Chindogu : The Art of Un-Useless Inventions

One of my favorite books!

Literally translated, chindōgu means unusual (珍, chin) tool (道具, dōgu). The term was coined by Kenji Kawakami, a former editor and contributor to the Japanese home-shopping magazine "Mail Order Life." In the magazine, Kawakami used his spare pages to showcase several bizarre prototypes for products.

Here are the 10 Tenants of Chindogu ….

A Chindogu cannot be for real use.

1. A Chindogu must exist.

2. Inherent in every Chindogu is the spirit of anarchy.

3. Chindogu are tools for everyday life.

4. Chindogu are not for sale.

5. Humour must not be the sole reason for creating Chindogu.

6. Chindogu are not propaganda.

7. Chindogu are never taboo.

8. Chindogu cannot be patented.

9. Chindogu are without prejudice.