An exhibition in Osaka, western Japan, is giving visitors a chance to see real-life renderings of inventions and gadgets featured in the popular comic and animated series "Doraemon." In the long-running series, the titular cat-shaped robot from the 22nd century uses a variety of devices dubbed "secret tools" to help Nobita, a schoolboy in present-day Tokyo.

From the people who brought us the Bowlingual. Takara Tomy have done it again with an innovative new audio device called the "Ningen Gakki." This device allows the person(s) holding it to be touched in various places on the body by another person which will create different sounds based on where the person is touched. Up to four people can interact at one time.

Tokyo International Toy Show 2010 kicked off Thursday, showcasing a wide variety of products ranging from classic to educational to high-tech. The major exhibition at Tokyo Big Sight features roughly 36,000 toys from 139 domestic and overseas companies.

“Tiger tiger burning bright in the forests of the night, what immortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful symmetry?” Well, Japanese artists for one, who have not only managed to render the tiger tame, but have also depicted it as being unbelievably cute. If you live in Japan you won’t have failed to have noticed that the Year of the Tiger is about to pounce upon us and the shops are filled with tiger-themed stuff in all ranges.

Now this is a fantastic idea. The Japanese firm Mobile Art Lab has combined iPhone Apps and a book cover. What comes out when you cross Phone and Book they call PhoneBook and the first release is a great interactive children’s book!

Tokyo's Toy Show opened on Thursday showcasing some of the latest high-tech gadgets from Japan. One of Japan's best-loved animation characters, Doraemon, has been transformed into a companion robot by Bandai. The 16-centimeter-high device has a vocabulary of 1,300 words and will react to conversation from its owner, although it lacks the ability to really understand what's being said. It hits Japanese stores on Sept. 3 and will cost ¥31,500 (US$336).