I really loved the chindogu book my cousin Chickoy lent me to cheer me up when I was confined in the hospital last year, so I set about to getting my own chindogu book. Luckily the first book in the chindogu series, 101 Unuseless Japanese Inventions, also by Kenji Kawakami, was readily available on BookMooch.
Kawakami is recognized as the founder of chindogu, everyday gadgets designed to solve life’s little problems. Well, almost.
Chindogu are “bizarre and brilliant gizmos and gadgets that have broken free from the chains of usefulness to enjoy the sublime liberation of the highly impractical.”
According to the book, there are ten tenets of chindogu:
1. A chindogu cannot be for real use
2. A chindogu must exist
3. Inherent in every chindogu is the spirit of anarchy (i.e. free to challenge utility, and free to be almost useless)
4. Chindogu are tools for everyday life
5. Chindogu are not for sale
6. Humour must not be the sole reason for creating a chindogu
7. Chindogu is not propaganda
8. Chindogu never taboo (no cruelty and no sexual innuendos)
9. Chindogu cannot be patented (mi chindogu es tu chindogu!)
10. Chindogu are without prejudice
Here are some more samples of irresistibly pointless inventions:
water-saving umbrella
roll-on butter
chew counter
360 degree camera
and man boobs!
Chindogu books never fail to make me laugh!
***
101 Unuseless Japanese Inventions, paperback, 5/5 stars
Book #153 for 2010
[amazonify]::omakase::300:250[/amazonify]
wow! now because of you – i love Chindogu! hehe.. :D
you really have great blogs.. i am now hooked with your words! ^_^
Hi Sem. Thanks :D Hope you come back regularly to check out my new entries :)
This looks like a lot of fun, Will need to check it out.
Loved your review.
Thanks Parrish
Yep. It’s my honor to be invited by a great writer to read her blogs. Thanks! ^_^
can you actually buy the inventions
Hi John, I don’t think so.
According to the tenets of Chindogu #5
“Chindogu are not for sale. Chindogu are not tradable commodities. If you accept money for one you surrender your purity. They must not even be sold as a joke.”