Culture

5 Asian Inventions Behind Everyday Life
By Kelli Luu | 28 Jan, 2026

These objects are so deeply rooted in our everyday life, most people never question where they came from.

Asian inventions have become a part of everyday life in the United States and these objects are now essentials for Americans. Let’s take a look at some of the best Asian inventions that you may have already used today. 

Starting off with paper money. China was the very first civilization to use paper currency during the Tang Dynasty to replace metal coins. It soon became the first ever government-issued banknote under the Song Dynasty then spread to the West in the 17th century. 

Next up, the umbrella, which actually goes back thousands and thousands of years to around the 11th century BC. In China, oil paper umbrellas were used for rain protection and some were even made from palm leaves and feathers. These early designs have created a foundation for modern umbrellas used globally, whether it is to stay dry in the rain or to shade yourself from the sun. 

Then we have sheet masks, which became extremely popular in South Korea during the past three decades. Sheet masks originate from old Asian beauty routines and traditions where cloth was soaked in water infusions, then applied on the skin for hydration and other skin care needs. During the late 1990s the very first single-use sheet mask was commercially sold in Korea and Japan and has since then become a staple in many American skincare routines. 

This next invention, you have definitely used within the last 24 hours. Emojis. They were developed in 1999 by a Japanese designer, Shigetaka Kurita, for a mobile service company called NTT DoCoMo. Emojis have now been programmed into every major smartphone, making an aspect of our daily lives a little more expressive. 

Finally, invented by Japanese engineer Masahiro Hara in 1994, we have QR codes. Traditional barcodes didn’t have the ability to store large amounts of data and could only be scanned from one angle, so Hara created Quick Response codes which can now power restaurant menus, mobile payments, parking passes, and more, giving us one of the most used digital tools in our everyday lives.