JapanSugoi

Another cute toy bank for the kids.  This one is called the the Choken Bako bank which features the happiest, hungriest dog you’ll ever meet sitting on top of a box.   Like other toy banks, you drop some coins into the dog’s dish and watch him gobble up the coins (which are then stored in the box)

Cute Choken Bako dog bank for kids

Looking for something unique to bring back from Japan on your holiday?  How about these “moe” looking Astrology Condoms which are the product of  Japanese company  Yamashita Latex Industrial Ltd. 山下ラテックス,  a small Japanese firm best known for their Perma Skin, Love Collection and Impact brands of condoms.

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Toy banks are a fun way for kids to learn about money and in particular saving money.  In Japan, the Itazura Bank is a fun example of a coin bank toy. In Japanese ‘itazura’ means to play a trick on someone. The  120 x 115 x 100mm (4.7 x 4.5 x 3.9″) box  looks like an ordinary fruit box but place your yen coins on the appropriately fish-themed button and soon the box will open and a cute cat (or dog)  appears and with it’s paw takes your money!

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Here is a cool and modern wooden wine stand ワイン立て made in Takayama Japan. This simple yet stylish wine stand (W60×H250) has an elegant curve and a fine wood texture.  Just put the wine bottle neck in the hole and it stands. The stand which makes a great gift comes in 4 kinds of woods – Walnut, Black walnut, cherry, horse chestnut and  oak and costs 3,200-3,700 Yen.

See more great custom made wood products from Kijiya家具工房 雉子舎 here.

Something your Japanese girlfriend might like. Micropets, from Japanese toy maker Takara Tomy, are little robots that follow your instructions. There are nine different (very small and adorable) robotic animals to choose from.

The Micropet robo-animals can move around autonomously and are equipped with sensors that help them in detecting obstacles. They weigh 32.5g each and are sized at 58×48×45mm.
Each Micropet has four modes: Chase (the robot chases other moving objects), Stroll (it runs around avoiding obstacles), Song (it “sings” one of two pre-installed songs) and Chorus (several Micropets sing together as a group).  Cost of each pet is about US29.

A seasonal ice cream flavor from Haagen Dazs Japan – pumpkin flavored ice cream! Just in time for Halloween.  This is not your traditional pumpkin but Japanese pumpkin (kabocha).

During this hot summer, this handy 9cm long  UV ray checker is the perfect gift for your Japanese girlfriend who values her porcelain white complexion.

UV rays are invisible to the naked eye, so she’ll never know when she’s in danger but you can give her a friendly warning by holding it up to the sky.  The palette turns a different color indicating the strength of the UV rays.  The 3-inch palette also doubles as a mirror and costs only 250 Yen.  What a bargain.

Hello Kitty branding and merchandising just keeps growing.  Japanese importer Showa Boeki last summer brought this 3 liter lubricant (engine oil specifically designed for small compact cars) to the Japanese market.   The product is a collaboration with the Japanese branch of the Italian automotive and gasoline retailer AGIP (Azienda Generale Italiana Petroli) and is available at well known car dealers in Japan.  Cost of the engine oi is  2980 Yen (32 US$)

What you see in the photos and video is real -  a soccerball sized flying robot 球形飛行体  capable of zipping through the air at approximately 60 kilometers (40 mph) per hour!   Developed by Japan’s Ministry of Defense Technical Research and Development Institute, the robot is  maneuverable enough to slip through windows and flit around indoors and is designed for urban reconnaissance and infiltration as it carries a camera not weapons.

The yet unnamed remote controlled robot is the only flying spherical robot in the world and the machine flies on a single propeller and eight wings.   Its spherical body reduces the effect of wind, and also has the added advantage of allowing simple controlled “crash landings” stop, drop and roll style.  Read more...

Does your cute Japanese girlfriend like the rough and manly 3 o’clock shadow or 3 day stubble look on you?  If yes, the Panasonic ER223P ヒゲトリマー ER223P is the razor for you.

The specialty electric razor allows the user to keep the  exact amount of stubble every morning.  The unique design of the trimmer allows the user to adjust their optimum beard length from 1mm to 20mm (4/5 of an inch).

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