Japan is an amazing and innovative country. When it comes to technology and cool inventions that seem like they’re from 2052, Japan is on top of their game. In fact, it seems like they’re leaving us all behind in the dust!
Here are 45 examples of why Japan is clearly living in the future – and we need to catch up.
How did they think of some of these things?
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Toilets with sinks attached to the top
These fancy toilets are actually great water savers! The sink on top goes into the tank. Oh, and those controls make the seat warm and also control the settings of the built-in bidet!
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Illemu/Instagram
Bullet train sneakers
What better way to encourage people to run as fast as possible? Sometimes being advanced is as much about psychology as technology!
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ImagesOfNetwork/Reddit
Just your normal typical everyday hotel, until you notice what’s different about the employees.
That’s right. They’re all robots. There’s a sign that says “Don’t touch the robots.” But what happens if you do touch the robots? Do they turn against humanity?
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Teppei_umemoto/Instagram
It’s just your normal everyday tie, right? Wrong!
And to think that American ties are just ties! This one is an umbrella too! Maybe a little bulky? And wouldn’t your shirt get wet?
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Twice as much parking in any one space
In most places, it can be hard to find a parking spot. Not in Japan. Just go vertical! Why not take space in the air instead of on the ground?
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Porouquette/Instagram
Eye dropping made easy
You can also stick some fake eyes on that and cosplay as a shocked cartoon character. This still doesn’t look very pleasant though. It’s amazing what people come up with.
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Instead of canvases, some artists make art out of rice paddies.
What’s crazy about this image is that anyone who knows the movie Roman Holiday will instantly recognize this scene. What kind of tech could have been used to capture the look of a movie in a field of growing rice!?
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Xxkiroxx/Instagram
Baby holders in the bathroom
It makes a lot of sense when you think about it. It’s a hygenic solution! And you can keep an eye on the baby while you need to use the loo.
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J_a_panadventure/Instagram
Insane amounts of variety in products
Who else wants the pancake bear one? In America, we never get to see all these delicious fun flavors of Kit Kat candy bars. In Japan, they have some really interesting ones!
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ImagesOfNetwork/Reddit
In Japan, dogs can be and are groomed into cubes
Because dogs with fur shaped like anything other than a cuboid is so 21st century, and Japan is in the 31st century! The dogs don’t seem to mind, so I suppose it’s not hurting anyone.
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SierraAndFlowers/Imgur
A McDonald’s that’s supersmall
Americans supersized their McDonald’s. But Japan went the other way. Of course, as technology advances, everything gets smaller. Just think about how boxy TVs used to be. The same must have happened for fast food cooking in Japan!
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Japan_totally/Instagram
Melons with branding grown onto them
And you thought you were smart when you arranged breakfast into a smiley face. These melons have the brand and little cute pictures ‘grown’ right onto their skin. How cool is that?
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Nathui518/Instagram
Luggage is arranged like a well played game of Tetris
Each bag has the handle facing up, and no space on the conveyor belt is wasted. You just know that some sort of amazing robot has done that! It’s so satisfying to look at.
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Abiem01/Instagram
Grocery stores that work on the honor system
Just pick up your items and place the money in a jar. People can be trusted to give the right amount and not take the money jar, because the people are so sophisticated. And there’s possibly a robot policeman or something just out of shot.
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Tsukachan91/Instagram
Who needs a hotel room when you can have a hotel pod?
It’s ok, it has a pull down sheet for privacy. And there you were thinking it would be weird to sleep in one of those! It might not be very roomy, but if you’re only using it for sleep – not much space is needed. Where’s the bathroom, though?
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Dearlydjoshua/Instagram
A gigantic indoor beach
When you’ve saved so much space by building tiny McDonald’s, why not build a huge inside beach?! You don’t need to live somewhere tropical to go for a dip at the beach. Just build one!
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Avenida_viaggi/Instagram
Do you live with someone who loves karaoke, but you hate it? There’s a solution
That’s right, it’s a microphone that stops the sound from being heard! It looks like your words would become muffled but, when you want to sing, you want to sing! Just make sure to clean it afterward.
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Because sometimes you want your melon to match your perfectly groomed dog
In Japan, it’s apparently all the rage to style things that shouldn’t be cubes into cubes. Now, go pick up your cubed dog from the groomer and take an Instgram photo.
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Food and drink products that ACTUALLY MATCH THE PICTURE
When was the last time you ordered something from Starbucks and actually thought that it matched your expectations? In Japan, it’s unusual if the product doesn’t match the image!
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Fio_jubi/Instagram
If you ask for directions from a cop, they will draw you a detailed map
Do they have some sort of Google Maps app installed in their brains!? Considering that they love technology so much, this gesture seems quite old school. We like it.
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Mrtobbsie/Instagram
A fan that cools down noodles while you’re eating them
If only soup spoons could cool food down like this! No one likes that feeling of burning their mouths on hot soups and noodles. And let’s face it, none of us have the patience to wait for it to cool down. So, here’s the solution.
