A Japanese company has invented a product which, it says, allows owners to create their own dreams.

Prospective dreamers are asked to look at a photo of what they would like to dream about and then record a story line into the Yumemi Kobo, or "dream workshop".
The machine uses the voice recording, along with lights, music and smells, to help them direct their own dreams during periods of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, Takara Co said.

Sleepers are woken up gently after eight hours with music and lights that simulate sunlight so that users of the gadget do not forget their dream in the shock of waking.

Takara Co, which brought the world the "bowlingual" and "meowlingual" devices - which purport to translate your pet's communication - admitted the machine may still need refining.

"We are still experimenting, mainly with company employees," Kenji Hattori, a Takara marketing executive, told reporters on Wednesday.

"Some said the theme was right, but the story-line was wrong. Some said the noise woke them up. But it has worked for quite a number of people."