- Yoshiro Nakamatsu
-
Yoshiro Nakamatsu 
Born June 26, 1928 (age 83) Residence Japan Nationality Japan Other names Dr. NakaMats Occupation inventor Yoshiro Nakamatsu (中松 義郎 Nakamatsu Yoshirō, born June 26, 1928), also known as Dr. NakaMats (ドクター中松 Dokutā Nakamatsu), is a Japanese inventor who claims to hold the world record for number of inventions with over 3,200 patents.[1] This claim has been mentioned in several media articles.[2][3] On the other hand, several other sources do not list Nakamatsu among the world's most prolific inventors.[4][5][6][7], and some sources have directly opposed his claim. [8] In addition, he was also mentioned in several satirical publications, such as "What a Stroke of . . . Um, Ingenuity, Anyhow" [9] and "81-Year-Old Dr. NakaMats May Have Invented Nearly Everything You Hold Dear" [10], and was a main character in documentary comedy "The Invention of Dr Nakamats". [11]
Contents
Nakamatsu creativity process
In his interviews, Nakamatsu described his "creativity process", which includes listening to music and concludes with diving underwater, where he says he comes up with his best ideas and records them while underwater.[3][12] Nakamatsu claims to benefit from lack of oxygen to the brain, making inventions "0.5 seconds before death". He also built a million dollar toilet room made completely out of gold that he claims helps make him think better. Nakamatsu also has an elevator in his house that he claims helps him think better. He strictly denies that it is an elevator, but rather a "vertical moving room". Nakamatsu's goal is to live at least 144 years.[13]
Inventions
Nakamatsu's patented inventions include:
- "PyonPyon" jumping shoes with leaf springs on their soles.[14]
- "Cerebrex" armchair, a chair that supposedly improves mental function such as calculation and thinking by cooling the head and heating the feet.[15]
- A toilet seat lifter.[16]
- A condom with an embedded magnet, supposedly "improving sensitivity" as "electricity is generated in the blood vessels in the female organs by Fleming's left-hand rule".[17]
- Protective envelopes for floppy disks, and head-cleaning floppy disk.[18]
- A CD for supposedly "enhancing brightness or sexual function".[19]
- A cigarette like device for supposedly "activating the brain".[20]
- A pillow preventing falling asleep while driving (an air compressor strapped to the cars headrest, forcibly feeding air to the driver).[21]
- A peephole in a sheet of material, described as a "oneway visible shielding object".[22]
- Spectacles in the shape of eyes, so that the user appears to wear no spectacles.[23]
- A "Wig for self defense" — a strip and a weight are attached to a wig. The wearer swings the wig to hit an attacker.[24]
It should be noted that patents (these or any other) do not mean that the devices actually work. Patent offices grant patents without checking that the patented device works. While a patent is usually invalid if the patented device or process does not work, this is typically only determined if the patent is challenged (which is not normally done unless the patent holder sues an alleged patent infringer).
Claimed inventions
Nakamatsu gains much of his fame from his claim to have invented the floppy disk in 1952. He claims to have licensed his floppy disk patents to IBM Corporation in 1979, but that the details are confidential.[2] An IBM spokesman, Mac Jeffery, said that the company does license some of his patents, but not for the floppy disk, which they invented on their own.[9] Another source has mentioned that IBM reached nonexclusive patent agreements with Nakamatsu in the late 1970s to avoid conflicts.[25]
Media coverage
Nakamatsu has appeared on several American TV shows, including Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Late Night with David Letterman, even Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern.[3] He also appeared on the BBC show Adam and Joe Go Tokyo and the BBC radio show Jon Ronson On...
In 2005, Nakamatsu was awarded the Ig Nobel prize (a parody of the Nobel prize) for Nutrition, for photographing every meal he has consumed during a period of 34 years (and counting).
