One of the more popular items to come out of Japan last year was Kotobukiya's "Star Wars" Light Saber Chopsticks, which made the rounds on popular tech blogs such as Gizmodo, Wired and TechCrunch's CrunchGear. And while they might not have "the force" (nor the brand power) of any "Star Wars" product, Japanese company Daiwa Toy (www.daiwatoy.co.jp) has a similar set of chopsticks that will be sure to make a splash among Japanophiles and densha otaku (train geeks) the world over.

The shinkansen chopsticks — also known as the "Chopstick Express" — take the form of Japan's famous bullet trains. If you've ever taken the shinkansen, it's quite possible that you bought a boxed lunch to enjoy during your trip. Can you think of a more fitting pair of chopsticks with which to dine on a train? I don't think so.

Unlike the actual shinkansen, these chopsticks are not divided up into multiple cars, but rather each chopstick is crafted into one long, sleek car that gives the impression of a train rocketing down the tracks, a mere blur to the human eye as it zooms past. Because the form of a chopstick tapers off into a narrow tip, the illusion of perspective is easily created, making this miniature replica appear deceptively long.