Japan is full of weird and wonderful inventions and trends, being at the forefront of a lot of crazy, fun and new ideas makes this country such a great place to travel. Here are five of the best quirky ideas you’ll find in Japan:

Robots – Robotic technology plays a larger role in Japan than anywhere else in the world. In the past several years, Japan has committed several tens of millions of dollars to an industry whose revenues it hopes could surge to nearly $70 billion by 2025. Japan already employs over a quarter of a million industrial robot workers -more than any other nation – and would like to see that number go up to one million over the next 15 years. Japan has produced loads of interesting robots including ASIMO who can run, walk and make you some tea.

Karaoke – A trip to Japan is simply not complete without a visit to one of the many karaoke bars or boxes available. You have not sampled karaoke properly until you have tried it the way it was meant to be experienced. Karaoke is one of the main social activities of Japanese adults, especially businessmen. After some drinks in bar after work they visit a karaoke bar to sing their favourite tunes. An experience not to be missed.

Cosplay – Cosplay is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction and many of the younger generation walk round in these colourful costumes which makes for an interesting sight!

Love Hotels – Love hotels are a type of short-stay hotel found in Japan operated primarily for the purpose of allowing couples privacy! Renting rooms by the hour, partial day, or longer is not a new concept, yet, like all things Japanese, the execution is a little less sleazy, a little more socially acceptable! They come in all shapes and sized and many have quirky themes and add to the uniqueness of Japan.

Maid Cafes – Maid cafes and butler cafs where the service staff dress as cute maids, or as butlers. Such restaurants and cafs have quickly become a staple of Japanese culture. Compared with service at normal cafs, the service at cosplay cafs involves the creation of a pretty different atmosphere. The staff treat the customers as masters and mistresses in a private home rather than merely as caf customers. A fascinating part of Japanese life.

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