Tokyo never ceases to impress me, till this day, I missed every single thing about Tokyo.
The only thing I regret was not being able to explore more of the city, the country and not having enough time spent there.
If given a choice, I would probably spend three months traveling around the whole of Japan without any budget constraint, but that only happens in dreams for common folks like us. :)
So here I present to you the top 5 most outstanding technologies in Japan,
1. The Air Towel
I saw this at the Osaka airport and was so fascinated by it I took a photo before putting my hand through it.
It’s genius and a great way to save the environment from too much paper wastage. Of course back then (last August) I have never seen this device before and thought it was the coolest thing I have ever seen.
Little did I know soon after I returned from Japan, I saw my first air towel in Sunway New Wing Toilet and later on Chef Wan’s cooking show. Apparently they are importing these devices into Malaysia too. Yay…
2. The Automated Water-Soap Tap
The name says it all. Together with the air towel, I took this photo in the same toilet and was already impressed by Japan’s way-in-advance technologies before I stepped out of the airport.
I’m easily amused. -.-
But this is really awesome. Normally you will see a liquid soap dispenser like this,
at the side of the wash basins in toilets in Malaysia where you need to walk to the end of the row, squirt some soup into your hands and walk back to you wash basin to wash. The more prestigious toilet (like in KLCC) would have soup dispensing tube installed in each individual wash basin where you still need to manually press to squirt the soap out.
Not the automated water-soap tap, all you need to do, is move your hands left and right and wa la… 5 seconds of air towel and your hands are clean and dry. You don’t even need to touch anything, sounds almost futuristic.
I do hope they come up with an automated shower and dry room soon.
3. Taxi GPS system
Where else can you find a city full of
taxis installed with individual GPS systems and automated door. Now you don’t need to use your hands for anything, wow…
Map? Bah… who needs that, these GPS babies even come with touch screen.
Hail down taxi, door open for you, enter, state your destination, don’t know where it that? Check GPS system for nearest distance, reach, pay, door open, step out.
4. Tokyo MetroYes, this is probably one of the greatest technologies that can go down in history in the world. The Tokyo underground network, or they call it, Tokyo Metro.
No wait, not this one, this only applies to Tokyo city.
This one,
This goes beyond the suburbs of Tokyo. Drawing this network map alone should be awarded a year achievement award. It’s so complicated it was the reason why I
took taxi in the first place.
5. Hand-held Computerized Ordering Device
No not the waiter, though he is one of the best creations on earth (ah.. dreams~), eh hem…, focus on what he’s holding in his hands.
An ordering device where you just input your order and it will transfer into the system, puff.. you food shall arrive, amazing. The last time I saw something similar was in a famous kopitiam in Ipoh selling beef ball noodles where I think the aunty was holding a palm pc.
But this is specially designed for ordering, reminds me of Sakae Sushi, minus the very cute slightly unshaven waiter.
The same goes with their
karaoke system,
Apart from the calories counter
Their hand held remotes came in really handy to avoid fighting-over-remote-problem.
Not one, but two.There, all top 5. I decided to add another one to make it top 6 because it is impossible to go to Japan and not experience this.
The final and most amazing technology in Japan is….. *drum rolls*
6. Unagi Don
So it’s not really a technology, but admit it, this it the BEST creation the Japanese can ever come up with. It’s superbly ingenius, easy to make, extraordinary (who else uses sweetened eels and vinegar rice and seaweed as much), and the taste? Oh.. the taste…
Up the heaven and back.
Tell me that’s not one high tech food.
