With all due respect; while on one hand it seems paradoxical that Japan would create a device to cause people to cease speaking… on the other hand, it also doesn’t seem that far-fetched. Whatever the case may be, said invention could go a long way towards mandating (perhaps enforcing is a more appropriate term) people focusing on their studies in a library for example (amongst other possible applications…)
(Source) PC Magazine: http://goo.gl/M0frI