>[!abstract] >*Chindōgu* (珍道具), a Japanese term coined by Kenji Kawakami, refers to the art of inventing ingenious but impractically useful devices—tools that solve trivial problems in ways so convoluted they become absurd. Examples include umbrellas for shoes or chopsticks with built-in fans to cool noodles. Though whimsical, *chindōgu* embodies a form of creative satire: it celebrates human inventiveness while critiquing consumerism and the fetishization of convenience. Governed by playful “ten commandments” (e.g., inventions must exist, be useless, and not be sold), *chindōgu* blurs the line between innovation, humor, and philosophical commentary on modern excess. >[!related] >- **North** (upstream): — >- **West** (similar): — >- **East** (different): — >- **South** (downstream): —