innovation is alive and well in japan! but there are many other parts of the world where women aren't always safe walking alone (or men for that matter), and vending machines are not as ubiquitous as in tokyo.
a skirt that transforms itself into a big dustbin, for the back streets of paris? a sari that converts into a telegraph pole, for delhi? -rishab http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/21/news/japan.php With a deft motion, Tsukioka, a 29-year-old fashion designer, lifted a flap on the front of her skirt to reveal a large sheet of cloth printed in bright red with a soft drink logo partly visible. By holding the sheet fully open and stepping to the side of the road, she showed how a woman walking alone could elude pursuers - by disguising herself as a vending machine. [the picture shows the "deluxe model" that transforms itself into a 4-sided vending machine!]
