50 Japanese Inventions That Show Off How Distinct The Country Is From Any Other Place
Interview
Often, when we see a particularly innovative or cute design, our brains jump to ‘Japan.’ The East Asian nation has a well-deserved reputation for clever designs and blending the traditional and modern.
Scroll down and enjoy this peak into some of the most unique ways that Japan does things. Visitors tend to come away with stories of technological wonders and adorable devices. Check out the neatest ideas you can find in Japan and be sure to upvote your favorites and let us know which you would love to see in your country.
We had the opportunity to speak to two seasoned travelers about Japan and ask some questions regarding travel tips and Japanese culture.
If you enjoy learning more about the 'Land of Rising Sun,’ be sure to check out Bored Panda’s other articles in this series here, here and here!
This post may include affiliate links.
Rice Field Art In Japan
My Favorite Shop Sign In Kyoto
I Love The Customized Manhole Covers In Japan. They Have It In Each Locality Around
I love all the tiny ways that Japan tries to preserve and share its art and culture.
Shannon O'Donnell from the travel blog A Little Adrift was kind enough to talk to us about visiting Japan. “Japan is among the most fascinating countries travelers could visit—it's a thoroughly modern country with a culture completely dissimilar to much of the West. You don't find that combination in many other countries. For this reason, I think it's a fantastic spot for adventurous first-time travelers, but tricky for most who don't have their "travel legs," so to speak. You're facing potential culture shock—Tokyo is a bustling, fascinating city that never stops moving, and some pretty strong written and spoken language barriers—English-language penetration is low even in fairly touristy areas.”
“That said, the Japanese offer unparalleled hospitality, the extensive train system is a breeze to use, and travelers never lack for incredible food. So while there are clearly a number of countries in Europe and other areas that are easier for first-time travelers, those with a sense of adventure will find that Japan offers an unmatched travel experience. ” In fact, Shannon believed that the entire world could learn from Japan’s absolutely fantastic rail network, which she described as “fast, clean, and efficient.”
Japanese Government Sends Individuals Quarantining At Home, Free Care Packages. This Is How Much I Got
Yup, unfortunately we were in the same situation recently, got two big-ish boxes of useful, thoughtfully selected items.
Where do you live? I’ve never heard of this being done in the US and especially not anymore.
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If the government had done it in my country a load of people would have complained about their taxes being spent on it, and it's processed food, and they don't like that food, and it's probably not organic...
There will always be that one person who thinks it could have been better or not done at all, because they think it's a waste of money.
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The government also notifies you it is for those in need - we passed on ours to make sure families who really needed can get support.
Thank you. It was truly appreciated I'm sure. I know I would
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Only certain areas, Tokyo / Osaka. I got jack s**t from Kanagawa. And I asked too, they don’t do anything and never did
How cool! I bet all of that stuff will light up your day! (It's a lightbulb joke.)
Hope your tap water was potable, otherwise the food will last much longer than the water. And that stuff all looks like it requires water to make, too.
we basically just bought all this stuff to feed my instant ramen addiction
In my country they would debate about this for a year and then it would need another two years to crete the burocracy for it and have a public call for the companies to apply for participating (because you couldn't just buy something, oh no, that would not be market neutral) After five years or so, a package would be ready to go out.
Wow, much getter than Korea, I got about a third as much when wuarantining there.
In the US you just go hungry unless you have someone willing to go shopping for you
Yeah but see the government there actually cares about their people. Also think of the sodium content!
It may sound nice to those received, but the reality is, they really does not want you to spread the virus to other people. Because the cost of treating treat to one person is cheaper to treating many people in the hospital.
That doesn't negate how helpful it was to the people that received it. It really doesn't matter why they did it, it's just great that they did do it.
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Im living in japan about 13 years i never had something like this from government
This is care package sent to those that were quarantined at home because of Covid. Other specifics like if one would get it automatically or if it was nationwide, I do not know.
Load More Replies... Well this sounds like Socialism! Surely by now this poor person has descended to the depths of a dystopian hellscape. Well best of luck in the gulag comrade! Feeding starving people is the first step to moral disillusion! The only thing the government should send struggling people is boot straps! Merica!
This would have been so much more beneficial than the "stimulus" checks.
