One of Japan' s most utilized crafty inventions

Today, and February 8th annually, is Tension Rod Day つっぱり棒の日. Did you know that the modern homeware tension rod is a Japanese invention? It was developed by Heian Shindo Industry in 1975, but they have been refining it for the last 50 years. They chose February 8th as a day to celebrate the crafty invention because 2/8 can be read as "tsu-pa", which makes up "tsupari bo", the Japanese for tension rod.

Tension rods are not something that are used often in my home country, but they are something I could not survive without in Japan. Tension rods are everywhere in Japanese homes, including my own. Their popularity comes from a mix of practicality, rental‑friendly living, and a national love of clever, compact solutions. Because most apartments discourage drilling into walls, tension rods become the go‑to tool for creating storage without damage.

They are used for such a wide variety of applications including closet organization, kitchen storage, laundry support and even to aide room dividing. They are inexpensive, removable, endlessly adaptable, and surprisingly strong when installed correctly. Do you use tension rods in Japan? And did / do you use them in your home country?