InventorSpot

Old Man Smell... Seems that's what's on the minds - and noses - of Japan's aging population these days. Concerned salarymen are looking to a new series of specially formulated products to eliminate age-related aromas.

The Tokidoki Turntable Watch recalls the good old days of vinyl records and record turntables... without all the scratching, warping and bulky cardboard sleeves.

After seemingly taking modern fashion as far as it can possibly go, many in Japan are looking back to traditional styles of clothing. Take these distinctive "tabi" socks, for example, updated with pleasing colors and attractive patterns.

Call it "don't mask, don't smell" clothing! Specially treated fibers used to make Aoki's summer clothing line not only absorb odors, they kill the bacteria that make them.

Japan has the market cornered on weird & bizarre drinks – new, ever weirder concoctions land on store shelves daily. Some have strange names, others have odd ingredients, and a few are just so bizarre one has to wonder what their creators were, um, drinking when they came up with the concept. Following up on last year's list, here are Ten Even More Weird and Bizarre Japanese Soft Drinks!

Pikachu of Pokemon fame, known for his lightning-fast moves and shocking electric effects, has inspired the name of a new vision protein discovered by a group of Japanese researchers. See, nerds really do have a sense of humor!

The USB Healing Owl will add a peaceful note to any home office or workstation. There's no guarantee it will make you any wiser, though.

Baseball in Japan has evolved quite a lot since Horace Wilson first introduced the sport in 1872, yet foreigners still find many aspects of Japanese baseball confusing – not least the the odd names of the teams. Let's run down the dozen Nippon Professional Baseball league teams (without actually running them down) and clear up any misconceptions.

Hello Kitty may be Japan's most successful cultural export but not everyone loves the omnipresent epitome of animated cuteness. For those precious few, we present the Hello Kitty pincushion.

Part Two of Baseball in Japan Can Throw You a Curve looks at the six teams in NPB's Pacific League. The Pacific League corresponds to MLB's American League as a Designated Hitter is used – in the Central League, pitchers must hit. Leading off the sextet are the amusingly named Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, league champions in 2007.