Ryukyu Lacquerware USB memory by Origami Inc.

Stylish and expensive USB memory sticks have been a highlight of the past year, and they just keep coming. This time, instead of Swarovski, we’re seeing USB memory in pure Japanese style.

Starting only from last month, Origami Inc. has released some amazingly beautiful lacquerware USB memory sticks that are completely handcrafted in Naha and Itoman in Okinawa.

Boasting Okinawan images and style, the Ryukyu Lacquerware USB memory sticks contain high quality materials (including real gold) and gold 1GB of flash memory. Not a lot of storage, but if you’re buying these purely to hold data you have some strange priorities. This is pure style.

Electronics in Japanese lacquerware style (such as these Lumix cameras) are not overly common, but are part of a still-emerging “back to Japan” attitude that is popping up in many industries.

Asobo digital interactive object customizer

Last week we headed out to the Tokyo International Gift Show to check out some of the latest offerings from Japanese companies producing lifestyle goods. We’ll have more on that this week, but for now I want to show off my favorite debut, the Asobo by Japanese company AUN. Asobo allows you to customize just about any small item with photos and graphics of your own design.

You begin by inserting an item into the area below the screen. Examples include iPods, phones, mugs, compacts, and other items with relatively smooth surfaces. Once the machine scans the item, it’s displayed on-screen. From here you can load your own photos from a memory card or disc, size it to the item, and begin your customization.

Using a purikura-like touchscreen interface you can manipulate photos in many different ways with filters, on-screen writing, stickers, and a bunch of other things I didn’t get into. To customize the mirror compact they provided me, I took my own photo of a “cake” from Le Patissier and played around with the filters and effects.

When I finished, the compact was placed in a special printer that quickly blasted the graphic onto its surface. The result was much clearer than I ever expected, and the ink quality extremely good. I couldn’t smear, chip, or otherwise remove it despite my best efforts. Below is my poorly edited video demo:

Asobo is not yet on the market, but AUN sees it as a good addition to game centers or even shops dedicated to this customization. If you’re nervous about putting your valuables into a printer, keep in mind that it’s so accurate that it can even print customized press-on nails in great detail. The expected price is about $12 for a single item, a reasonable price for a service that’s both fun and of good quality.

Kinbashi Gold Flake Chopsticks bring back bubble era memories

Everyone knows that chopsticks are the most important tools in Japan, so it’s no wonder that there are thousands of variations. Now a specialty store has had an extraordinary idea straight from the days when salarymen were sprinking gold on just about everything: The Kinbashi Gold Chopsticks.

They are not actually made of gold, but the gold is between the disposable wooden chopsticks. When you separate them, real gold leaf dances down on your meal. Actually, it’s 94.4% gold, 4.9% silver, and 0.6% copper…but who’s counting?

They aren’t as expensive as you may think, but are still ¥4,515 ($40) for two five-packs. So everybody can feel special while eating with these chopsticks. Top it off with a gold business card, and you’re ready for dinner with the emperor.

There is just on question left: What about the nutrient content?

Picture via Yumetai

Tomy Wonderful Shot dog camera test run

We’ve wanted to get one of these for a long time, and my obsessive nerdiness with cameras finally took hold. The Wonderful Shot dog camera from Tomy fits right onto your dog’s collar and takes pictures from his view, though not entirely accurate since it’s in color.

The camera is 0.35 megapixels, which actually turned out some pretty decent pictures. Even though Sakura and Ibu (my girlfriend’s spoiled dogs) have short legs, you still get a pretty good view from their level. Of course, the pictures aren’t actually taken by the dogs themselves, but are either activated by the remote or by the timer which takes them in various increments.

This means that you can leave your dogs for a while and then check on what they’ve done for the day, or just take a walk together and snap a few. Even more interesting would be to put the Wonderful Shot on a cat and really get a chance to see what those things get into all day.

Here are some random shots around the garden:

The Wonderful Shot has an 8MB internal memory which holds 90 photos, and has a built-in battery which is charged via the included “dog bone” USB. Now I just need to think of more interesting situations to put the dogs in, or send them to Michael Vick’s house as spies.

Click to buy the Wonderful Shot online

Hand Grenade alarm clock to blow up your morning

Japan is never short of creative alarm clocks to start your day (or ruin your dreams).

Now you can really throw your alarm clock when you wake up, and without having to buy a new one! The Hand Grenade alarm clock from Toyo Trading is part of a set of motion-sensitive alarm clocks that turn off when you throw them at something.

Including baseball and soccer ball models, the alarm clock function is quite simple, but the shell is made of soft PVC so it won’t break anything (though it can certainly knock over valuables). When it goes off, toss it at the wall to shut it off, but you better be careful to actually get up or it’s completely pointless.

Being a heavy sleeper myself, this would NEVER work for me, though it might be a good addition to the three alarms I already have to set to get out of bed. Combine it with the DangerBomb alarm clock to complete the Action Movie Morning theme.

Press release HERE

Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary potions and figures

Last year, Suntory came out with a limited edition set of Final Fantasy XII “potions” in normal energy drink fashion as well as collectible bottles…

They sold out like mad, leaving convenience stores and supermarkets with empty racks in what seemed like a week or so. I seem to recall these $5 bottles going for over $25 on eBay, to be purchased by thirsty geeks abroad.

Now, Suntory is back in collaboration with Square Enix with three new lines of tenth anniversary Final Fantasy VII potions and figures, and with a *bit* higher price tag than last time.

The sixteen can set was featured on Pink Tentacle:

Suntory has announced plans to begin selling its vitamin-packed Final Fantasy VII Potion carbonated drink in special aluminum cans featuring depictions of Cloud, Sephiroth and other characters from the game.

The cans will be going for a mere $1.60, but the very cool potion bottle (limited to 77,777 pieces) will command $32, which is nearly enough to get the game itself. In addition, there’s an entirely different set of eight cans combined with figures for $9 each which are limited to a million sets. Those are some hefty price tags for a “potion” that contains caffeine, B-Vitamins, and royal jelly, but that’ll never stop a thirsty gamer.

Mangekyo U-Mate Kaleidoscope Projector paints your room

No…not the one from Sega Toys…yesterday…

We found this first back at the Tokyo Toy Show, but we now have a release date! The Mangekyo kaleidoscope projector from U-Mate allows you to create your own rotating and evolving kaleidoscope projections by using the included discs and translucent beads.

The four included discs feature scenes from each season, including cherry blossoms, leaves, flowers, snowflakes, and more. Combined with the beads of your choice you have an infinite range of combinations, particularly if you insert items of your own.

The U-Mate Mangekyo will be released on September 30th, and is available for pre-order (below) for $149.

Pre-order your Mangekyo in the Online Shop