is the practice of inventing ingenious everyday

gadget A gadget is a mechanical device or any ingenious article. Gadgets are sometimes referred to as '' gizmos''. History The etymology of the word is disputed. The word first appears as reference to an 18th-century tool in glassmaking that was develo ...

s that seem to be ideal solutions to particular problems, but which may cause more problems than they solve. The term is of Japanese origin.

Background

Literally translated, ''chindōgu'' means . The term was coined by Kenji Kawakami, a former editor and contributor to the Japanese home-shopping magazine "Mail Order Life." In the magazine, Kawakami used his spare pages to showcase several bizarre prototypes for products. He named these gadgets “chindōgu”; Kawakami himself said that a more appropriate translation than "unusual tool" is "weird tool". This special category of inventions subsequently became familiar to the Japanese people. Dan Papia then introduced it to the English-speaking world and popularized it as a monthly feature in his magazine,

Tokyo Journal ''Tokyo Journal'' is an English-language quarterly magazine about Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerl ...

, encouraging readers to send in ideas. In 1995, Kawakami and Papia collaborated on the English language book ''101 Unuseless Japanese Inventions: The Art of Chindōgu''. Most classic chindogu products are collected in the book. Many examples display a sense of humor in the way they are used. Examples from the books include: * A combined household duster and cocktail-shaker, for the housewife who wants to reward herself as she is going along. * The all-day tissue dispenser, which is a

toilet roll Toilet paper (sometimes called toilet tissue or bathroom tissue) is a tissue paper product primarily used to clean the anus and surrounding anal region of feces after defecation, and to clean the perineal area and external genitalia of u ...

fixed on top of a hat, for

hay fever Allergic rhinitis, of which the seasonal type is called hay fever, is a type of inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. Signs and symptoms include a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, red, i ...

sufferers. * The all-over plastic

bathing suit A swimsuit is an item of clothing designed to be worn by people engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, diving and surfing, or sun-orientated activities, such as sun bathing. Different types may be worn by men, wo ...

, to enable people who suffer from

aquaphobia Aquaphobia () is an irrational fear of water. Aquaphobia is considered a specific phobia of natural environment type in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. A specific phobia is an intense fear of something that poses lit ...

to swim without coming into contact with water. * The baby mop, an outfit worn by babies, so that as they crawl around, the floor is cleaned. * The

selfie stick A selfie stick is used to take photographs or video by positioning a digital camera device, typically a smartphone, beyond the normal range of the arm. This allows for shots to be taken at angles and distances that would not have been possible with ...

. While dismissed as a "useless invention" at the time, it later gained global popularity in the 21st century.

The International Chindogu Society

Kawakami founded the International Chindogu Society to popularize Chindogu worldwide. Papia is the president of the society's U.S. chapter. People who invent a Chindogu can write about their creation on the society's website.

The Ten Tenets of Chindōgu

The Chindōgu Society developed ten tenets of Chindōgu explaining the principles (spirits) on which chindogu products should be based, inspiring designers and users to think about the deep core of design in general. The tenets require that a Chindōgu * cannot be for real use, * must exist, * must have a spirit of anarchy, * is a tool for everyday life, * is not a tradeable commodity, * must not have been created for purposes of humour alone: humour is merely the by-product * is not propaganda, * is not taboo, * cannot be patented, and * is without prejudice.

In the media

''Chindōgu'' and Kawakami were featured regularly on a children's television show produced by the

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called ''

It'll Never Work? ''It'll Never Work?'' is a television programme for children showcasing new inventions and developments in scientific technology. Produced by Roy Milani for BBC Children's, the show ran for seven series between 9 November 1993 and 23 August 1999 ...

'', a show in a similar vein as the BBC's ''

Tomorrow's World ''Tomorrow's World'' is a former British television series about contemporary developments in science and technology. First transmitted on 7 July 1965 on BBC1, it ran for 38 years until it was cancelled at the beginning of 2003. The ''Tomorro ...

''; however, ''It'll Never Work'' usually focused more on wacky, humorous gadgets than on serious scientific and technological advances. Kenji Kawakami was visited by

Dave Attell David Attell (born January 18, 1965) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and writer best known as the host of Comedy Central's ''Insomniac with Dave Attell'', which earned him a cult following. His work has drawn admiration from many comedi ...

during the Sloshed In Translation episode of Insomniac in 2004. Kawakami featured items such as the baby duster, solar flashlight, and a device that would dry your hair with each step you took.

References

''101 unuseless Japanese inventions: the art of Chindogu''

External links

Chindōgu Society Official Homepage

Interview
with Kenji Kawakami
CHINDOGU: THE UNUSELESS INVENTIONS
CHINDOGU: THE UNUSELESS INVENTIONS OF KENJI KAWAKAMI

Chindogu: The Art of Un-useless Inventions
Unuseless

chindogu-14-hilarious-and-strange-japanese-inventions
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chindogu Japanese culture Japanese inventions Critical design Words and phrases with no direct English translation