Mini me, mini you

Today't topic is miniaturization. The Japanese are amazingly famous for using their genius and making things deceptively small,

Take for example, the stupendously high heels that the average young Japanese female wears. I have it from a reliable source that it is actually a 5-foot stepladder cleverly shrunk to nothing. Likewise, today I saw a girl stuff a can of softdrink or coffee into a small hole in the wall of a mall, roughly the size of a can as well. I believe there is no trash receptable, but instead there is a can-sized cold fusion reactor which immediately disappears the trash and produces electricity. It may sound like overkill, but remember the central Tokyo area has enough neon to be seen from Alpha Centauri, so every nucleus counts.

Then, the Japanese are famous for utilizing space. For example, my current hotel - not the nice one I stayed in while on business - has a room the size of a shoebox. I am not sure how I am even able to stretch on my bed here, because I am sure this is the size of a matchbox, because shoebox seems rather liberal. Perhaps some clever use of the theory of relativity, time dilation, space contraction etc going on here.  There are also entire restaurants - including stove, sink, beer cooler, chefs and servers - in spaces the size of... toilet cubicles in most other countries. The mind boggles. In fact, speaking of toilets, I believe the average Japanese toilet bowl has the computing power of 10 Deep Blues compressed into a panel on the side, all to control the temperature and pressure of the bidet. Amazing.

As you walk around, you see miniature dogs being carried around, often hanging out of expensive handbags. There is an entire industry of designer clothes for these things, sold in places like this [Photo will be uploaded shortly]

In fact, as I was sitting on the sidewalk at my favorite Belgian beer place - I am a creature of habit, and the waitress / manager is an absolute doll, too - I noticed several 3-wheeled scooter/vespa type vehicles complete with a glass ceiling and a box mounted behind the sole occupant. I don't know why the Tata motor company spent all that time making the nano, for add a wheel and I can see this become a complete family transporter for the average 4-member Indian family, complete with space in the boot for livestock or, possibly, the in-laws.