Weird Japanese Products That Will Make You Smile
Japan is known for some amazing innovations. And you have to hand it down to the Japanese for some really outlandish stuff, too! So, without further ado, here’s a list of Japan’s quirky products that will make you smile and chuckle and laugh.
- Noiseless Karaoke Mic
- Fake Breasts
- Nose Up Roller
- This Printed T-shirt
- Smile Trainer
- Square Watermelons
- Fun Tissue Paper Dispenser
- Swan Costume
- Diet Water
- Nipple Shield For Men
- Cheese Tea
- Saber Chopsticks
- Emergency Underwear
- Headband Umbrella
- Non-Toxic Newspaper
- No Odor Disposable Bags
- Disposable Toilet Plunger
- Portable Neck Fan
- Chonmage For Your Pet
- Money Shredding Piggy Bank
- Girlfriend/Boyfriend Pillow
- Dictionary Pillow
- Hello Kitty Toilet Paper
These products are good as souvenirs from Japan or as a quirky gift for someone. And they are great for a good laugh, too! You can find these and many other such wacky products at convenience stores in Japan such as 7-Eleven. Some products are available online, too! Take a look.
Noiseless Karaoke Mic
We’ve all been there. Someone close to us loves to sing. But the singing sounds good only to them. How you wish there was a mute button! Well, now there is! Almost. This Karaoke mic is the perfect gift to encourage your loved ones to sing and not be subjected to their renditions, too! It mutes the sound for the others. The singer can use the earphones to hear themselves sing! Problem solved.
Fake Breasts
To be honest, I cannot really imagine many scenarios where this product can be used. I don’t even know why this is a thing. But apparently, it is. On second thoughts, it could probably be used as a party prop. Or, maybe even as a practical joke. Either you get a laugh or you get awkward titters, but some response is guaranteed!
Nose Up Roller
Want to change the shape of your nose? Move over nose job surgeries! The Nose Up Roller is here to save the day. It seems funny, at best, and strange at worst. But the product claims to lift up your nose and give it a more desirable shape. Wanna try?
This Printed T-shirt
I didn’t know what else to call this product because it is so unique. It is a T-shirt that doubles up as a corny pick-up statement. The wording on the T-shirt loosely translates to ‘Japanese girlfriend wanted‘. Weird, but a little tongue-in-cheek, too! Do you think you could flaunt this T-shirt?
Smile Trainer
Did you know you could train your mouth to smile better? And you thought you needed cosmetic dentistry to achieve that perfect toothy grin! The product claims that you just need to put this in your mouth for some time every day to get that perfect smile. Who knew it was that easy? If this product doesn’t make you ‘smile’, I don’t know what will.
Square Watermelons
Round watermelons are passe. Bring on the square watermelons! You must have heard about them in stories. But in Japan, you can actually get them! It might get some time to wrap your head around this one. Because aren’t ‘melons’ supposed to be round? Apparently, they don’t have to. If you are in Japan, don’t miss these. They might look funny, but they must be super convenient to store and cut.
Fun Tissue Paper Dispenser
This tissue paper dispenser is funny. But what makes it funnier is the warning that comes with it. The maker advises the users not to take out too many tissues and waste them just because ‘it’s so fun!‘. It also warns you to not leave unattended because others might finish all the tissues and rob you of all the ‘fun‘! Who would’ve thought pulling out tissues would be so much fun.
Swan Costume
This product is funny because it is borderline creepy. The ‘costume’, if it can be called that, looks like a ballet dancer’s tulle skirt. There is also the complete ballet dancer’s dress set as shown in the picture above. It has a swan’s neck jutting out in the front. The strategically placed swan’s head is the highlight of the costume. Definitely a quirky product! Dare to wear the swan? And maybe throw in a dance to woo the females, too?
Diet Water
Yes, you read that right. The Japanese have come up with ‘diet water’. The concept itself seems downright weird. Isn’t water itself good enough? While plain water is perfectly fine for detoxification and hydration, someone came up with this brilliant idea to make a flavored drink minus the calories. Do you need it? Try it for yourself!
Nipple Shield For Men
This product is on the list because of the sheer wackiness of it. I would refrain from commenting on the utility of the product, but it takes outlandish innovation a couple of notches higher. Let’s not delve deep into the psyche of the people who came up with the idea for this product. Let’s just make peace with the fact that it exists.
Cheese Tea
Japan is known for its tea ceremonies. And many of us enjoy a cuppa every now and then. But how about some cheese in your tea? Weird? Well, it’s Japan, folks. And while you are soaking in the Japanese culture, might as well taste this beverage. Not in Japan? No worries, you can still buy it and experience a teeny weeny bit of weirdness.
