ushimitsudoki

I was initially confused since the term "Chindogu" isn't actually that common in Japan, but it turns out it was an artistic movement led by Kenji Kawakami.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chind%C5%8Dgu

While they are humorous, it's a serious artistic endeavor at its core, so it's not exactly "laugh-out-loud" funny. I feel like there are much crazier inventions in Japan—I wish I could think of some specific examples to share right now, but nothing is coming to mind at the moment.

One "interesting" invention (that might have seemed a bit silly at first) is fan-cooled workwear. With Japan’s summer temperatures now constantly hitting 35°C (95°F), what started as a quirky idea has become an absolute necessity.

https://kuchoufuku.com/

There’s something inherently funny about the models in the link posing so seriously while wearing clothes that are completely puffed up with air.

According to Wikipedia, Hudson originally approached Sharp before pitching the idea to NEC. While Sharp was enthusiastic and agreed that it had great commercial potential, the deal ultimately fell through.

The deal-breaker was Sharp’s deep relationship with Nintendo at the time. Apparently, developing a console with Hudson’s CPU was seen as something that would have jeopardized their partnership with Nintendo.

What Sharp was working on back then was the "C1 NES TV"—basically a NES-integrated television. You could think of it as the NES era's version of the iMac. It has a bit of a comical look that always makes me smile.

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%83%9F%E3...

I always assumed NEC designed this CPU, but it turns out Hudson Soft really did create it.

Hudson was apparently a legendary company. If you look at their Japanese Wikipedia page, it’s filled with "heroic tales" that almost sound like jokes.

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC%E3%82%A8%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B8%...

The CPU was conceived by Hudson engineers who, despite their success in the NES business, felt they had hit the hardware's limits. Interestingly, they initially had no business plan. They were simply "chasing a dream" and supposedly had "no real intention of selling it," which led most semiconductor manufacturers to reject their pitch.

They managed to scrape together a few thousand samples, and by pure chance, NEC—a dominant PC manufacturer in Japan at the time—was looking to enter the console market. This lucky alignment of interests is what gave birth to the PC Engine.

While this story sounds reckless, it was only possible because Japan was in the midst of the real estate bubble, and capital was overflowing.

Once the bubble burst in the 90s, Japan entered a long recession. After a few major bank failures, Hudson’s funding dried up. They were eventually absorbed by Konami, and today, even the Hudson name is gone. It’s a real shame.

Today’s lesson learned:

When Show-ing your app on HN:

- Don't mention "vibe coding."

- Stay away from emojis.

Personally, I believe that a programmer's true skill today lies in how effectively they can leverage AI, and I’m all-in on vibe coding myself. But seeing the reaction here, I’m starting to think I should have thought twice before sharing my app on HN.

Even this post was translated by AI... I guess that’s probably a strike three, isn't it?

Is it possible that the users who used to find us through Google are now satisfied with AI chat summaries and no longer feel the need to click through to the actual page?

Meanwhile, the long-time users who subscribed via RSS are still showing up like they always have. If this is the case, it’s a bit of a sad reality for content creators.

I still vividly remember Massa's pit stop at the 2008 Singapore GP.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Pit+Stop+Felipe...

As a die-hard Schumacher fan, I really wanted to see Massa take the title that year, so it was heartbreaking. And yet, I can't help but laugh every time I see the Ferrari crew looking so dejected, carrying that fuel hose back to the garage like a defeated army.

I suppose we shouldn't apply this "Ferrari system" to medical surgery—unless the patient is prepared to have their aorta dragged out along with the equipment.