Chindogu (珍道具) is the not-so-ancient Japanese art of inventing ingenious everyday gadgets that, on the face of it, seem like an ideal solution to a particular problem. However, Chindogu has a distinctive feature: anyone actually attempting to use one of these inventions, would find that it causes so many new problems, or such significant social embarrassment, that effectively it has no utility whatsoever. Thus, Chindogu are sometimes described as 'unuseless' - that is, they cannot be regarded as 'useless' in an absolute sense, since they do actually solve a problem; however, in practical terms, they cannot positively be called 'useful'. In general terms, an invention is an object, process or technique which displays an element of novelty. ... Jump to: navigation, search A gadget or gizmo is a device that has a useful specific purpose and function. ... Embarrassment is an unpleasant emotional state experienced upon having a socially unacceptable act or condition witnessed by or revealed to others. ... Jump to: navigation, search In economics, utility is a measure of the happiness or satisfaction gained from a good or service. ...

Literally translated, 'Chindogu' means weird / unusual (珍, 'chin') tool (道具, 'dogu'). The term was coined by Kenji Kawakami, a Japanese inventor and writer who first made the idea prominent in a book translated into English, in the mid-nineties, as 101 Unuseless Japanese Inventions: The Art of Chindogu. The popular success of this book prompted a follow-up, 99 More Unuseless Japanese Inventions, which was published a few years later. Together, the books have sold nearly a quarter of a million copies in Japan alone, and have been translated into most of the major world languages. Examples from the books include:

• a battery powered battery charger, that can recharge 2 D-Cell batteries using 6 D-Cell Batteries
• a solar powered flashlight, that can only be used in broad day light
• a combined household duster and cocktail-shaker, for the housewife who wants to reward herself as she's going along;
• the all-day tissue dispenser, which is basically a toilet roll fixed on top of a hat, for hay fever sufferers;
• duster slippers for cats, so they can help out with the housework;
• the all-over plastic bathing costume, to enable people who suffer from hydrophobia to bathe without coming into contact with water.

There are ten key tenets to bear in mind, if you wish to design a Chindogu. The principal among these are: (a) it has to be possible to make (ie, it has to actually exist), in spite of its absurdity; (b) it has to remain in the public domain (ie, it cannot be given a patent); and (c) it must not be exclusively a vehicle for humour, or the warped satirical worldview of the inventor. There is frequently humour in a Chindogu, of course, but this should properly be regarded as incidental, rather than as an end in itself. A full list of the tenets is available at http://www.chindogu.com/chindogu/tenents.html . Bold text Hydrophobis is: Hydrophobia, a set of symptoms of the later stages of a rabies infection, in which the victim has difficulty swallowing, shows panic when presented with liquids to drink, and cannot quench his or her thirst. ... Jump to: navigation, search A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a state to a person for a fixed period of time in exchange for the regulated, public disclosure of certain details of a device, method, process or substance (known as an invention) which is new, inventive... Jump to: navigation, search Satire is a literary technique of writing or art which exposes the follies of its subject (for example, individuals, organizations, or states) to ridicule, often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. ...

In spite of the stipulation that Chindogu should not be used for satirical ends, Kawakami himself does appear to regard them as a kind of antidote to consumerism, and the Western obsession with making life as 'easy' as possible. He describes Chindogu as "invention dropouts," anarchically brilliant ideas that have broken free from "the suffocating historical dominance of conservative utility." One might wish to design Chindogu for a number of reasons, for example, to improve one's mental sharpness; to develop them as an art form; or simply to revel in a purely creative act without having to worry about utility or making money. Jump to: navigation, search Consumerism is a term used to describe the effects of equating personal happiness with purchasing material possessions and consumption. ... Jump to: navigation, search Anarchism is a generic term describing various political philosophies and social movements that advocate the elimination of all forms of government. ... Resources ArtLex. ...

And then, of course, there is the simple pleasure to be had from a perfectly logical solution that turns out to be perfectly useless.

See also

• Rube Goldberg
• Heath Robinson

Jump to: navigation, search Rube Goldberg Reuben Lucius Goldberg (July 4, 1883 - December 7, 1970) was a cofounder and first president of the National Cartoonists Society. ... William Heath Robinson (May 31, 1872 - September 13, 1944) was a British cartoonist and illustrator, who signed himself W. Heath Robinson. ...

External links

• The International Chindogu Society
• An interesting two-page interview with Kawakami
• There is a nicely put-together selection of Chindogu here