The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, created by Nagaru Tanigawa in 2003, is a popular light novel series and anime that explores themes of existentialism, time travel, and alternate realities.
In Japan, there is a device that can translate your dog's barks into human speech.
Japan has a tradition of wrapping gifts in cloth called furoshiki, which can be reused and is more environmentally friendly.