Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on May 2010

Courtesy of Dreams Inc

Mankind has been using soap since the days of Ancient Babylon, but there have always been certain practical limitations—try carrying a bar around in your pocket on a rainy day and you’ll see what we mean. Hats off to Dreams Inc, who’ve made soap genuinely pocketable, taking the kind of streamlined plastic packet normally used for breath mints and turning it into a detergent pellet dispenser. The 12mm tablets, made with natural ingredients, are available in rose, citrus and plain-old “original” versions. If you only go to the sento once every six months, this one’s for you.

Soap Tablet, ¥294. Available from drug stores and Amazon Japan.