Gadgets.CoolerThanThou.net - Cool Gadgets From Japan and China

Answer to Age-Old Question: What Came First?

...the chicken or the egg?

Neither.  The Tamagora came first. 

>

Taking their name from the Japanese word for egg "tamago", these adorable, little creatures were sitting pretty on the shelves of my favourite Japanese stores, Tokyu Hands.*   The fact that they have a Kawaii (cute) factor that rates off the richter scale, as well as some very misguided Engrish phrasing stamped on them guarantees instant success and longevity in the Japanese market - at least long enough to last until the next craze hits  5 minutes form now.

 

Now for an example of the serious messaging the Tamagoras are bringing to a nation:

Yes, get back to job. 

* Tokyu Hands is brilliant!  Billed as a "Creative Life Store", the Shinjuku store is 8 levels of pure bliss in the form of crazy and even crazier.   From gadgets to costumes, toys to household items, this store has something for everyone.  The sheer entertainment value of the store is more appreciated by foreigners as anything in there is deemed fairly usual by Japanese standards! Definitely should be listed in the Top 10 of Must Sees of Japan on any itinerary.

Miss Riz

Flower Power Mark 2

With a history of taking ideas from other cultures and modifying them to suit their own cultural needs (think about the monk in Kyoto who not only blesses Ferraris, but drives them as well), the Japanese are definitely excellent at one thing - and that is NOT re-inventing the wheel.  

Enter Flower Rock 2.0.  

justify;">

Remember those electronic pot plants that used to move and groove to the music and were really huge in the late 80s/early 90s?  Well they are back - and all over Japan at the moment.   Basic concept is still exactly same- flowers that rock it out to the beat of  a drum .  What am I saying?  2.0 is EXACTLY THE SAME as before, apart from two obvious changes that bring this item into the 21st century:   new colours (solid, opaques replaced with neon and fluoro) and the fact that you can now hook these electrified pot plants up to MP3 players and are retailing for around ¥6000-¥7000.

Perhaps the Japanese didn't cotton onto these the first time around, back in 1989?  Like I said, never re-inventing the wheel is one of Japan's best cultural features.

Note the limited edition "White Day" Flower Rock 2.0.  For more information on White Day, please click here.

Miss Riz

Doom and Gloom

Gloomy Bear is a pink bear who sometimes has trouble controlling himself.  What is that you say? He has something on his mouth?  Oh why yes, that could just be leftovers from his last meal - a small child or anybody else he happened to come across.  Yes that's right.  Gloomy Bear is hitting Japanese shelves as the well-trained bear who sometimes has trouble remembering NOT to attack humans.    Such is Gloomy Bear's popularity, being billed as "Pity's Bear", his range now consists of a Gloomy bear doll, stationary, mugs, key chains, phone straps, towels, purses, bags and tees.

Turn that frown upside down - he didn't mean to chew off your left foot!  He just forgot he wasn't supposed to!  

 

Miss Riz

The Shinkansen - Part 1

The Shinkansen - Japan's bullet train - goes a long way both literally and figuratively for everyone in Japan. As a foriegner, it sits high on the Must Do List and there is always a trip somewhere on the itinerary necessitating the use of this mode of transport. I use it as often as I can.  I prefer it over flying in terms of time efficiency and cost as do a lot of Japanese.  These super trains y very clean, and the food and service is fantastic.  First class - or green car - options are also available.  All in all, as long as you are not on the smoking carriages, it is a pretty sweet, fast ride, with plenty of leg room, large seats and comfortability.

But there is more to it than just time management and economics.  The Shinkansen has an aura about it that means you never tire of being around the Shinkansen platforms watching them come in and go out within a matter of seconds - and then being on them, watching the scenery whiz by is another experience altogether.

And Shinkansen kisses below:

Miss Riz

Snow + Scooter = Snow Scoot!

Skiing high up in the Japanese alps of Hakuba yesterday, my boyfriend and I spotted these - Snowscoots! 

How cool!  We would have got some footage of them in action, only somebody (me) had a bit of a freak out when she realised how high up the mountain she actually was...

