This is the fourth year of my annual list of products and works I bought and was glad to have. This year I was saving money for a move, so I didn’t buy that much.
Gadgets
Rapoo mini mouse
Amazon.co.jp: [Japan official distributor product] Rapoo M600mini ultra-compact multi-device Bluetooth/2.4GHz mouse (black) : Computers and Peripherals
www.amazon.co.jp
I wanted a mouse to leave permanently in my backpack, so I bought this. It has no notable features, just the bare minimum, but it looks good and is sufficient.
Among several small mice I’ve tried (I bought about three), this is just the least bad one. I’d be happiest if a new version of the LG Ultra Thin Mouse came out though…
SwitchBot Air Purifier Table
SwitchBot Air Purifier Table | A 4-in-1 air purifier – SwitchBot
A SwitchBot air purifier. It’s a great device that doubles as ambient lighting, a wireless charger, and a side table. Being able to automatically turn it on and off when I come home or leave is also convenient.
The great thing about this type is that you can naturally place it in the center of the room. The coverage area spec for an air purifier is actually based on placing it in the center of the room, so when you push it to the edge, you only get half the power.
If you don’t already use SwitchBot for everything, the LG AeroFurniture series might be better in terms of design.
Xiaomi mini speaker
Amazon | Xiaomi Sound Pocket Bluetooth Speaker Portable Speaker IP67 dust- and water-resistant fully wireless stereo sound Bluetooth 5.4 voice calls outdoor | Portable speakers online
www.amazon.co.jp
This year Xiaomi released a ridiculous number of products, and the price destruction across the board was incredible.
In particular, the futon vacuum cleaners, air purifiers, and backpacks are abnormally cheap yet seem genuinely good — I’m intrigued.
Among them, I bought a travel speaker. It’s nearly half the price of equivalent products from other companies, but it has everything you need and looks great. I’m very satisfied.
Anker 2-in-1 Type-C cable
Amazon.co.jp: Anker USB-C & USB-C cable (2-in-1, 140W) fast charging USB 2.0 iPhone 16 / 15, GalaxyS24 / S23, MacBook Air/Pro, iPad and more (1.2m black) : Computers and Peripherals
www.amazon.co.jp
These days you can charge almost everything via Type-C, so I imagine many people have cables sticking out around their room. With this you can charge two things with a single cable, which is just plain convenient.
It was sold out for a while but is now generally available again. It has some mysterious technology that distributes power nicely between the two devices based on their battery levels.
Daily life
Fake DRAW A LINE (tension rod rack)
[Rakuten Market] ★15th 20:00–23:59, 3x points★ Tension rod, tension shelf, tension rack, slim, ceiling, Synapse Rack, wall, wall storage, height adjustable, tray, hook, hanger rack, pole hanger, tension rod, free rack, tension, rack, telescopic, space saving, stylish, Nordic, gap storage, shelf, storage: Y.M.WORLD Interior
I’m starting off with a knockoff and that’s quite something, sorry — but it was good.
I’d seen a stylish tension-rod rack called DRAW A LINE at a friend’s place and thought it looked nice, but with my move I didn’t have the money for the over-30,000-yen rack and was hesitating.
Follow-up products from IRIS and Yamazen had also come out, but the rack from Y.M.WORLD looked good, so I ended up buying it.
I use it together with a generic clamp light I bought on Amazon (the bulb is automated with SwitchBot). The light alone from the official brand might also be fine.
FOEHN 002 futon dryer
Amazon.co.jp: [Official store limited] cado futon dryer FOEHN, 2-year warranty, mite extermination, hot air function, max 60°C : Home & Kitchen
www.amazon.co.jp
A super-small futon dryer from the stylish home appliance maker Cado. I’d been using the long-standing IRIS standard for years, but it finally broke, so I replaced it.
A futon dryer can be used to dry in summer and warm in winter, so I use it almost every day. It’s so small that I just leave it out on the bed.
Microwave rice cooker thing
Amazon | Ihara Kihan Antibacterial Microwave Rice Cooker / Storage Container SUMINO Iru Dake Okometaki, 18 cm diameter × 9 cm height, BN-01T, made in Japan | Rice pots and bunka pots online
www.amazon.co.jp
I had been against this kind of product because including soaking time, cooking rice ends up taking over an hour. I only bought one this year for some particular reason, but the merits of being able to use it directly as a donburi bowl, and on top of that being dishwasher-safe are huge.
It cooks rice properly and tastefully. If your travel hotel has a microwave, eating freshly cooked rice in the room is also fun.
Muji bamboo tissues
Amazon.co.jp: Muji 100% bamboo tabletop tissue paper, beige, MAA18A1S : Home & Kitchen
www.amazon.co.jp
They look good even when placed directly on the table. I use both the tabletop tissues and pocket tissues. They’re simply cheap and the texture is decent.
The tabletop ones get hard to pull out near the end, so it’s better to have an official case or a tissue ring.
Cleat shoes for road biking
Amazon.co.jp: Shimano cycling shoes EX700 : Fashion
www.amazon.co.jp
Cleat shoes are sport-bike shoes that get semi-locked to the pedal, allowing you to also pedal with the upward stroke.
Among the many road-bike-style aggressive-looking shoes, this product has a natural sneaker-like appearance and is easy to use day-to-day.
You need to attach a SPD-standard pedal to your bike, so be careful. I use Shimano pedals as well.
Content
I Want to Die Alone (manga)
Hitori de Shinitai (1) (Morning Comics) | Kaoru Kareizawa, Misaki Donelly | Seinen manga | Kindle Store | Amazon
www.amazon.co.jp
This is personally my best manga read of 2024.
The story starts when the protagonist, a single woman in her 30s working in an office, begins to reflect on her life after her aunt dies alone. Marriage, caregiving, inheritance, asset building, and so on — many topics covered carefully at the level of a how-to book.
Even though the themes sound heavy, it’s super comedic and entertaining. At the same time, there are many unexpected developments that pull you in.
It looks like it’s getting a drama adaptation this year.
High School Girl Exorcist Akane! (manga) | J⇔M (manga)
Amazon.co.jp: J⇔M 1 (Harta Comics) : Masao Otake: Books
www.amazon.co.jp
The author of Hinamatsuri has started two new serializations. Both are extremely funny gag manga.
Bunmei-Kaika Meshi (manga)
Amazon.co.jp: Bunmei-Kaika Meshi (Vol. 1) (SP Comics) eBook : Hosoki Razwell: Kindle Store
www.amazon.co.jp
I love every gourmet manga drawn by Razwell Hosoki for their abundant trivia, and among them, this is a recent one about the food culture of the Edo to Meiji eras.
Astro Bot (game)
Amazon.co.jp: [PS5] ASTRO BOT : Games
www.amazon.co.jp
The well-known winner of the 2024 Game of the Year award. I especially recommend this to people who don’t usually play games.
The feedback that comes back through the controller feels great in your hands the entire time — it’s like the ultimate bubble-wrap cushion.