# Cool Japanese Products



## mr drinky (Oct 27, 2011)

I love finding those products from Japan that make me pleasantly shake my head and think, "only the Japanese would do this" and then secretly want to buy it.

Here are a few of my favorites.

Sushi Game. They also have a bizarre train version where you pluck sushi off of a toy train with chop sticks. Instructions are in Japanese though.







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Ice Ball Maker. For those who don't care to learn how to turn an ice ball by hand. Just warm the cylinder and let gravity make the ice sphere.






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Makki Maker for Kids. I'm sure American kids might have a tougher time with this.






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And just because my wife's a radiologist, this wooden toy MRI makes me laugh. They have a wooden toy for almost every medical imaging device it seems. 






k.


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## kalaeb (Oct 27, 2011)

Really? $1500.00 for an iceball maker? Guess if I really wanted it I would learn to do it by hand.


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## bprescot (Oct 27, 2011)

Feel like an idiot here, but what the hell is an iceball? You mean for drinks? I got a plastic mold from Maker's Mark as part of some advertising thing. Think it cost them about $0.50 to produce. 

Wait a second, I've got an idea... Anybody wants the plastic mold it's $150 shipping included! 1/10th the price and you can do 4x as many in a go! Effectively 1/40th the price!!! Heck of a deal :wink:


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## tgraypots (Oct 27, 2011)

bprescot said:


> Feel like an idiot here, but what the hell is an iceball? You mean for drinks? I got a plastic mold from Maker's Mark as part of some advertising thing. Think it cost them about $0.50 to produce.
> 
> Wait a second, I've got an idea... Anybody wants the plastic mold it's $150 shipping included! 1/10th the price and you can do 4x as many in a go! Effectively 1/40th the price!!! Heck of a deal :wink:



if only you accepted paypal (sigh)


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## mr drinky (Oct 27, 2011)

Yeah, I know the sphere thing is spendy. The ice spheres melt slower so there is less water diluting the drinks. As for myself, I just bought the plastic trays too, but I have seen that bars have used the sphere thing for high-end cocktails. 

k.


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## 9mmbhp (Oct 27, 2011)

The mini ones are more reasonable at around US$200. 

I've spent more on sillier things but still can't pull the trigger.


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## ecchef (Oct 27, 2011)

Ice ball is pretty big over here.


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## slowtyper (Oct 27, 2011)

I was at the MOMA store in NYC and bought a japanese plastic mould for ice balls. Left it at an old work place though...I think it was like $10.


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## Salty dog (Oct 28, 2011)

9mmbhp said:


> The mini ones are more reasonable at around US$200.
> 
> I've spent more on sillier things but still can't pull the trigger.


 

Just ordered them. I'm guessing they'll work for shaping sorbet and ice cream as well.


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## ecchef (Oct 28, 2011)

Not quite food related. Sort of.


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## SpikeC (Oct 28, 2011)

Crazy prices on the ball makers, butt so cool!


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## DwarvenChef (Oct 28, 2011)

Love this one


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## mr drinky (Oct 29, 2011)

My next luxury is going to be this charcoal muddler. 






I bought some bamboo charcoal stirring sticks a while back, but they got lost in my house somewhere or thrown out by accident. Anyhow, apparently you can stir your alcohol, water, coffee or tea with it to remove impurities.

k.


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## TB_London (Oct 29, 2011)

Saw the ice ball makers when I was in Japan and stumbled across a festival of ice in a park, they're really cool
They had icecubes with threads frozen through them and were using the gizmos to make ice jewellery
I'll try and dig out some pics, it was a weird but cool event to stumble upon


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## EdipisReks (Oct 29, 2011)

bprescot said:


> Feel like an idiot here, but what the hell is an iceball? You mean for drinks? I got a plastic mold from Maker's Mark as part of some advertising thing. Think it cost them about $0.50 to produce.
> 
> Wait a second, I've got an idea... Anybody wants the plastic mold it's $150 shipping included! 1/10th the price and you can do 4x as many in a go! Effectively 1/40th the price!!! Heck of a deal :wink:


 
i have the maker's mark mold, too, and it works well enough. personally, i'm hoping they send wrapping paper again, this year, because i hate shopping for wrapping paper, for some reason.


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## Eamon Burke (Oct 29, 2011)

The muddler is soooooooo cooooool


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## mr drinky (Dec 27, 2011)

Old thread, I know, but for 9 bucks I might try this out. Fish butchering karakuri model.

k.


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## Eamon Burke (Dec 27, 2011)

Wow that is impressive. Cheap, too!


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## Adamm (Dec 27, 2011)

cool stuff lol


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