Japanese overdesign is not only about removing inconveniences, it's also about bringing a bit (or even a lot) of joy into using seemingly mundane products - just like this highlighter. Just knowing that a lot of thought went into the product to make it as good as it can be without making it a luxury item is something that elates me whenever I use something like this.
Another good example is Japanese cling wrap, which is just so much better than everything I've seen in western supermarkets.