76. Canned-Food-Only Bar

What it is: A restaurant that only sells canned food
Invented: 2002
Average Price: $5-10/meal*
This bar is a little bit different than anything you might see in the States. Mr. Kanso is a brand that is associated with quirky eating, and it is known for its unusual, fun bars. Mr. Kanso’s canned-food only bar serves only what you can eat out of a can.

Canned-Food-Only Bar @mr.kanso/ Instagram.com
There are more than fifty Kanso canned-food only bars in Japan, and, just like how McDonald’s has its golden arches, you can recognize Kanso by its unique décor. Each bar has a large red barrel and dark red sign out front. Mr. Kanso is located in most of the major cities in Japan.

77. Cat Tail

What it is: Jeans that will make your cat pay attention to you
Invented: 2016
Average Price: $65*
Are you tired of your cat ignoring you? Felissimo, a Japanese cat-themed brand, and manga artist Rinrin Yamano teamed up to create jeans with a cat tail attached to the back. The jeans are scratch-proof, and they will help get your cat to notice you, as cats will try to bat at the tail at the back.

Cat Tail @Gdgtify / Twitter.com
While certainly not something you’d see from companies like Calvin Klein or Levi’s, these cat-tail jeans are in keeping with Japanese tradition. According to Business Insider, Japan is “obsessed” with cats because the country believes that cats symbolize good fortune and have protective powers.

78. Animal Stool

What it is: A fluffy stool with a tail
Invented: Unknown
Average Price: $515-$538*
This cute Animal Stool isn’t so much a “necessary” invention as it is one that provides a cute accent to your home. The Animal Stool is a fake-fur stool with a tail attached to the back. Made in the northern city of Hokkaido, the stool comes in coyote, fox, or deer versions. The stools all come in a range of sizes.

Animal Stool @Welyn G / Pinterest
Though these aren’t your typical accent pieces, these stools are sturdy and can hold up to 440 pounds. The fake fur is made of a combination of urethane, polyester, and acrylic. The wood is white ash.

79. Fried Shrimp Onesie

What it is: A wearable sleeping bag shaped like fried shrimp
Invented: 2016
Average Price: $59.99*
Felissimo first sold this product, and it was a departure from its usual products, which tend to be cat-inspired. However, though this fried shrimp onesie doesn’t appear to be available on Felissimo anymore, you can still get it through online retailers like eBay. This onesie actually doubles as a sleeping bag.

Fried Shrimp Onesie @Beddinginn / Pinterest
Though it is not as hardy as products you’d get from Coleman or other heavy-duty camping companies, it’s still quite snuggly. The fabric of the shrimp costume is soft and brushed, and the material is high-quality and fluffy. The “tail” of the shrimp is two warm, red socks.

80. Fake-Food Accessories

What it is: A headband adorned with fake (yet realistic-looking) food
Invented: 2017
Average Price: $21-$122*
Japan is somewhat of a leader in fake food products, and these fake food accessories (headbands, keychains, etc.) are no exception. These fake food accessories are available from stores in major cities like Osaka, and you can also snag them online at FakeFoodJapan.com. American brands haven’t caught on to the trends just yet, it seems.

Fake-Food Accessories @Jess Paul / Pinterest
There is a lot of fake food from which to choose when it comes to picking the perfect quirky headband. For your headband, you can pick from bacon and eggs, Neapolitan spaghetti, sliced apples, sunny-side-up eggs, Yakiniku pork, fried noodles, and Yakitori Negima (which is grilled chicken and green onions).

81. Sushi Erasers

What it is: Erasers shaped like sushi
Invented: Unknown
Average Price: $7/1-pack of six*
These cute erasers are a fun back-to-school gift for the kids in your life (or just for you as an adult). These erasers are shaped like different types of sushi. They are made by Iwako Toys, and you can find them on Amazon. They are available in sets of six.

Sushi Erasers @happypuppytruffles / Youtube.com
These erasers are safe, material-wise. They are free of phthalates, PVC, and lead. They are also recyclable. The sushi erasers also include a sushi cutting board. On Amazon, they are available for $7 for a one-pack of six. If you want to splurge and buy a two-pack, that will cost about $10.92.

82. Silver Hair Dye Wax

What it is: Hair wax that dyes your hair silver
Invented: 2016
Average Price: $55.80*
Vividone, a Japanese cosmetics company, sells this hair wax in the color “Silver Ash.” If you are creating a Halloween costume, or you just want to see what you look like with silver hair, this hair wax is temporary, easy to style, and washes away without a lot of fuss.

Silver Hair Dye Wax @MrTodayDeal / Twitter.com
Though it’s not something we’ll likely see from Estee Lauder anytime soon, the silver hair wax is still cute. The silver hair wax comes in an eighty-gram quantity. You can buy it on Amazon for $55.80. Note: the contents of the wax/pomade might shift during import, so be careful when you open it.

83. Shoes Tent

What it is: Shoes fashioned out of tent fabric
Invented: 2020 (not out yet)
Average Price: $100-$200*
Made by Nanga, a Japanese sporting goods company (sort of like a Japanese version of Nike, but more outdoorsy), these tent shoes are practical and sturdy. They are made of two heavy-duty materials: Aurora-tex® fabric and sixty grams of white duck down (80-20%) that rates 650FP (in terms of fill power).