In 2009, Danish visual artist Kaspar Astrup Schröder made a humorous documentary about Nakamatsu titled The Invention of Dr. NakaMats (Opfindelsen af Dr. Nakamats).[11][26]
Political aspirations
Nakamatsu has been a candidate in the 2007[27][28] and 2011 gubernatorial elections in Tokyo, and has also run for the Upper House election, but to date has failed to get any political seat. He is known for frequently entering and losing elections in Tokyo. [28] Now he has a special seat on the Happiness Realization Party. [29]
See also
References
- ^ Dr. Nakamatsu's profile on his web site
- ^ a b Lazarus, David (April 10, 1995). "'Japan's Edison' Is Country's Gadget King : Japanese Inventor Holds Record for Patent". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1995/04/10/news/10iht-matscon.ttt.html. Retrieved 2010-12-21.
- ^ a b c Thompson, Charles ("Chic"). "The Edison of Japan: An Interview with Dr. Yoshiro Nakamats". http://www.whatagreatidea.com/nakamatsu.htm. First published in Thomson's book What a Great Idea!: The Key Steps Creative People Take, Perennial (HarperCollins), 1992. ISBN 0-06-096901-6.
- ^ Man-Made Marvels Time Magazine, Dec 4, 2000
- ^ You really can find identities of top patent holders USA Today, Dec 13, 2005
- ^ Masters of invention Portfolio, October 15, 2007
- ^ The Ten Greatest Inventors In The Modern Era Business Insider, 6 May 2011
- ^ The Greatest Inventor of All Time: Dr. NakaMats
- ^ a b Barron, James (Nov. 11, 1990). "What a Stroke of ... Um, Ingenuity, Anyhow". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/29/nyregion/what-a-stroke-of-um-ingenuity-anyhow.html. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
- ^ 81-Year-Old Dr. NakaMats May Have Invented Nearly Everything You Hold Dear
- ^ a b Fornoff, Alexa (March 2, 2010). "True/False: What’s Behind 'The Invention of Dr. NakaMats'". ReadyMade (blog). http://www.readymade.com/blog/readymade/2010/03/02/truefalse-whats-behind-the-invention-of-dr-nakamats. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
- ^ An interview with Dr. Yoshiro Nakamatsu at PingMag
- ^ Grayson, Ian (May 8, 2006). "'NakaMats': Creative mind is the key". CNN. http://edition.cnn.com/2006/BUSINESS/05/07/nakamats/index.html. Retrieved 2007-10-13.
- ^ JUMPING SHOE
- ^ MENTAL WORK IMPROVING CHAIR
- ^ ADAPTER FOR AUTOMATICALLY FLAPPING UP SEAT OF TOILET STOOL
- ^ CONDOM FOR IMPROVING SENSITIVITY
- ^ Floppy disk related patents
- ^ RECORDING MEDIA SUCH AS CD FOR ENHANCING BRIGHTNESS OR SEXUAL FUNCTION
- ^ ACTIVATION OF BRAIN BY OLFACTORY SENSATION
- ^ PILLOW PREVENTING ASLEEP-DRIVING
- ^ ONEWAY VISIBLE SHIELDING OBJECT
- ^ EYE-SHAPED SPECTACLES
- ^ WIG FOR SELF-DEFENSE
- ^ Hornyak, Tim (January 2002). "Dr. NakaMats: Japan's Self-Proclaimed Savior". Japan Inc. http://www.japaninc.com/article.php?articleID=653. Retrieved 2007-10-13.
- ^ "OPFINDELSEN AF DR. NAKAMATS / THE INVENTION OF DR. NAKAMATS". http://www.dfi.dk/faktaomfilm/danishfilms/dffilm.aspx?id=22642.
- ^ Fujimori, Ainu, lesbian, inventor and Tojo’s granddaughter all defeated in election
- ^ a b Cabbie, dilettante and prolific inventor in fray to lead Tokyo
- ^ Dr Nakamatsu joins HRP
External links
Categories:- 1928 births
- Living people
- Ig Nobel Prize winners
- Japanese inventors
- Japanese political candidates
- Tokyo gubernatorial candidates
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
