Every now and again, the Isetan department store has a Japan fair and when they do, I always make sure I stop by to take a look. Other than the food, which always intrigues me and drives me with great ambition to cook more Japanese goodies, the other reason I go is to gawk at the weird and wonderful Japanese inventions on sale. Not just beauty but also for the home. I spyshot a few items I particularly found fascinating this time.
This one from what I can gather, is a stick of glue that you can use to easily hold up dropped hems on skirts or pants. Now I’m many things but one of the things I’m not is a tailor. I can’t sew to save my life. Ok, maybe if I had to sew to save my life, I could. But it would be a botched job. So while I can sew buttons back on (not neatly, mind you, but at least enough so it doesn’t fall off in 5 minutes) I can’t hem. When I have a dropped hem, I take my skirts back to my Mom and beg her to do it. I really should learn, eh? Or maybe buy a stick of glue like this one 😀
Here are more weird and wonderful inventions I snapped at the store. Most of them actually make sense. Well, except one for which I could not justify, but I cannot deny I felt an irresistable urge to actually BUY some of them haha! 😀
This one here is a heel-less slipper that you wear around the home. From what I can gather from the English translation at the back of the packaging, the purpose is to trim your calves because you would be forced to use your calf muscles to hold your heels up, off the floor. How very intriguing. I thought it didn’t make much sense until I remembered that traditional clogs operate on a similar sort of principle of making you balance on the base, so your legs and butt does a lot of work. So, I thought this one quite innovative although not all that practical.
Here’s one I couldn’t quite fathom – a 4 way mirror. Apparently, it allows you to see the top of your head, and is also especially useful to observe the digging of your ears. Or is that the trimming of ear hairs?! Either way, answers on a postcard please for the many times you’d want to see the top of your head?
This UV sleeve isn’t very weird to be honest. I’ve been seeing women wear these here for a while especially while driving. Previously, they’d use to keep a shirt in the car that they’d pull on back to front over their arms to protect from the sun. I can see the logic in that. It also reminds me of an episode of Drop Dead Diva where Stacey set up a company to sell her “invention” – any fans of Drop Dead Diva in the house? I can’t wait for Season 4 😀
Here are 2 interesting beauty gadgets. The roller on the left is an icy roller. I think you are supposed to put it in the fridge before use and the roll your face with it. Helps firm up skin, they say.
The one on the right is erm… interesting. A gadget to help exercise your neckline. It appears you hold it and use your chin to push down the pump. Hmm… Prevents a double chin maybe? 😛
This one’s a foot bath. Individual large plastic “shoes” that you can fill with water and wear. The base has these rough bumps which I think is to help you scrub the soles of your feet. All very interesting. There was 2 or 3 different brands of the same thing in the fair so it looks like this is quite popular! I’m not sure if someone with bigger feet will find it useful though since this is one size fits all.
To slim your legs, try heat generating tights and socks. It supports and slims your leg while looking good. Hey, can’t knock it till you’ve tried it eh? 😉
And finally, another item I found very intriguing and perhaps even useful, if it works.
A microfibre slipper that you wear and walk around the house. The base picks up dirt and dust so you essentially are “cleaning” the floor as you walk. Helps with the exercise too right? 😛 Comes in a ladylike pink or a masculine blue, so your man is not allowed to get out of doing SOME housework 😛 I’m thinking I should pick up a couple of these, wait till the baby nephew is able to crawl, then tie them to his knees so he can polish my floor – good idea wot? 😛
Have you ever seen any of these before? Or maybe you own any of them?
I cannot deny that some of them make a lot of sense, and it takes a devious mind to actually think them up and manufacture them for sale! Like that slipper-floor cleaner or the hem glue for instance. Its genius! If it works 😀
Paris B
These are awesome. I would love the house cleaning slippers!
Me too! Saves vacuuming or sweeping hah!
Those heated tights look very appealing. It’s cold out here! Fashion with function. Nice!
I couldn’t quite tell what they were really for – slimming the legs I think – there are strange gadgets for slimming parts of the body here in Asia 😛
These are such an innovative inventions by Japan! I am a fan for Japan’s beauty or non-beauty items. I’m really interested with the icy roller for face. Need to workout for a slimmer face. Thanks for sharing Paris B!
Haha they probably carry these in Daiso too! Another place I can spend hours in just looking at all the gadgets and stuff they have in there.
