NaN/100 votesLoading...#1 - Conveyor Belt Sushi
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 3/18/2018
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. On this episode, we discover conveyor belt sushi, an invention that's trundled its way to countries and regions around the world. The technology, in which plates of sushi are delivered via a rotating conveyor belt, actually traces its origins to a single eureka moment in a beer factory in 1950's Japan. This time, the inside story of the one man who brought this Top Invention to life.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#2 - Shinkansen
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 4/19/2018
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time: the Shinkansen, sometimes called the bullet train, which set a new record for high-speed rail, 256km/h, in its trial runs. The inspiration for unlocking that incredible speed came from aerodynamic airplanes. Shinkansen technology is now being adopted around the world in places like the UK and Taiwan. This time, we discover the drama behind the creation of this high-speed invention.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#3 - Automatic Rice Cookers
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 5/17/2018
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, electric rice cookers, which create fluffy, great-tasting rice with the press of a button. Developed in Japan in 1955, these automated rice cookers keep growing in popularity: in 2016, exports hit a record high. In Asia and around the world, this invention plays an essential role in creating rice-based dishes. This time, the unknown story behind the birth of the electric rice cooker.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#4 - Electronic Bidet Toilets
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 6/21/2018
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. On this episode, electronic bidet toilets, which clean your bottom with a spray of warm water. On sale since 1980, some 40 million of these toilet seats have shipped, and are now sold in many countries and regions including the U.S. and China. But the creation of this high-tech, revolutionary product was anything but easy. This time, the dramatic tale behind electronic bidet toilets.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#5 - Quartz Wristwatches
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 7/19/2018
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, quartz wristwatches, which caused a "timepiece revolution" with their accurate timing. Built in Japan in 1969, the world's first quartz wristwatch drifted only 0.2 seconds a day, making it about 100 times more accurate than previous watches. Even now, 96% of watches around the world use the same system. We trace the drama behind the creation of this super-accurate timepiece.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#6 - Instant Ramen
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 8/16/2018
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, a product first produced in Japan in 1958: instant ramen. With over 100 billion servings eaten every year, this instant meal has become a worldwide staple. The inspiration for this invention came from a surprising source: the deep-fried Japanese dish known as tempura. This time, we bite into the story behind instant ramen, a food loved around the world.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#7 - Portable Music Players
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 9/20/2018
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, the gadget that lets you enjoy music anytime, anywhere with just a pair of headphones: the portable music player. The world's first of these portable players was developed by a Japanese manufacturer in 1979. Listening to music on the go is now a part of daily life around the world. This time, the story of the invention that made it all possible.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#8 - Gastrocameras
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 10/18/2018
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time we focus on gastrocameras, which have led to a revolution in cancer treatment. The first gastrocamera, the predecessor of those now used by hospitals around the world, was developed in Japan in 1950. We probe the untold drama behind the creation of the gastrocamera and look into the technological evolution that continues today.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#9 - Handheld Calculators
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 11/22/2018
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, we focus on electronic calculators. Pocket-sized calculators have become so common that everyone can have one, and are still used today. The world's first pocket-sized calculator was developed in Japan in 1972, and made calculators available to the general public for the first time. Let's discover the story behind its creation, including inspiration from a surprising source: bowling!
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#10 - Erasable Pens
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 12/20/2018
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, we feature erasable pens, which allow users to erase their writing just like with pencil. Released in 2006, these pens' usefulness has made them a hit: over 2 billion have been sold in some 100 countries and regions around the world. Discover the unknown story of these erasable pens, whose creation was inspired by the changing leaves of autumn.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#11 - Snap-Off Utility Knives
Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 1/17/2019
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, we focus on utility knives whose blades, when they become dull, can be snapped off, revealing fresh blades underneath. These knives were invented in 1956 by a Japanese man who took his inspiration from both a "waste not, want not" philosophy and ... chocolate! We cut into the untold drama behind the creation of this revolutionary product, which changed the way the world thinks about utility knives.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#12 - Acrylic Aquarium Panels
Season 2 Episode 2 - Aired 2/21/2019
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, an invention used around the world: acrylic aquarium panels. The very first of those panels was born in Japan in 1969 -- and the distinctive techniques used to make it were inspired by a type of noodle eaten in Japan since times long past: udon! Dive into the story behind the dramatic birth of acrylic panels, which sparked an aquarium revolution, and see how they've continued to evolve.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#13 - Makeup Brushes
Season 2 Episode 3 - Aired 3/21/2019
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, an essential part of any makeup kit: makeup brushes known in Japanese as fude. The very first of these brushes, now known as some of the best in the world, were created in Japan in 1981, and were inspired by the traditional fude used in Japanese calligraphy. We dive into the story behind the Japanese fude brushes that caused a revolution in the world of makeup.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#14 - Compact Motorcycles
Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 4/17/2019
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, we take a ride on Japan's world-beloved compact motorcycles. Over 100 million of these revolutionary compact motorcycles have been produced to date. They were developed by Soichiro Honda, whose company, named after Honda himself, became world-renowned in a single generation. Join us as we ride into the unknown tale of this brilliant engineer's trailblazing compact motorcycles.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#15 - Stay-Tight Fasteners
Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 5/9/2019
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, a product used in over 20 countries and regions: stay-tight fasteners, nuts used with bolts in railroads, bridges, towers, and more. When normal nuts experience vibration, they sometimes come loose. But stay-tight fasteners, developed in Japan in 1974, overcame this problem. Learn the dramatic story behind the nuts, including a surprising spot that inspired their creation: a shrine!