Shoes Tent @Sailesh Kamalesh / Pinterest
The back of the shoes is made from 40dn nylon taffeta. The down weight is sixty grams—a little over a tenth of a pound. The total weight of these shoes, which come in navy, blue, red, gray, or black (so far) is a little over one-third of a pound. They are not for sale yet, sadly.

84. Smart Bra

What it is: Bra that unlocks only when there is “true love”
Invented: 2014
Average Price: Not for Sale (yet)
This high-tech smart bra will only unhook for non-wearers if there is “true love” in the equation. But how? Because inside this Japanese lingerie from Ravijour are sensors that measure the heart rate of the wearer. The sensors are connected to an app you have on your Apple iPhone or Android, and the mobile application reads the data from the sensors to determine whether the heart rate indicates “true love.”

Smart Bra @Dana Van Patten / Pinterest
When your heart rate is stimulated by your autonomic nerve (which is, in turn, affected by your adrenal medulla’s secretion of catecholamine), the bra will unclasp. Ravijour has named this invention, which it has yet to retail, the “True Love Tester.”

85. Fan Without Blades

What it is: Fan with no blades or sound
Invented: 1981
Average Price: $378.13*
When Dyson came out with a bladeless fan back in 2009, consumers were amazed. Then, Telegraph pointed out that, once again, Japan was a few steps ahead of us, as they had already invented the Dyson bladeless fan back in 1981. After Dyson re-released the fans, there were a lot of copycat firms that jumped on the bandwagon.

Fan Without Blades @New Organ / Pinterest
However, it seems like Japan was, in fact, the first to invent this handy fan, which seems futuristic enough to have come from iRobot. These fans work by using a brushless electric motor, which directs airflow through the circular hoop on the device.

86. Bubble Wrap Keyring

What it is: Bubble wrap wrapped around a key holder
Invented: 2020
Average Price: $2.52-$3.13*
The Bandai Mugen Puti Puti Bubble Pop Keychain is sold by Animewild, and it is a key ring with bubble wrap attached to it. However, the plastic bubble wrap never goes flat, so you can pop it as many times as you want to your heart’s content. The product is sold on online forums such as Amazon, and prices vary wildly (the cheapest is $2-$3).

Bubble Wrap Keyring @Lil Garebear / Pinterest
In Japanese, “Mugen” means “infinite.” The “Puti Puti” means bubble wrap—convenient, because it does sound a little like the sound bubble wrap makes when you pop it. The toy is basically infinite bubble wrap that you can carry around in your pocket.

87. Umbrella Tie

What it is: A tie that transforms into an umbrella
Invented: 2012
Average Price: Under $50*
There are an unusually high number of unique Japanese inventions that are umbrella-related. Japan’s rainy season, which is called tsuyu in the country, usually lasts from June until mid-July, unless you live on the Okinawa Islands—in which case, it’ll start raining in May. For tsuyu, Japanese Chindogu has young professionals covered.

Umbrella Tie @Steven Dolf / Pinterest
Japanese inventors have created a tie that can be transformed into an umbrella. While it’s unlikely that Americans will see this on the shelves of Dick’s Sporting Goods anytime soon, it is a useful(ish) invention. The umbrella’s body is shaped like a tie, and it can be tied around your neck before being transformed into rain gear.

88. Hearing Enhancer

What it is: A bowl that attaches to each ear to amplify sound
Invented: Unknown
Average Price: Unlisted
Called “Ear Enhancer,” this hearing amplifier is a little less than practical—and way more obtrusive than Apple Earpods or regular hearing aids. The Ear Enhancer consists of two metal bowls—one that attach to each ear, facing outward—attached to a headphone headband.

Hearing Enhancer @Andrew Joseph / Pinterest
The funnel-like system is supposed to amplify sound and increase the accuracy of your hearing. This is, essentially, a low-cost, less effective version of the Super Sound Cone by NASA SpacePlace, which is a giant cone that funnels waves of sound. The Super Sound Cone lets you hear sounds that you would never have picked up on your own.

89. “Battlescratch” Shirt

What it is: A shirt with a grid on the back so people know where to scratch
Invented: 2016
Average Price: $18.99-$19.97*
Have you ever had an itch on your back but didn’t know how to get someone to scratch it accurately? The Battlescratch t-shirt is another Japanese invention that will allow you to get accurate back scratches. Available from online retailers like Banazatee and Amazon, this t-shirt has a grid on it like the one found in the game Battleship.

“Battlescratch” Shirt @brain / Pinterest
Using an accompanying pad and paper with the same grid, you can identify which quadrant (letter/number) itches and get that itch scratched straight away. On Banazatee, this costs about $18.99, while similar products on Amazon will cost about a dollar more.

90. Book-Shaped Pillow

What it is: A pillow shaped like a dictionary so you can sleep while fake-studying
Invented: Unknown
Average Price: $52*
At first glance, this pillow looks a little like a dictionary, albeit with the world “WORKAHOLIC” printed on the binding. But, the Dictionary Desk Pillow is far more of a nap enhancer than an actual study tool. Made of polyester, polyurethane, and paper, the “book” opens to become a desk pillow that can fit a 11.8” x 8.3” space. Sadly, it has yet to grace the shelves of Bed Bath & Beyond.

Book-Shaped Pillow @Allinventions / Twitter.com
The book-pillow is nearly four inches thick, and it weighs a little over a pound. While the Japanese are very hard workers, they are also, according to a study in The Japan Times, one of the nations in the world that gets the least sleep.