neba Neba, these sticky beans have a “mild flavor” that pairs well with “sweet vinegar” and “raw egg.”
222. Sixth-Finger Robot
What It Is: Faux robotic digit designed so researchers can study how the brain works
Average Price: Unknown (Not For Commercial Sale)
Researchers in Japan have created a rather unexpected invention. The robotic sixth finger is an extra digit that you can wear on either hand next to your pinky finger. The finger moves the same way a biological one would, and researchers created this invention to study the brain.
Sixth Finger Robot @Reuters/Youtube
These scientists want to see the way independent body parts, such as a sixth finger, make your brain react. Though these studies have been done on artificial limbs before, they have never been conducted with an artificial pinky finger. The inventors hope to understand more about how the brain works when it has a different hand constitution.
223. Crying Baby Festival
What It Is: Festival where sumo wrestlers compete to make babies cry
Average Price: N/A
The Naki Sumo Crying Baby Fest has been an important part of Japanese culture for four-hundred years. Held every May 5th (a date picked for being the peak of spring), Naki Sumo requires two sumo wrestlers, each of whom hold a baby.
Crying Baby Festival ©Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images
The first child to cry while being held by the wrestler is pronounced the winner. Japanese folklore states that a crying baby wards off evil spirits. A baby with a loud, strong cry will grow up healthy and strong. If both babies cry at the same time, the baby crying the loudest is declared the winner.
224. Fugu
What It Is: A poisonous fish that Japanese people eat
Average Price: $73-$221 per fugu meal*
If you like to walk on the wild side when it comes to your food, try fugu. Fugu is a dish prepared from a pufferfish, a creature that is lethally poisonous to humans. When preparing this dish, chefs have to be extra cautious to remove toxic parts and avoid contaminating the edible, non-lethal parts of the fish.
Fugu @savorjapan.com/Pinterest
A pufferfish meal is pretty pricey, too, with some restaurants charging over $200 for a fugu dish. Over 60% of fugu poisonings end in death, so the stakes are high for these chefs. If you accidentally eat the toxic parts of fugu, you have less than an hour to receive respiratory treatment, as that medication is your only hope to survive the pufferfish’s poison.
225. Seirogan
What It Is: Marble-like wood creosote medication used to treat gastrointestinal illnesses
Average Price: $10.95 for a 100-pill bottle*
Seirogan is a very familiar medicine to people in Japan. Seirogan doesn’t look like a typical pill; instead, it looks like solid black marbles. The medication is an effective treatment for common gastrointestinal disorders like diarrhea, loose stools, water poisoning, and food poisoning. The medication is a trademark of Taiko, a Japanese pharmaceutical company.
Seirogan @iwatejapan/Facebook
The main ingredient in seirogan is wood creosote (also known as beechwood or wood-tar creosote). Years ago, before World War II, seirogan was considered somewhat of a cure-all, and some even believed that it could cure tuberculosis. Now, however, it is primarily a medication to treat stomach problems.
226. Fish-Growing Light
What It Is: Green LED light that makes fish grow 60% faster
Average Price:
Light farming is a lot like operating a greenhouse, except for fish. According to Nippon, Kitasato University researchers have found a way to use green light to make fish grow 60% quicker. Considering that almost one-quarter of the world’s fish is farmed from Japan, this light farming invention could make a huge difference in the Japanese economy.
Fish-Growing Light @pentairaes/Pinterest
Flatfish farmed underneath a green LED light have been found to grow far more quickly than fish who are not grown under such conditions. Interestingly, researchers were attempting to discover a way to prevent fish from blackening when they started their project. They discovered the green light’s growth-enhancing effects by accident.
227. Hokkai Heso Matsuri
What It Is: Belly button festival celebrating the navel
Average Price: $0 to attend*
Hokkai Heso Matsuri is a unique festival held in Japan every year on the 28th and 29th of July. It is the Belly Button Fest, and you won’t find anything else like it in the world. Hokkai is held in Furano City, and it was founded in the late 1960s in order to “strengthen social bonds using the belly button.”
Hokkai Heso Matsuri @ohmatsuricom/Facebook
The centerpiece of this festival is the Hokushin Shrine, which honors the belly button and prays for birth, love, life, growth, peace, thriving, happiness, and health. The Hokkai Belly Dance Competition is the highlight of the festival, and 4,000 dancers strut their stuff on the streets of Furano during the two-day fest.
228. Public Handwashing/Phone Cleaning Station
What It Is: Station where you can clean your hands and phone to sterilize them
Average Price: Free to use
We all know the importance of washing our hands, especially in today’s day and age. But, a lot of us forget just how germy our phones are. There are millions of bacteria on our phones, and research has shown that they are total germ attractors.
Public Handwashing/Phone Cleaning Station @theflighter/Pinterest
In Tokyo, shoppers in the Ginza district have access to not only public handwashing stations, but also public phone-washing stations. These high-tech stations sterilize smartphones, leaving them germ-free. Reuters says that the Japanese start-up, WOTA Corp., behind these gadgets hopes that the inventions will “revolutionize” better hygiene and “access to clean water.”
230. Hair Shade Umbrellas (Umbrellas to protect hairdos)
What it is: An umbrella designed to shield and protect hairdos from the elements
Average Price: $20 to $500*
Hair Shade Umbrellas, often referred to as Hairbrellas, combine the practicality of traditional umbrellas with the specialized purpose of preserving intricate and styled hairdos. Whether it’s an expensive salon visit or a meticulous at-home styling session, many seek to shield their hair from the unpredictable weather.
@lifestyle/Pinterest
These specialized umbrellas typically feature a closer and more snug fit around the head compared to standard umbrellas, ensuring maximum protection against moisture and wind. They might also come with added materials or linings inside to keep humidity out and maintain the hairstyle’s integrity. With increasing attention to beauty and personal care, Hair Shade Umbrellas have gained popularity in many regions, particularly in urban areas where unexpected rain or humidity can quickly turn a good hair day into a challenging one.
231. Railway Sleeping Capsules
What it is: Compact, pod-like sleeping quarters
Average Price: $30 to $50 per night*
Railway Sleeping Capsules are an extension of the capsule hotel concept, specifically tailored for the convenience of railway travelers. Originating in Japan, these sleeping capsules have become particularly popular among business travelers, tourists, and even locals who miss the last train home.
@boingboing/Pinterest
Positioned either within the railway station or in close proximity, these capsules offer basic amenities. A typical sleeping capsule is just big enough for a person to sleep in, usually equipped with a bed, a light, a ventilation system, and sometimes a small TV or radio set. Shared facilities like restrooms, showers, and lockers are also provided. The convenience of Railway Sleeping Capsules lies in their strategic placement, allowing travelers to easily catch early morning trains or rest during long transit times without straying far from the station.
232. Musical Roadways
What it is: A roadway or stretch of road that plays a musical tune
Average Price: $25,000 to $80,000 or more*
Musical roadways, also known as singing roads or melody roads, provide a unique auditory experience for drivers. When a vehicle’s tires pass over the specially designed rumble strips at the recommended speed, the vibrations produce a musical tune.
@motorpassion/twitter.com
The concept behind musical roads is not just for entertainment. The primary objective in many cases is to promote safer driving. If a driver is going too fast or too slow, the musical tune will sound off-pitch or rhythmically incorrect, encouraging the driver to adhere to the recommended speed limit. Japan has been particularly innovative in this domain, with multiple musical roads that play traditional and popular tunes.