Concepts often earn the title of "traditional" because they do their job effectively over the centuries. Take the role of charcoal in Sususu, an eco-friendly and attractive house plant that that doubles as a deodorizer. The soil contains tiny particles of odor-eating bamboo charcoal. Fungal bacteria in the charcoal absorbs unpleasant odors in the home rather than masking them with cloying scents.

The soil for Sususu comes in either rectangular or square block shapes and there are three varieties of plant to choose from (two varieties of Sansuberia and one of Pachira). We reckon it's a nice decorative alternative to using a big aerosol can filled with perfume. However its price tag of ¥2,480 puts it shelf above those oridinary deodorizers.

Sususu is not the only product on the market that utilizes the traditional odor-eating charcoal. Take Dr. Smith's  bamboo charcoal pillows, which were recently featured at Loft department store in Shibuya. They tout not only deodorizing properties, but also the ability to reduce the humidity in the room by absorbing moisture to create “the perfect sleep environment.”

If you don’t fancy sticking your head on a pile of burnt wood or having the hassle of looking after a plant, then it’s possible to simply buy bamboo charcoal on its own. Taketora sells the stuff on its web shop. Placed around the home in wicker baskets, this blackened bamboo looks surprisingly attractive and works both to reduce humidity and bad smells. Wish we’d known about this product a month ago when Tokyo was both stinky and unpleasantly sweaty!