Yeah my husband brought me COVID, he was an essential worker, pre vaccines and we were lucky enough to have my mom drop off groceries. I hated having to have her go out but luckily she didn't get COVID until after her vaccine and had a mild case and we returned the favor.
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This is Japan. They don't receive foreign aid. We were their sole source of military defense due to treaties ending WW II. However, even that has started changing since after the 2016 election in the US when they realized they can't count on us to keep our obligations.
Load More Replies... I Spotted This Bus For Preschool Kids In Nagoya
An Umbrella Sky In Metsa Village, Japan
We also had the honor to interview the experts at Boutique Japan about visiting it as a first-time traveler. “Japanese people are so friendly and hospitable to visitors (and it's an extraordinarily safe country). There are so many other aspects of traveling around Japan that make it so traveler-friendly, for example, the fact that everything runs so smoothly and efficiently (bullet trains always being on time as just one example!)”
Night Bus In Japan
I Found This At My Host Family's House In Japan
City Lights Of Nagano Seen Through The Thick Fog At Night
“I find that people in Japan tend to practice mindfulness in daily life, without being pretentious about it. There is a culture of respect in Japan that our travelers always comment on. Wherever you go (whether a fancy restaurant or a convenience store), the service is amazing because people tend to take such care in everything they do,” they added when we asked what the rest of the world could learn from Japan.
Flower Field In Hokkaido, Japan
Japanese Hospital Food
People asked me to post pictures of the food I got during my hospital stay (6 days), so here it is. Only two months after the baby was born. Also, I completely lost my appetite while I was in the hospital and didn't manage to eat most of the food, which was very upsetting.
If You Have A Cup Of Noodles In Japan, You'll Get Cats On The Inside Of The Lids. However, At A 6% Chance, You'll Get A Tibetan Fox. Middle Right
‘Geography is destiny’ is a quote often attributed to Napoleon and it seems applicable to the history of Japan. Island nations are often more insular and the rulers of Japan took this to the extreme. Between the 16th and 19th century, the country was cordoned off to foreigners by law while Japanese people were prohibited from leaving.
Even though Japan has been ‘open’ to the world for over a century, it remains a surprisingly homogenous nation. Nearly 99% of the population are ethnically Japanese. All in all, this created a culture in many ways unaffected by outside influence. And, as the pictures here might indicate, it really shows!
A Bookstore In Matsumoto City
These Fruit-Shaped Bus Stops
Some Grocery Carts In Japan Are Designed To Stack Everything Vertically, And To Cut Down On Aisle Congestion
Japanese design tends to follow a few core principles. Simplicity is actually seen as a great virtue, though this may seem strange when your server is a robot or when one travels by bullet train! This is best seen in certain elements of Japanese cuisine. Sushi traditionally emphasized the purity of the fish, which is ideally served as fresh as possible.
I Went To Shinjuku And Saw The Coolest Advertisement Display
This Building In Tokyo With Plants Growing On The Walls
Mini Japanese Garden Between Seats On A Train To Kyoto
Riding in style. I wonder if this is first class and how much a seat costs?
What might strike some readers as unusual is the idea of ‘Fukinsei’ or asymmetry. The idea is to find balance between regular patterns and the unexpected. This is also an important concept in Zen philosophy, as imperfection is seen as a natural part of life to be embraced. Look around you. Many examples of natural beauty are actually quite asymmetrical.
Chiba Urban Monorail In Japan
The Women's Bathroom At My Nearby Mall In Japan
Pikachu-Themed Train In Japan
I got on a Hello Kitty themed train in Japan. Every little thing, even the pictures of the driver on the tiny train maps on the back of the seats had been changed to kitty. IMG_201911...14b396.jpg 
A Fire Hydrant In Tokyo, Japan
Probably The Most Beautiful Hotel I Have Ever Been Too. Aizu Ashinomaki Onsen, Okawaso, Fukushima
I Found This Locker Area In A Science Museum. Nagoya, Japan
This Bakery In Japan Puts Their Leftover Bread In A Vending Machine To Sell After Hours
In Japan, There's A Privacy Button That Plays Sound In The Background Of The Toilet So That No One Would Hear Your Business
Because of the thin walls in many buildings, Japanese women would continuously flush the toilet so they could not be heard "doing their business". As that was quite expensive and not ecological, this was introduced. The first versions just played a recording of a toilet being flushed...