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#16 - Video Game Character
Season 2 Episode 6 - Aired 5/30/2019
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, one of the world's most famous video game characters: Pac-Man. The iconic yellow ball with a mouth that gobbles up dots and runs away from ghosts was born in Japan in 1980, and holds the world record for "most successful coin-operated arcade game." Discover the backstory behind this iconic character, including how its shape was inspired by none other than pizza!
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#17 - Pedal Assist Electric Bicycles
Season 2 Episode 7 - Aired 6/19/2019
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, pedal assist electric bicycles, which give you a helpful boost of power when you pedal and help you enjoy relaxed cycling even on steep hills. The first pedal assist electric bicycles were produced in 1993 in Japan, and these revolutionary inventions are now used and loved worldwide. We pedal into the little-known, behind-the-scenes story of how these bicycles were invented.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#18 - Cooling Gel Sheets
Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 7/10/2019
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, cooling gel sheets, which can be applied to the forehead for cooling relief when you're feeling feverish. These sheets were developed in Japan in 1994, and were inspired by none other than a certain pub dish! The sheets are now sold in some 20 countries and regions, and about 400 million are used per year. Join us as we discover the little-known story behind Japan's cooling gel sheets.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#19 - Fiber Tip Pens
Season 2 Episode 9 - Aired 8/7/2019
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, fiber tip pens, invented by a Japanese stationery firm in 1963. These water-based pens improved on the firm's oil-based pens, whose ink feathered and bled. Thanks to early user Lyndon Johnson, 36th President of the United States, they became a hit. Some 2.2 billion have been produced and sold in over 100 countries and regions. This time, the little-known story behind fiber tip pens.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#20 - Shock Resistant Wristwatches
Season 2 Episode 10 - Aired 8/21/2019
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, durable timepieces that don't break when dropped: shock resistant wristwatches. These unique watches were created by a Japanese firm in 1983, and are now available in 138 countries and regions. Over 100 million units have been shipped to date. Discover their surprising inspiration -- a child playing with a rubber ball in a park -- and more in the little-known story behind this invention.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#21 - Cup Ramen
Season 2 Episode 11 - Aired 9/11/2019
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, the food you can eat anytime, anywhere, with no need for bowls or plates: Cup ramen. Invented by Momofuku Ando in an attempt to spread his instant ramen worldwide, Cup ramen has been sold in over 80 countries and regions to date. And an incredible 40 billion cups have been sold! This time, slurp up the secrets behind this hit cup-based Japanese invention.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#22 - Probiotic Drinks
Season 2 Episode 12 - Aired 10/9/2019
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, probiotic drinks, now consumed in 40 countries and regions. They were created by Yakult founder Minoru Shirota, who succeeded in cultivating strong lactic acid bacteria that could survive digestive fluids. With the philosophy "a healthy intestinal tract leads to a long life," Shirota spread his probiotic drink far and wide. Join us and learn more about the story behind these drinks.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#23 - Special Effects Monster Movie
Season 2 Episode 13 - Aired 10/23/2019
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, the special effects movie that introduced the world to Japan's most famous monster: Godzilla. The franchise, which now spans 29 Japanese films and multiple Hollywood remakes, all started in 1954 with the help of special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya. Learn the little-known tale behind Godzilla's creation, plus the latest monster movie news!
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#24 - Umami Seasoning
Season 2 Episode 14 - Aired 11/13/2019
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, umami seasoning. Umami, one of the 5 basic tastes, was christened by chemist Kikunae Ikeda. Ikeda traced it to the glutamate found in kombu kelp dashi stock, an essential part of Japanese cuisine. The umami seasoning invented by Ikeda became a long-selling hit, and is now used in over 100 countries and regions. Discover the little-known tale of this hit culinary invention.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#25 - Blue LEDs
Season 2 Episode 15 - Aired 11/27/2019
The behind-the-scenes tales of hit products and creations from Japan: this is Japan's Top Inventions. This time, blue LEDs, or light-emitting diodes. The world's first blue LEDs were created in 1989 by a research team at Nagoya University. These LEDs, now used in lightbulbs, smartphone screens, automobile headlights, and more sparked a lighting revolution. Discover the little-known story behind this Nobel Prize-winning invention.
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The Best Episodes of Japan's Top Inventions
Every episode of Japan's Top Inventions ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Japan's Top Inventions!
Japanese inventions are used and loved around the world. Through interviews and reenactments, go behind the scenes and discover how Japanese craftsmanship brought these top...
Genre:Documentary
Network:NHK WORLD-JAPAN
Best Episodes Summary
"Conveyor Belt Sushi" is the best rated episode of "Japan's Top Inventions". It scored N/A/10 based on 0 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 3/18/2018. This episode scored NaN points higher than the second highest rated, "Shinkansen".