Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
In Japanese it’s called the Nemuri Tie, which in English literally means Sleep Tie. It’s a new product in Japan, and just one look at the graphic to the left will instantly show you pretty much what it is for and how to use it. It’s a pretty straight-forward idea, of course, and makes a lot of sense at first glance. But the implications of a fashion item like this are worth considering. Japanese offices typically are large rooms with many desks and no cubicle walls. Is a salaryman going to use this tie at his desk and risk getting busted for sleeping on the job? And if a guy did have a private office, wouldn’t it be easier and more comfortable to keep a decent-sized pillow hidden in a desk drawer? And what about hard-working female Japanese office workers, who typically don’t wear neckties? This inflatable cravat pretty much ignores that demographic. Well, perhaps it’s easy to overanalyze a well-intentioned product created in a country noted for its workers’ long hours and short sleeping schedules. (The Telegraph UK – Japan’s Sleeping Tie)
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