3D Coffee Art
There Was A Sales Car Of KFC Without Any Salesman
A Chopstick Store In Kappabashi Street, Tokyo
This Phone Booth In Osaka
Move Over British Payphone booths, Japan wins this One with the samurai Payphone booths.
The Trains In Japan Have "Women Only" Space
SIL used to work in happen Japan in the late '90s. She said men groping women on the trains was every damn day, and you learned to back up against the side quick if you couldn't get a seat. Being a tall blonde, it happened so much, but she also took none of it and regularly smacked and slapped offenders (something Japanese women didn't do, which was very surprising). She once was at a traffic stop on a bike and a guy on a bike next to her rescue over and grabbed her a*s - she jumped off her bike and began beating him with her purse yelling her head off. They never expected her to do that, every time.
This Japanese Restaurant Has A Tiny Mountain Fuji In The Base Of Their Glasses
The Japanese Government Sends A Care Package If You Have Covid. This Is For A Family Of 2 In Tokyo
In the US and UK you just go hungry if you don’t have family members or friends close to get food for you.
Taking Historic Architecture Into Account When Adding Vending Machines
This Toilet Refills With Water For Flushing As You Wash Your Hands
I have a small house and seriously want to install a powder room with one of these.
Curved Escalator In Japan
Speaker Shrine In Japan That You Can Bluetooth Your Own Audio To
This Hook-Shaped Restroom Door Handle So You Wouldn't Need To Use Your Hands
Train Seats In Osaka Have This Pattern To Remind You To Offer Your Seat To The People That Need It More
Sewer Cover In Osaka, Japan
This Beautiful Statue In Sendai, Japan
This Japanese Claw Machine Lets You Win A Cheesecake
These Are Refrigerated Lockers To Store Your Groceries. Saw This At The Airport In Hokkaido, Japan
Train Station In My Town Has A Line For Visually Impaired People
You mean their government spends money on infrastructure for the people and not building bombs?
Shopping Mall Food Court In Japan Offers Napkins To Wipe Tables. After Cleaning, Everyone Unfolds Their Used Napkins And Stacks Them Neatly
Japan is so beautifully environmentally conscious about the most basic things. Meanwhile in the U.S. I can't get my family to fully recycle or stop using paper plates and paper towels for dinner every night. They think I am crazy
This Kyoto Station Has 12 Floors Of Escalators
Hotel In Tokyo Has A Free Smartphone To Use While Being There
To Boost The Economy, Japan Gives Out Free Money Coupons To Use In Local Supermarkets And Restaurants If You Are In-Country Traveling
Shopping Carts In Japan Have An Umbrella And Cane Holder
Extra Train Seat In Japan
remember, while japan is a beautiful place, their society is f**ked. work-life balance is nonexistent, and they have one of the highest s*icide rates.
I would love to visit Japan, however, I don't think I could ever live their as a foreigner. It looks like such a gorgeous country, however, I have indeed heard from friends who have lived there and from my old Japanese professor that the work culture and pressure to succeed is incredibly difficult. Japan even has a word for "death by overwork." I truly hope that one day they will be able to find a more equal work and life balance.
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This post is quite special to me since I was born there, don't remember much though, only bits and pieces, and the whole culture is a special thing to me, I get a bolt of happiness whenever it is mentioned!
We are visiting Japan in March and April. So excited! Also meeting our family’s exchange student from 1997!!!!
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Japan also has an absolutely amazing music scene. All the musicians are top notch whatever your tastes. For my part, I love hard-rock and Metal and in the ranking of my favorite bands, some Japanese bands are now at the top, especially all girls bands who are breathtaking in their mastery of techniques and influences.
I was ridiculed in secondary school for listening to Japanese rock and pop although I was studying the language to pursue a degree in linguistics. I loved the way that some of the bands incorporated traditional instruments and rythms into their music. Now Asian bands, especially, KPop bands are incredibly popular--I guess I was just an early trend setter.
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People in Japan must respect and enjoy all these little extras. Here in the USA it would be trashed or stolen within hours.
I noticed that too. If if was any other country I have a feeling there would be more negative comments and pushback
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I live in Mexico, and of course there's different cities, but where I live at least, I don't think we could have any of these nice things. Every time they've tried to implement any kind of ornament or bus station, etc, it gets destroyed, vandalized or stolen. Like those manhole lids, if we had something like that it wouldn't last a week before someone had taken it away, for sure. I don't know if Japanese people have nice things because of their culture, or their culture is like that because of the nice things they grow up with, but in my third world country I feel like we're centuries behind.
