SKU: 97515827876

The Big Bento Box of Unuseless Japanese Inventions: The Art of Chindogu

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Description

The Big Bento Box of Unuseless Japanese Inventions: The Art of ChindoguIn Japan, Kenji Kawakami is famous for his tireless promotion of Chindogu: the art of the unuseless idea. Kawakami has developed an entire philosophy around these bizarre and logic defying gadgets and gizmos, which must work but are actually entirely impractical. Created in the spirit of anarchy, unuseless inventions are not allowed to be patented or sold. Fans of the unuseless will love this completely absorbing collection of 200 Chindogu, including:

In Japan, Kenji Kawakami is famous for his tireless promotion of Chindogu: the art of the unuseless idea. Kawakami has developed an entire philosophy around these bizarre and logic-defying gadgets and gizmos, which must work but are actually entirely impractical. Created in the spirit of anarchy, unuseless inventions are not allowed to be patented or sold.

Fans of the unuseless will love this completely absorbing collection of 200 Chindogu, including:

  • the Drymobile (your laundry dries as you drive)
  • the Solar-Powered Torch (never runs low on batteries)
  • Duster Slippers for Cats (now the most boring job around the house becomes hours of fun--for your cat )
  • Walk 'n' Wash Ankle-Attachable Laundry Tanks (a perfect solution for the problems of inadequate exercise and hygiene)
  • and many, many more.

These hilarious inventions have taken Japan by storm. Every one of the 200 items in The Big Bento Box of Unuseless Japanese Inventions has actually been manufactured to the highest standards, fully tested by pioneering members of the Japanese public, and documented in their unuselessness with photographs.



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 04/17/2005
ISBN: 9780393326765
Pages: 303
Weight: 1.13lbs
Size: 6.84h x 5.16w x 0.83d

Review Citations: Ingram Advance 04/01/2005 pg. 100 - Best Of The Best/Highly Recommended
Discover 03/01/2006 pg. 73
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SKU: 97515827876

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Gaffe0880
Draper, US
★★★★★ 5
Cleans without any harsh fragrance or residue
Scent: Fragrance Free, Size: 12 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
I got tired of other overly-scented hand soaps and decided to give this a try. It works well for a quick wash after using the toilet and when you're hands are really dirty. It rinses off easily and quickly. While it's unscented, it does have a smell - it's hard to describe, sort of like a bleach-clean scent but, it definitely does NOT smell like bleach. It just smells "clean." Since it's in the bathroom, it also gets used to clean up some other adult things. Since it isn't scented and doesn't leave any residue it's perfect for things that are in close contact with sensitive areas.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2026
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Verified Purchase
R. Blair
Fort Morgan, US
★★★★★ 5
Smells nice, foams up. Really good.
Scent: Lavender, Size: 64 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
Good price, got it for a backup in case we run out of the stuff we normally use. It smells pretty good actually.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2026
D
Verified Purchase
Diego & Natalie
Cuba, US
★★★★★ 4
Good smelling soap!
Scent: Lavender, Size: 12 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
Smells great and is gentle on the hands. No artificial colors and no leaks! It smells good and is a good price! The pump works very well, overall am very happy with this soap!
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Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2026
A
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AmyFranklySpeaking
New York, US
★★★★★ 5
Must Use FOAMING SOAP BOTTLE for this soap & you will Love it!
Scent: Fragrance Free, Size: 64 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
I have been using this soap refill for years and love it. I also use the scented versions when this is out of stock and they are not very strong scent. But if you prefer no fragrance, then this is a great soap. Many reviewers are complaining it is watery and thin. YES, IT IS. It is SUPPOSED to be. If you don't know how foaming soap works, you do need a couple pumps of foaming soap but you are using a fraction of the amount of soap you would use (aka WASTE) with standard soap. Have you ever seen your kid pump soap in the bathroom? Not once, or twice, but three or four times? Well, they can do that with this soap and not waste it because it's half air in each pump. It's SUPPOSED to be for foaming hand soap. Don't get fooled by your costly regular or foaming soap. Buy this and have clean hands and SAVE money! My family has very sensitive skin and nobody gets rough, red hands from this soap. No problems. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THESE FOAMING SOAP DISPENSERS FOR THIS PRODUCT: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PVFXSVC/ref=sbl_dpx_bath-accessories-countertop-soap-dispensers_B07Z8J57J7_0?th=1 UPDATE ON REVIEW (August 2020): I recently just ordered this item and it was delivered with new packaging. I thought it was the same product, but it seems to have additional ingredients now including alcohol. Hm. Need to look closer into this and will update when figure out what has changed. UPDATE ON INGREDIENTS (October 2020): The new formula is now showing the ingredients. It has changed. A lot. One ingredient that was removed is PHENOXYETHANOL which is GREAT they removed that! However, if they only removed that, then this would be an amazingly safe hand soap (by EWG standards it would be golden). However, it is a completely different soap with a completely different list of ingredients. I will wait until the EWG rates these ingredients before continuing to purchase this. As other reviewers have noted, it does now have "fragrance" in the ingredients - and misleadingly states "(natural)" next to the word fragrance, which means absolutely nothing in terms of what is allowed and what is not. Do your research on what the word "fragrance" means on labels and what could possibly be in your product under that ingredient. In addition it now does have alcohol in it, which some may like, however I don't think soap needs it. If you are washing, you don't need to sanitize anything. It's overkill ingredient - not needed and dries your hands out.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2020
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Verified Purchase
Jake
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 5
Cruelty free and works well!
Scent: Fragrance Free, Size: 12 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
This soap lasts a long time. One bottle lasts one person roughly 3 weeks to a month, depending on frequency of hand washing in a day. It has a slight smell if you get near it that to me smells like a fresh clean smell. It is cruelty free and when I researched the brand, not tested on animals. It also seems like it is made out of healthy ingredients. Overall I will keep buying it.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2026

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