Nanotechnology + Aromatherapy + Pencils

To indulge in what seems like a pretty darn accurate stereotype, here’s what I love about the Japanese: they’re never satisfied with a good thing; they’re always trying to make it better. From the country that brought you Toyota and the DVD now comes"¦smelly pencils.

We’re not talking bad smelly here — who would want to buy that? Pentel’s new Ain Supplio pencils have been smellified by expert aromatherapists who, according to Pink Tentacle, used ingredients like rosemary, mint, lemongrass and green tea. The lead has been infused with scent via a new nanotechnology, which Pentel claims will make for a much longer-smelling pencil than was previously available "” up three years, if kept in the box. It’s good to see nanotechnology is finally providing something useful, and seriously, if you have to use a pencil you may as well use one that smells good and that might make you work better. And what kid wouldn’t want to be the first on his block with some nanoengineered, aromatherapeutic pencils? The Ain Supplios won this year’s Stationery of the Year Award, and they will be sold in Japan for under $2 each. If you speak /read/understand Japanese you can learn more about them here, and maybe then you can enlighten the rest of us some more.