Every country has positives and negatives. I used to live close to Mexico, and I love the Mexican people and the Mexican culture. Mexico also has really good health care. As a kid, I used to go to a dentist in Mexico.
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Amazing list. (also hilarious to see one commentor making it their life's mission to ensure we're aware when things aren't unique to Japan, because we have to lessen others achievements to make ourselves feel good)
Why is it that some people can't appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of another country without crapping on their own? Yes, these photos are beautiful and make me want to visit, but this is like looking at someone's FB page and thinking you know everything about them. ALL countries have good and bad, beautiful and ugly, wonderful and terrible. Don't knock one just to bolster another!
This post just wants to make me visit Japan more than I already do aghhh
This would be better, and more accurate to the title, if it exclusively featured things that are present throughout Japan, like the walkways for the visually impaired, or the manhole cover designs. I would leave out the individual things like unusually designed buildings. Japan is a wonderful place, but every country has individual things that are unusual and amazing. Better to include things that show why Japan *as a country* is unique.
Which ones weren't from Japan? I must have missed it cause they all looked Japanese to me.
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"Scroll down and enjoy this peak into some of the most unique ways that Japan does things. "Peak" as a noun, verb, or adjective means to reach the top. "Peek" means to take a quick look.
I still can't understand how a country can be so cultural and techy at the same time. I really want to visit Japan badly. Does anyone know how blacks are treated over there
It's sad that they need women only train cars. The molestation rate is insane over there.
The dismissive commentary dubbing Japan a f**cked society is basely ignorant. Anyone who has travelled to the interior of Kyushu views a world very different from the urban metropolis of Tokyo or Osaka. Let alone, the fact: workers in the USA work more hours per week than the Japanese. Japan is very convivial and diverse there is individuation, but unlike the US, egocentricity is rare. The large number of small, independently owned shops is one marker of the culture and far outstrips the US. There is also broad sociality, which is polite & mannered. As for suicide, that is within a cultural context, far outside the ken of undestanding expressed by a foreigner with hardly an iota of knowledge about a place never visited and viewed thru gross stereotypes. Japan has the longest living population - which is the culmination of societal characteristics. Stated below: an incredible, diverse music scene - more so than the USA..
As an American, my first reaction to most of these things was, "That's awesome but it looks expensive to do it that way and we couldn't afford it", because I've been brainwashed into believing that there is no money for nice things like this in America. The reality is that we have plenty of money for things like this, we just choose to spend it all on bombs, prisons and tax breaks for obscenely wealthy A-H0LES.
You can't "spend money on tax breaks" just like you can't "spend money working fewer hours." What you're trying to say is you wish the government was more communist and took more money from those who earned it and give it to those who didn't.
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Most of these are quirky one offs and not the norm, nor will a visitor likely even see most without seeking out actively
When people ask why America got effed up? Never forget that Japanese-styole business management was imported to the US and look how oh-so-great that is...not. The shift when it happened was hailed as a great thing (by execs).... Two great issues with it is 1. seeing workers as capital rather than people and 2. resources arriving only when required, not being stored. Anyone else see how that can go wrong?
Since at least the Industrial Revolution workers have never really been people hence the introduction of unions to prevent workers from being abused by companies.
Load More Replies... remember, while japan is a beautiful place, their society is f**ked. work-life balance is nonexistent, and they have one of the highest s*icide rates.
I would love to visit Japan, however, I don't think I could ever live their as a foreigner. It looks like such a gorgeous country, however, I have indeed heard from friends who have lived there and from my old Japanese professor that the work culture and pressure to succeed is incredibly difficult. Japan even has a word for "death by overwork." I truly hope that one day they will be able to find a more equal work and life balance.
Load More Replies... This post is quite special to me since I was born there, don't remember much though, only bits and pieces, and the whole culture is a special thing to me, I get a bolt of happiness whenever it is mentioned!
We are visiting Japan in March and April. So excited! Also meeting our family’s exchange student from 1997!!!!
Load More Replies... Japan also has an absolutely amazing music scene. All the musicians are top notch whatever your tastes. For my part, I love hard-rock and Metal and in the ranking of my favorite bands, some Japanese bands are now at the top, especially all girls bands who are breathtaking in their mastery of techniques and influences.
