I am talking, of course, about Chindogu or the gentle art of 'Unuseless Inventions' created by Kenji Kawakami. It's all about inventions that, at first glance, look useful, but ultimately fail in a blaze of glory and a fit of giggles.
Take, for example, the 'Telephone Dumbbell', where a five- or 10-pound weight is attached to the handset of an ordinary telephone. It's touted to reduce talk-time as well as promote national fitness.
Or the 'Noodle Eater's Hair Guard', where a pink plastic contraption (looks like a big paper plate with a hole) is placed around the face to keep hair out of noodles and vice-versa.
And 'The Sweetheart's Training Arm' - a dummy arm attached to coat jacket to help newly-courting couples ease into the nervous hand-holding phase of their relationship.
The designer Richard Seymour once said that good designs make life better.
Kawakami-san's book certainly improved mine - it made me laugh out loud.