Since I don’t speak Japanese, it’s hard for me to tell exactly what’s going on in this commercial, but it appears that the Clockman iD is an alarm clock that makes various faces depending on the mood its in.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

How do I know that from that video clip, you may ask? Well, actually this isn’t the first in the Clockman series. The original has been out for a while now, but all they seemed to do is have a mouth that made an “O”. It seems that with the Clockman iD, they’re trying to give these guys a little more personality. This time, you can move around the pieces of his face, and give your Clockman his own unique identity (hence the “iD” name.)

Still, it doesn’t make too much sense to me even with that explanation. If you’re looking for the weirdest possible alarm clock to put on your bedside table, check in over at Strapya World, who should start taking orders for the Clockman iD soon.

My dad would bring out this huge film camera and take photos of me and my siblings every year to put in the family album. Now everything’s gone digital and people take photos of anything and everything every single day.

Since you can’t beat them, you might as well join them. And while you’re at it, why not start out young? That’s what you can do for your kids by getting them one of these Anpanman digital cameras from Takara Tomy.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

These cameras are extremely colorful, and since they’re meant for kids, you can also expect them to be durable. The camera won’t win any awards for being able to take extremely detailed or high quality shots, but what it can do is take 3-megapixel shots and store 99 of them in its internal memory.

These will be available from Japan Trend Shop for $110 (USD) (and probably way less if you live in Japan).

[via Oh Gizmo]

Basically the way the thing works is that you and up to three of your (close) friends hold onto the Ningen Gakki’s metal pads with one hand, then tap somewhere on your own skin or your friends’ to trigger sampled sound effects.

You can choose from several game play modes, as well as choose from various sound effects including animals, “warping sounds” and a drum machine. Here’s a quick look at the Ningen Gakki in action:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Well, that looks like fun – at least for a couple of minutes. It sorta reminds me of Twister, but with sound effects. I suppose you could try and play Twister at the same time as playing Ningen Gakki if you want.

You can get your hands on the Ningen Gakki over at Strapya World for ¥4030 (appx. $49 USD), where they’re taking pre-orders for late June shipment.

Takara Tomy’s SR Series PlayStation History Collection 1 includes miniature plastic versions of four PlayStation models. Designed to be sold in Gashopon vending machines in Japan, this set includes not only the consoles themselves, but mini versions of games, memory cards, joysticks and more.

The lids on the CD-ROM trays even open, and the controllers actually plug in too. About the only thing these miniatures don’t do is play games. The set of four includes:

• SCPH-1000 with I.Q. game, memory card, and original joypad
• SCPH-7000 with Minna no Golf, memory card, Dual Shock
• SCPH-9000 with Ape Escape and PocketStation (SCPH-4000C)
• SCPH-101 with LCD monitor accessory, Dual Shock 2, and Dokodemo

You can pre-order the set over at NCSX for $29.90 (USD) for delivery this Summer. No word on when they’ll release PS2 or PS3 versions.

[Image Credit: Toy World HK, and a nod to Game Set Watch]

The Takara Tomy Beer Hour snaps onto a can of beer, and turns it into a portable tap. But this gadget doesn’t just pour beer, it has a high-speed stirrer that agitates the beer as it pours, forming thousands of extra bubbles and giving your brew a “fresh from the tap” foamy head.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The gadget sells for about ¥1995 (appx. $25 USD), and hits Japan starting this April. But if you want one shipped stateside, you can pre-order one at Strapya World for about $29 bucks. Or if you want to save yourself the money, you could just shake up your beer can, then pour it quickly.

While it’s not exactly clear from this early concept sketch, we’re hoping the chronolabel LED Transformer will transform from a watch to a stand-up clock.  While I’m not certain, it does seem to look like an updated version of this watch which was floated around early last year, but never made it to our shores. Regardless, any sort of shiny metal transforming robot with a light-up dot-matrix chest is okay in my book.

I’ll be sure to let you guys know if I can find out anything else about this cool timepiece.

The gun-shaped controller projects a bright red light beam (not sure it’s really a laser beam) where you want the car to go, and the car follows along. The vehicles stick to smooth surfaces using a reverse-fan mechanism that creates suction between the bottom of the car and the wall or ceiling.

Each car has a set of photosensors mounted into it that detect the light beams’ position and tell the car which direction to turn. Place the light beam in front of the car, and it follows, place the beam at the back of the car, and it turns around and starts following the light again. And if you thought that all sounded cool, wait til you get a load of this…

Convinced? The guy in the skintight blue suit has me sold already. In action, the cars are actually pretty cool. Here’s a good video clip showing off how the Aero Spider Laser works. And more people dressed in silly outfits for no particular reason. You gotta love Japanese marketing.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Aero Spider Laser cars start shipping early this month, and are available over for pre-order over at Hobby Link Japan for ¥6,000 (appx. $65 USD).

Even though the product description over on Strapya World says “The things you can do with this machine have no limits!,” from what I can tell, Takara Tomy’s Sakasa Master Japan Reverse Voice Recorder does just one thing – it records your voice and plays it backwards on-demand. That’s it. End of story. Why? Why the heck not?

I wonder if you say “REDRUM” into this thing that it really will say “MURDER”?

[via TOKYOMANGO]

Designed by Japan’s Takara Tomy, Clockman jars you awake each morning with a variety of chatty statements, along with some goofy animated facial expressions. But even after you hit the snooze bar, he seems to keep going, and going, and going. Clockman just doesn’t know when to shut up. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) for those of us who don’t speak Japanese, we have no idea what Clockman is actually saying. Here – watch the video below and let us know what you think Clockman is talking about.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

I like to think he’s saying something like “What the hell are you still doing in bed?”, “Don’t you have to get to your McJob so you can buy more cheap plastic gadgets from Japan? Loser!”

The other weird thing is that you’re supposed to choose a Clockman based on your blood type. There’s AB, B, O and A versions for you to pick from. Why? Why not? The guys over at CScout Japan seem to have an explanation – but it’s about as scientifically sound as biorhythms, horoscopes and tarot card readings.

I dare you to buy an O, even if you’re AB negative. Do you think it might reject you like a transplanted organ?

Clockman hits the streets of Japan this September, and it’s doubtful that we’ll see an English-language version anytime soon ever.

[photos: Kaden Watch and CScout Japan]

These Memo Film notepad stickers actually aren’t a bad idea; there’s definitely plenty of reason to take notes while grinding away at one of the DS’s lengthy RPGs. But for ¥399 ($4.19),  you can’t really expect amazing quality.

Not that we’d get any potentially useful accessories in the U.S. anyway, and that includes these. Want ‘em? Import ‘em. And let me know what notes you’re so desperate to take.

[via TinyCartridge]

These promotional clips for Takara Tomy’s new Xiao digital camera / printer hybrid drives the point home that the pocket size camera can output its own tiny photo prints – apparently by pooping them out.

Please to enjoy the scatological habits of the Xiao…

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

…complete with (in)appropriate straining and grunting sounds…

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

I’m sure the ad agency already thought of this (but just in case they haven’t already) perhaps the Xiao’s tagline should read something like “Takara Tomy Xiao: The Number Two Camera in All of Japan!”