I was ridiculed in secondary school for listening to Japanese rock and pop although I was studying the language to pursue a degree in linguistics. I loved the way that some of the bands incorporated traditional instruments and rythms into their music. Now Asian bands, especially, KPop bands are incredibly popular--I guess I was just an early trend setter.
Load More Replies... People in Japan must respect and enjoy all these little extras. Here in the USA it would be trashed or stolen within hours.
I noticed that too. If if was any other country I have a feeling there would be more negative comments and pushback
Load More Replies... I live in Mexico, and of course there's different cities, but where I live at least, I don't think we could have any of these nice things. Every time they've tried to implement any kind of ornament or bus station, etc, it gets destroyed, vandalized or stolen. Like those manhole lids, if we had something like that it wouldn't last a week before someone had taken it away, for sure. I don't know if Japanese people have nice things because of their culture, or their culture is like that because of the nice things they grow up with, but in my third world country I feel like we're centuries behind.
Every country has positives and negatives. I used to live close to Mexico, and I love the Mexican people and the Mexican culture. Mexico also has really good health care. As a kid, I used to go to a dentist in Mexico.
Load More Replies... Amazing list. (also hilarious to see one commentor making it their life's mission to ensure we're aware when things aren't unique to Japan, because we have to lessen others achievements to make ourselves feel good)
Why is it that some people can't appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of another country without crapping on their own? Yes, these photos are beautiful and make me want to visit, but this is like looking at someone's FB page and thinking you know everything about them. ALL countries have good and bad, beautiful and ugly, wonderful and terrible. Don't knock one just to bolster another!
This post just wants to make me visit Japan more than I already do aghhh
This would be better, and more accurate to the title, if it exclusively featured things that are present throughout Japan, like the walkways for the visually impaired, or the manhole cover designs. I would leave out the individual things like unusually designed buildings. Japan is a wonderful place, but every country has individual things that are unusual and amazing. Better to include things that show why Japan *as a country* is unique.
Which ones weren't from Japan? I must have missed it cause they all looked Japanese to me.
Load More Replies... "Scroll down and enjoy this peak into some of the most unique ways that Japan does things. "Peak" as a noun, verb, or adjective means to reach the top. "Peek" means to take a quick look.
I still can't understand how a country can be so cultural and techy at the same time. I really want to visit Japan badly. Does anyone know how blacks are treated over there
It's sad that they need women only train cars. The molestation rate is insane over there.
The dismissive commentary dubbing Japan a f**cked society is basely ignorant. Anyone who has travelled to the interior of Kyushu views a world very different from the urban metropolis of Tokyo or Osaka. Let alone, the fact: workers in the USA work more hours per week than the Japanese. Japan is very convivial and diverse there is individuation, but unlike the US, egocentricity is rare. The large number of small, independently owned shops is one marker of the culture and far outstrips the US. There is also broad sociality, which is polite & mannered. As for suicide, that is within a cultural context, far outside the ken of undestanding expressed by a foreigner with hardly an iota of knowledge about a place never visited and viewed thru gross stereotypes. Japan has the longest living population - which is the culmination of societal characteristics. Stated below: an incredible, diverse music scene - more so than the USA..
As an American, my first reaction to most of these things was, "That's awesome but it looks expensive to do it that way and we couldn't afford it", because I've been brainwashed into believing that there is no money for nice things like this in America. The reality is that we have plenty of money for things like this, we just choose to spend it all on bombs, prisons and tax breaks for obscenely wealthy A-H0LES.
You can't "spend money on tax breaks" just like you can't "spend money working fewer hours." What you're trying to say is you wish the government was more communist and took more money from those who earned it and give it to those who didn't.
Load More Replies... Most of these are quirky one offs and not the norm, nor will a visitor likely even see most without seeking out actively
When people ask why America got effed up? Never forget that Japanese-styole business management was imported to the US and look how oh-so-great that is...not. The shift when it happened was hailed as a great thing (by execs).... Two great issues with it is 1. seeing workers as capital rather than people and 2. resources arriving only when required, not being stored. Anyone else see how that can go wrong?
Since at least the Industrial Revolution workers have never really been people hence the introduction of unions to prevent workers from being abused by companies.
Load More Replies...