I have! I tried that face roller and that ‘it will make your nose beautiful thing, lol. I actually like the tights (I think you can find a lot of interesting pattern in Japan). Well, my face is still … how it was (surprise!) and my nose … as well. You can find a lot of interesting products in Japan, some are really funny though 😀
Hahaha I can’t believe you have tried these, Claire! 😀 Thank you so much for sharing your experience with them – and I’m not very surprised that it doesn’t work 😉 Yet people do buy them don’t they? All those promises hehe…
Hahahha good finds! I think 4-way mirror will be ideal for those who wants to pluck their own white hairs. But then again, the whole thing might be too heavy to carry around. And the idea of tying the foot mops to your nephew’s knees… Hahaha if only he will not pick dusts off it and put in his mouth… :p
I like the little gadgets from Japan that make children’s food more interesting. First off there are those rice moulds where you press rice into cute shapes like bear, heart or star. Then there is this mould where you pressed hard boiled egg to form a heart shape or star. Visually enhance ordinary food. 🙂
Oh oh, you’re right about the white hair. Darn! Should have bought one to check on my white hairs 😛 Its not very heavy – just about the regular foldable plastic mirrors that people carry about in their bags. I somehow don’t think my sister will appreciate me using my nephew as a floor duster haha! 😀 As for food moulds, I have them! 😀 I used to make bento boxes for myself and the star shaped egg made me happy 😛
ROFL! That’s exactly why I love wandering in Daiso. I can spend so much time in there and not buy anything. It’s sort of like an amusement. 😛
And no, I don’t own any of them. The floor-cleaning-slippers look like they might be a good idea. 😀
You’re right – Daiso is another mind boggling place. I sometimes pick up an item and go “whaa…???”
I use the uv gloves regularly when dtiving as i find that only my forearms tans on whole body… Have both short and long version. In australia, could only find in daiso
Ooh they work! 😀 But I guess they do – I think its a great idea actually for people that drive. You don’t realise how quickly your arms tan until you do a lot of driving!
Like others, I would love the cleaning slippers as well 😀 And I am obsessed with Daiso for the same reason. Everything is so interesting!
Haha! Join the club! Daiso is the next most interesting place to hang out
I’ve seen them before in Isetan @ Mid Valley. Now this rings a bell. Sometimes, you just get attracted to buy & try them. If can I think i’ll get that stick of glue. Haha. Surely helps you when your hems decides to give you trouble at the worst point of time 🙂
That stick of hem glue definitely caught my eye! But it was a bit too pricey to experiment with. I really should learn to hem LOL!
Thanks you so much!! Fantastic!! 😉
Glad you enjoyed it!
You’re a Drop Dead Diva fan too? I don’t know why it’s taking them so long to renew season 5 but they better. It’s not the best show out there but I hate cliffhangers and like the end my shows things should not be left unsettled!
Oh yes I am! I’m caught up to Season 3 and am waiting to *ahem* watch Season 4 😉 Its not the best out there, you are right, but its fun and entertaining and its also very interesting to see how a person can adapt to situations and play on their strengths when the going gets rough 😀
Ha! I love the floor slippers. What a cool idea. Not very sexy looking though!!
Oh definitely not sexy looking haha! Looks like you have furry feet!
There are 2 pairs of those slippers at home, and they are fun for the kids. They don’t work very well, to be honest. AND it attracts accidents if you walk normally. The trick is to gliiiiiiiiiiide…….
Ah someone who owns them! Thanks for letting me know of the slip hazard. I could just imagine it happening to me 😛
I loved that post!! Hope you will let us know about the new finds in the future! 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it Anni 😀 I will try to bring more weird and wonderful finds whenever I see them!
I lived in Japan for a while and I would spend *hours* at Daiso looking at products and trying to figure out what they were! No English translations on the back, I’m afraid! Some seem practical and some…not.
Oh I love Daiso and thankfully the ones here have a sticker on the back telling you just what they are for. Otherwise, it would be quite fascinating trying to figure it out! 😀
These are funny 😀 I love these cleaning slippers haha! I can imagine trying to make my boyfriend walk in these 😀
Oh yes, you should! They even come in blue Haha!
You can’t beat Japanese for WEIRD inventions!
Nope, you most certainly can’t but I have to admit they made me think!
Woo hoo! Hands up for me as far as the cleaning slippers and heat generating tights are concerned! Want! The slippers are for my two girls who should be pulling their weight about the house and what better way to do it than with these slippers and the tights for my quite flabby legs…..
Hahaha! I can just see your girls shuffling their way around the house “Helping Mommy clean the floor” hehe…
Hahaha, I was very close to buying the microfibre slippers! But my hubby (again) pretended to faint and dissuaded me from getting them. I thought the 4 mirrors would be useful! For eyebrows and making sure your hairdo’s alright!
I wanted to buy the slippers too! But my friend gave me a look and said “Do you realise how expensive they are?!” So I didn’t. I guess I’ll just go pushing my mop around the house instead hehe
Thanks for the post! I love the microfibre slippers and would love the idea of cleaning the floor while walking around the house. But since Lily said that you could slip in it, maybe not a good idea to get it. LOL.
Yep, slippery slippers are a big no no! Better to just push a mop around 😉