By Hiroko Tashiro

Japan's 'Idea Products'

In Japan they are called aidea shohin ("idea products" ), unusual gadgets that would be convenient to own but not practical enough for most retailers to sell in Japanese stores. Although some people might call them pointless, these idea products are popular among Japanese consumers shopping online or via catalogs and TV. And that's a big business: According to the daily Nikkei, home shopping grew 10% last year, to $86 billion. That's bigger than the sales at either convenience stores or department stores. Here are some examples of the latest idea products.