I tried Japan's Weirdest Gadgets

Quick Overview

The video reviews several bizarre and innovative gadgets from the Japanese store Thanko, concluding that while some items like the Lunch Box Rice Cooker and Portable Dryer are effective, others like the Toilet Foamer and Veggie Washer underperform or have niche utility.

Key Points: The Portable Dryer (¥9800 / $63.25) successfully dried a damp athletic jacket in two hours, inflating it with hot air (up to 65°C) via a hanger-style device. The Lunch Box Rice Cooker (¥6980 / $45.05) cooked rice in 30 minutes, while the smaller Bento Box cooker did it in 18 minutes; the cooker rice tasted better than the bento box rice. The Toilet Foamer (¥9800 / $63.25) successfully created a foam cushion using blue liquid to prevent urine splatter, achieving a 5.0-star rating based on the reviewer's test. The Veggie Washer (¥2980 / $19.20), which uses 8-10kHz vibration to clean produce, received a low 1.0-star rating because the reviewer found Japanese vegetables already too clean for it to be useful. The Umbrella Holder (¥1980 / $12.80) attached to a backpack strap to keep the user hands-free in the rain, but the reviewer noted the quick-release mechanism caused the umbrella to fly off in strong wind, earning it 4.0 stars. The Rice Cracker Maker (¥4980 / $32.15) successfully cooked shrimp crackers but resulted in a burnt, non-Senbei-like product, leading to a 3.0-star rating.

Context: The video features a creator exploring and testing a selection of unusual, often niche, electronic and household gadgets sourced from the Japanese tech and gadget retailer, Thanko. The host humorously reviews each item by demonstrating its function, testing its effectiveness, and providing a final rating based on personal experience, often comparing the gadget's performance against standard methods or expectations.

Detailed Analysis

The video reviews six unique gadgets from the Japanese retailer Thanko. First, the host tests the Toilet Foamer (¥9800 / $63.25), which creates a blue foam cushion in the toilet bowl to prevent urine splatter; the test showed minor splashing on the rim, but the host gave it a perfect 5.0 stars, noting it worked when tested with blue liquid. Next, the Veggie Washer (¥2980 / $19.20) that uses 8-10kHz vibration to clean produce received a 1.0-star rating because the host found his produce too clean to notice a difference. The Umbrella Holder (¥1980 / $12.80), which attaches to a backpack strap, was rated 4.0 stars; it worked well for hands-free carrying but failed in strong wind when the quick-release sent the umbrella flying. The Lunch Box Rice Cooker (¥6980 / $45.05) cooked rice in 30 minutes, significantly faster than the larger standard cooker (30 minutes vs. unknown but implied longer time), and the rice tasted great, earning a 4.0-star review despite the smaller bento box version being faster (18 minutes). The Rice Cracker Maker (¥4980 / $32.15) pressed batter and shrimp into flat snacks, but the results were burnt and didn't resemble traditional Senbei, leading to a 3.0-star rating. Finally, the Portable Dryer (¥9800 / $63.25) inflated a shirt hanger with 65°C air, drying a damp athletic jacket in two hours, suggesting it is a highly effective, if bulky, solution for quick drying, receiving a 5.0-star rating.