Astounding Examples of Innovation from Japan
I traveled to Japan last year with some friends, and was astounded by the differences there. Everyday things from trash cans to doors to conveyerbelts were just… better, let alone the high-tech things like trains and computers.
I couldn’t help but compulsively photograph seemingly mundane things, awestruck by their design. I did get some quizzical looks when blabbering on about a straw or ladder. But there’s a few lessons:
- Unimaginative people ask “why?” when confronted with a new idea and sit there, lifeless. Instead, ask “why not?” and do something new.
- Not every invention pans out, and that’s fine. At least you are trying to improve things.
- Several minor, 2% improvements add up over time (see the rule of 72). Everyday efficiencies are great — you don’t always need a breakthrough to make a difference.
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Posted May 11, 2007,
under Observations
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Have a question? Know an explanation that caused your own a-ha moment? Write about it here.
I remembered reading that some authors claimed in their books that Japanese are not good in doing thing for themselves (innovation) but from gallery of pictures above, I see that they are capable more than what these pessimistic authors have wrote.
Abdul Rahman — August 7, 2007 @ 2:49 am
ur collection really opened my eyes for japanese people.keep the good work up…
robin — November 15, 2007 @ 9:02 am
@Abdul: Yep, don’t believe everything you read
@Robin: Thanks, it’s amazing what you can do with “simple” everyday things.
Kalid — November 15, 2007 @ 10:08 am
I live in Japan now, and you’ve pointed out some of the best. My personal favorite though is the everyday household toilet paper dispenser. It has two knobs on either side with springs; you can push them up but not pull them down. This means to change the roll, you just push the old roll up and out, then add the new roll by pushing it up into the thing. Replacing the toilet has never been so fun—or fast!
Gerbs — November 27, 2007 @ 9:57 am
Hi Gerbs, thanks for the info! Wow, that’s great — I didn’t have a chance to see those, but would definitely have photographed it
.
Kalid — November 27, 2007 @ 10:47 am
Wow, those pics were excellent.
really creativity is the father of INVENTION
Zujar Lokhandwala — November 28, 2007 @ 11:27 pm
Thanks Zujar, glad you liked it. Yes, and sometimes necessity (i.e. not having much space) is the mother!
Kalid — November 29, 2007 @ 12:32 am
I just stumbled on this post. The Japanese are amazingly clever when it comes to design. Like someone else said, it gives lie to the idea that they are not very innovative. Even more mind-blowing that these items are the shows on Japanese TV that feature either house building (that blow away anything in the American version because space actually is at a premium in Japan) or competitions between paper-folding champions, or maze builders or anything you can think of. Japanese seem to have figured out how to master things that Americans just take for granted.
Eric — February 4, 2008 @ 8:34 pm
Oddly enough, I find the Germans work the same way. They are incredibly talented at detail-oriented work. Find something small that annoys you? Engineer a solution.
Light comes into your room in the morning? Create blinds that block out ALL light. (Google image search for “Rolladen”)
Ballpoints suck? Make fountain pens with standardized ink cartridges. Also, the ink can be made invisible with one end of a corrector pen, whose other end is ink that can be written over the now-invisible mistake.
Shocked yourself while unplugging something? German ones are recessed and designed so it doesn’t happen (”Steckdose”).
Hate waiting at red lights at night? Traffic circle.
The country doesn’t even have door knobs; door handles (that you can easily use with prosthetic limbs) are universal here. Things are more handicap accessible; there’s more braille.
In the stairwell of an apartment, you push the lights button and it stays on for two or three minutes and then goes back out. Newer buildings have sensors and light automatically.
Germans are good at finding small things that annoy them or waste energy and then engineering a solution, much like the Japanese. If only we would complain less and fix more.
Andrew — February 16, 2009 @ 10:00 am
@Eric: I agree — there are some really funny/intricate pranks as well
.
@Andrew: That’s interesting! I’ve never been to Germany but I’ll keep an eye out if I’m ever there.
A lot of people poo-poo micro-optimizations with “What’s the point?”. But I don’t think they see the cumulative effect, and how removing many small frustrations can make tasks pleasant. Even making a sandwich would be tiresome without pre-sliced bread.
Kalid — February 17, 2009 @ 12:37 am
Wow! Thanks for the exposure about the japanease ingenuity! And your photography and observation is pretty neat too!
Karan — September 27, 2009 @ 10:26 pm
@Karan: Thanks, glad you liked it!
Kalid — October 2, 2009 @ 5:08 pm