Miss Riz

On Yer Bike!

This is the first post in a series of posts I will do from time to time on the various rides around town - those rides specifically being bicycles.

The top mode of transport around Tokyo town - and any town in Japan for that matter -  is definitely a bike (unless you would of course prefer the Maybach built by Mercedes, 2 of which I saw being driven through Omote-Sando Hills earlier this week!).  And the Japanese have most definitely pimped their 2-wheel, non-motorised rides the best they can.

In Idea Digital Code, a great little concept/ideas shop in Omote-sando, I came across the following Yamaha bicycle.

This is Yamaha's Hybrid Electric Bicycle - PAS CITY-C Limited Edition Model, which RRPs for ¥199,500. It is a lithium-ion battery-powered electric bike manufactured in consultation with Plus Minus Zero, a Tokyo-based design company.  At this stage, It is only available in Japan.

Points to note:

• Yamaha professes it can reach an assisted travel range of up to 65km with a single battery charge.  Rev those engines!
• This model measures 590×1540×715～850mm and weighs 21.8kg
• It has been severely "Japanified" - see the big, matching basket on the front which obviously targets it to those who love to shop!  And the colour also screams "Look at me, I am so kawaii!"

All it needs is a horn that buzzes out J-Pop as you go whizzing by!

I want one.

Miss Riz

Killing Time

Once again thank you Kiddyland!

Just in case you were looking for one, now there really is a legit reason to sleep with a gun under your pillow.  Without further delay, I introduce the one and only Gun O'Clock!

For ¥4095, you too can make any time gun time!

To give you an idea of how it works, I shot this little video (excuse the pun):

Miss Riz

Giddy Up!

  My boyfriend and I returned home from an evening of gadget grazing only to be  tansfixed in horror, shock and a state of "What?!" by the following infomercial...

Introducing the IGallop!

   In short, Osim's IGallop claims to be a "horse-riding exercise machine" that tones and  strengthens core muscles.  Not quite sure what to make of it after viewing the  infomercial in its' entirety, I did some more research on Youtube, followed up by a quick visit to the local Itoyokado to see if these things were really on the market.

Well, would you believe it, the local department store sells them in their sporting goods section for between ¥20,000 to ¥35,000, and the queue to test one out was ridiculously long - and for all the wrong reasons too.  It is definitely more sexual than sporty, but I guess Osim has to gain shelf space in stores across the country somehow!

Cowgirl outfit is an optional extra, although dignity can't be bought at any price.

Miss Riz

Who Let The Dogs Out?

If you are not content with the usual sushi or  LEGO brick USBs doing the rounds, why not  get a  dog up ya - or at least into your driver?

Brought to you by PC Gadget, Humping Dog and  his equally energetic partner Crunching Dog get  up and at it over some file sharing with your  computer.  A memory stick made in the likeness of  man's best friend that mounts your  computer when power is supplied through the USB, it retails  for approximately for ¥1000 in Harajuku's Kiddyland,  which is where this short  download below was  taken.

 

Miss Riz

Banking on Trains

Why not "bank on train" with "real station sound in baby looking train"? 

Since the Japanese love their money and love their trains, Japan Rail has used its' initiative and finally dared go where every other train company in Japan has gone before them...the world of licensed money boxes!

Not content with the usual train-shaped money box, these JR models do have a point of difference from your average Bullet Train money boxes (that just go fast I assume).  These particular JR branded trains are not only modeled on 2 of the busiest JR lines in Tokyo - the Yamanote/Green line as well as the Chuo/Orange line - but come to life when money goes in by lighting up and blaring out tunes unique to stations on those particular JR lines around Tokyo.  

So if the Yamanote line is your thang, get your fix of Shibuya, the world's busiest station, quite literally at the drop of a penny.  Or get your coin on to the Chuo Line!

Warning - sound may trigger repressed memories of sweaty salarymen pressed up against you in the height of summer, causing nausea, trembling and the desire to get off this ride as quickly as possible.  Ear plugs not included.

Miss Riz