UrawazaSecret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan. This item is unavailable.UrawazaSecret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

An urawaza is a "secret" tip or trick to remedy an everyday problem ingeniously, inventively, and resourcefully. The solutions are often unexpected and, in using available everyday materials and strategies, also eco-friendly. Urawaza is a Japanese word originally coined by gamers in the '80s to describe secrets and shortcuts in Nintendo videogames. The word has evolved into describing the clever and unusual tips and tricks used in Japan to maximize efficiency and value of everyday items. This is the first book tracing the phenomenon and collecting more than 100 useful tips. Each entry is presented as a lighthearted dilemma, including a solution through an urawaza and an explanation of how/why this works.

Lisa Katayama grew up in Tokyo, where she observed first-hand the popularity of urawaza. She is an associate editor at Planet magazine and a regular contributor to Wired magazine, as well as a member of JAPA, which is a group of trendsetters in Japanese pop-culture.