Saber Chopsticks
Good news for the fans of Star Wars. Bring a bit of the fantasy to your dining table with chopsticks designed like lightsabers. Guess these will make for great dinner table conversations and bring in some laughs, too! Some might say that lightsabers for putting ramen into your mouth might be overkill. But, the idea is definitely innovative.
Emergency Underwear
I hope you never come across an emergency situation when you need this product. But, life is fickle. So, if you ever find yourself in an emergency, the emergency underpants, packed individually, will come to your rescue. Cool, nifty, or plain weird? You decide!
Headband Umbrella
An umbrella sure protects you from the rain and the sun. But it has one major drawback nobody noticed. But the Japanese did and came up with this hands-free version of an umbrella. Do what you want with your hands or just wave them about as your head conveniently holds the umbrella over you. A weird and funny product. But, you have to hand it for being so practical!
Non-Toxic Newspaper
Do you have a baby at home who inadvertently crawls up and reaches for the newspaper only to eat it? We might never be able to figure out why little children find newspapers to be tempting enough to taste. But the Japanese have come up with the ultimate product to protect your baby from the toxic newspaper. This non-toxic newspaper is safe and it probably tastes good, too! Let the baby lick all she wants.
No Odor Disposable Bags
No more stinky diapers haunting you from the trash can! These no-odor disposable bags don’t have a scent of their own. But they seal in the bad smell. A funny product, but quite innovative all the same. It feels weird only because it’s not yet a popular, mainstream product outside Japan! No need for excessively spraying the room freshener anymore.
Buy here.
Disposable Toilet Plunger
It must have required some serious out-of-the-box thinking to come up with a toilet plunger shaped like that. A sticker that you stick on the toilet seat, and press in the raised portion right in the center. The design looks weird but it probably serves the purpose and also protects you from, err…, splashes!
Portable Neck Fan
There are times when you feel hot around the neck – be it the weather or the situation. But sweat not! Because this portable neck fan will not let you sweat. A nifty little product that will make you smile at the pure ingenuity of it. And at the same time, it’ll make you wonder whether wearing it around the neck will push you dangerously close to ‘weirdness’.
Chonmage For Your Pet
Costumes for pets have always been quite popular. But this samurai topknot hat is Japan’s own way of making our pets look all kinds of adorable. A great accessory for your pet and an awesome gift for any pet owner. It is a very cute hat guaranteed to bring a smile on your face. Just add a toy sword and your pretty pooch is dressed up for Halloween!
Money Shredding Piggy Bank
A piggy bank that swallows up currency notes and immediately shreds them? It’s actually a clever prank prop. Every time you put money into the piggy bank, it looks as if the money is getting shredded. But, don’t worry – it’s otherwise like a regular piggy bank and keeps your money safe. Want to play this prank on your friends?
Girlfriend/Boyfriend Pillow
Girlfriend Pillow. Photo by Stefan Amarandei on www.flickr.com. 
Boyfriend Pillow. Photo by Alice Wang on www.flickr.com.
Calling all the lonely, single people. Don’t stress because you haven’t found your dream partner, yet. These Japanese pillows will keep you company and comfort you. That is if you can stand the idea of having a pillow shaped like a disembodied human body part. It’s a little weird. But also funny, the way people come up with such products! They also make lap pillows that look like a girl’s lap as shown in this video.
And, Buy Lap Pillow here.
Dictionary Pillow
If by being ‘workaholic’, you mean that you love spending more time at work and taking naps as you work, this product is perfect for you. It is shaped like a book that opens up on the desk like a pillow. It’s funny how someone came up with this amusing idea of sleeping at work and being cool about it.
Hello Kitty Toilet Paper
The Japanese weirdness never ceases to amaze. Not sure how printed toilet paper helps. But, the Japanese have this Hello Kitty inspired printed toilet paper. Weird, but true. It’s funny because it’s toilet paper, after all. And it doesn’t make sense. But if the tush thanks you for it, then why not?
Ask not whether you need these products. Ask whether you want them. I’m sure you do – for the ingenuity, weirdness, and for being outright funny. So, how many are you going to collect? If you love shopping online for Japanese products, you will love this article on the best shopping websites in Japan. Do check out!
Eli Civil
A software engineer, entrepreneur, and Japanese culture enthusiast. I travel the world while working from my laptop and try to visit Japan as often as I can. About Eli Civil
