Cognitive Scaffold

Preparing your thinking workspace

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MENTAL MODEL · M5144

Chindogu

Chindogu
BehaviorHigh supportPsychology
Included
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

"Not useless inventions." Refers to inventions that, while solving a specific problem, are actually unusable because they create more awkward new problems (such as embarrassment or hassle), e.g., chopsticks with a fan. They are not failures, but "counter-intuitive" art.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

The mismatch between function and experience. In innovation, we often make Chindogu errors: logically solving a pain point, but humanly unacceptable. It reminds us that solutions must also be "usable" on social and psychological levels.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Chindogu is a Japanese invention of useless but serious everyday gadgets, deliberately solving trivial problems but causing greater inconvenience, aiming at humor and irony rather than practicality. Founded by Kenji Kawakami.

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chind%C5%8DguZH · Explicit
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