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A camera that lets you explore your ear
Just in case you wanted to get a real deep look into your ear canal – there’s a product for you, apparently. We’re not sure why you’d need this for personal use but, hey – we don’t judge.
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Alcoholic beverages say that they’re alcoholic with braille
Such a genius idea. Imagine how annoying it must be to open a beer when you wanted a Coke! They’ve incorporated braille on the tops of their cans to help blind people identify alcoholic beverages.
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Grace Buchele/Wordpress
The umbrella vending machine
Again, another common sense idea. Every other country just lacks the creativity to make it a reality! Don’t have an umbrella? Just buy one at the machine on the street.
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Gjeangenie/Instagram
Ice cream cones that are shaped like animals
They really put animal crackers to shame! These waffle cones certainly aren’t your ordinary grid-like pattern. They’ve transformed the cone into a beautiful fish!
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Yb.adventures/Instagram
Black fries that taste delicious
To be fair, I once invented some black french fries by leaving them in the oven for three hours. They did not taste delicious. These though, are made with squid ink. Much more delicious.
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Detail.kyoto/Instagram
The bus drivers hold an umbrella out for riders who are busy opening their own umbrellas.
It looks like they all used the same umbrella vending machine. The Japanese seem to be very considerate with their umbrella availability. Such a nice idea!
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Howmuchthereis2see/Instagram
Umbrella locks
They’re the same as bike parking spaces, except you don’t have to bring your own lock. And see what we mean? More umbrellas!
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Monikakuelsheimer/Instagram
What kind of restaurant is this? It’s a hospital!
Hospital food in America tends to be foul. This on the other hand…is quite the step up. Could you imagine being greeted with this delicious meal in your hospital bed?
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ImagesOfNetwork/Reddit
Electronic bras
They can tell when a woman is happy with another person taking it off. If only they could make a wallet that stays closed when its owner is going to make a dumb impulse buy! We’re not so sure about this one.
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Ravijour/Instagram
Helmets that let you sleep upright
That’s one way of solving Japan’s intensely long working week. Just suction cup your head to the train window and take a nap on the commute! You look a little funny but I guess it’s one creative way to catch so some ZZZ’s.
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Acid Cow
The super convenient dustpan and brush
Who needs tap dancing when you can do tap cleaning? Imagine the calve muscles you would work up over time. Although, this is clearly for small messes.
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This puts the Golden Gate Bridge to shame
Why make one bridge when you can smush three into one? Quite the beautiful architectural creation! Very pleasing to the eye.
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ImagesOfNetwork/Reddit
You can get a self portrait made out of sushi
It’s almost a shame to eat it. This sushi chef is a total pro when it comes to creating people’s likeness out of rice, seaweed, and fish. We’re seriously impressed.
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ImagesOfNetwork/Reddit
The most unique flavor known to humanity
This is what human taste buds will eventually evolve to like the most. Salty, sweet, carbonated. What more do you really need? Sounds weird but we’re sure it’s delicious.
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ImagesOfNetwork/Reddit
Robot shows are totally normal
Robots are basically like a normal part of society in Japan. In fact, while you’re out at a bar or a restaurant, you might just catch a robot show! Get ready for sensory overload.
There are vending machines everywhere for everything
The moment you arrive at an airport in Japan, you’ll start to notice all of the vending machines. And once you reach the city? They’re everywhere! You can buy drinks, hot ramen, electronics, makeup, and more.
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Instagram/laura_studarus
Order your sushi from a touchscreen
Even before social distancing was in place, Japan was already using touch screens at their restaurants and cafes. Here, you just need to order what you want with a click of a button and it just shows up at the table on a conveyer train! Pay on the screen and go!
Their trains go really, really fast
Imagine going on your commute and the train tops out at speeds of around 200 mph. It sounds insane, right? Well, not in Japan!
See? Ramen vending machines
You’d never think to order hot noodles from a vending machine But in Japan, it’s more than possible. And it’s actually quite delicious too.
This better be the best melon you’ve ever had
Would you spend over $100 for a cantaloupe? We’re not sure what makes these melons so incredible but apparently people are buying them. They must have seeds of gold inside or something.
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The food at convenience stores is quite yummy
When you picture food from a convenience store, what do you think of? Nachos with weird cheese? A sausage that’s been spinning around in a hot case for far too long? Well – not in Japan!
You can fish for your dinner…inside…at the restaurant
Fishing for your food is a centuries-long tradition. But have you ever done it inside a restaurant? After you’ve caught the fish, they cook it right there for you. It doesn’t get more fresh than that!
You can buy compressed clothing
Imagine buying a new shirt and being able to put it in your pocket on the walk home. In Japan, they’ve figured out how to package clothing in a very compact way. Makes it a little hard to try on though…
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They’re cleaning the air with plants
Once again, they’ve used vertical space to their advantage. Not only do the plants on the side of the building look beautiful, they also help clean the air! Every building should do this.
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Reddit
There’s not doubt that Japan is like no other place on earth. It’s a beautiful country with gorgeous landscapes and cities with breathtaking skylines. And clearly – they’ve figured out how to live light years ahead the rest of us!
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Source: Bright Side, Buzzfeed