The problem with so much Japanese stationery is that they're just too darn cute to use. A case in point are these animal rubber bands. I was sorely tempted to buy them when I spotted them at the Australian lifestyle shop kikki.K, but resisted because I knew I was never going to use them, even though they are supposed to keep their shape after repeated use.

Designers M. Haneda and Y. Ohashi created them to counteract the disposable nature of rubber bands. I can see this happening, certainly - I have a tendency to save ordinary rubber bands, but if I used these animal ones, you can be sure that I'd not only save them, but put them away very carefully after use.

These rubber bands come in two different collections, Zoo and Pet, with 6 different animal designs in each.