SORABYCO | Life in Japan

Yes, leftover bathwater can be reused for some laundry in Japan, but it depends on your washing machine, detergent, and whether you used bath additives. It should not simply replace clean water for every part of the wash. When I first started living in Japan, reusing bathwater for laundry was one of those small household habits that surprised me. Some Japanese washing machines have a bathwater function, often labeled 「風呂水」, that uses a pump and hose to draw water directly from the bathtub. Seeing a whole tub of water after a bath, I could understand why people would want to use it again. I tried it myself for a while. But eventually I stopped. The method wasn't difficult; it just didn't fit the way I wanted to do laundry. These days, I no longer feel the need to reuse every tub of bathwater. If the bathroom needs a good clean, however, I sometimes use the leftover water there instead. Can Leftover Bathwater Really Be Used for Laundry? Using leftover bathwater for laundry is pos...

When I first started using a Japanese bath control panel, one button confused me more than any other: 優先 (yūsen) . I knew the panels in the bathroom and kitchen controlled the hot water, but “priority” did not tell me much. Then one day, I tried to change the hot-water temperature from the kitchen panel and nothing happened. I checked it again, walked back to the bathroom, looked at the other controller, and returned to the kitchen. It took me a while to realize that the bathroom controller had priority. If you are new to a Japanese home and staring at buttons such as ふろ自動, 追い焚き, たし湯, and 優先 , you do not need to understand the entire control panel at once. Here is the quick answer: ふろ自動 (furo jidō) automatically prepares the bath on compatible systems. 追い焚き (oidaki) reheats water that is already in the bathtub. たし湯 (tashiyu) adds hot water to the bathtub. 優先 (yūsen) determines which controller has priority when changing the hot-water temperature. The buttons and exact functions var...

We have a washing machine at home, so I rarely use a coin laundry for everyday clothes. I usually go when I have a bulky comforter that I do not want to squeeze into our home machine. One day, while waiting for my bedding to finish, I noticed someone arrive with already-washed clothes, use only a dryer, and leave. Until then, I had always thought of coin laundries mainly as places for large items. That was when I realized how differently people use them in Japan. If you are using a coin laundry in Japan for the first time, the basics are simple. Choose whether you need washing, drying, or both, load your laundry, select the course, pay, and wait for the cycle to finish. Many modern machines automatically dispense detergent and fabric softener, so you may not need to bring your own. Prices vary by store and machine size, but a small wash may start at around ¥300, larger machines can cost around ¥700–¥1,000, and dryers are often charged in short time blocks. How Do You Use a Coin Laundry...

Living in Japan has made me pay much more attention to humidity than I used to. One rainy day doesn't bother me much. But when the rain keeps coming for several days, our genkan starts to feel damp. Shoes take longer to dry, and eventually I start wondering what is happening inside the shoe cabinet. That happened again recently. I opened all the shoe cabinet doors because keeping everything shut didn't seem like a good idea. Then I wondered: Should I really leave the shoe cabinet open while it is still raining outside? The simple answer is yes, opening it can help when the inside feels damp—but you don't need to leave it open for the entire rainy spell. When the rain keeps coming, I open the cabinet to let air move through it and also try to reduce the humidity indoors. Wet shoes stay out until they are dry. Once the cabinet and the shoes inside feel dry again, I close the doors. What to Do With a Shoe Cabinet When It Keeps Raining If you want the quick version, these are t...

When I was a child, laundry detergent meant one thing: a large box of powder with a measuring scoop inside. Later, I started using liquid detergent. These days, as I get closer to 50, I mostly use laundry pods. It made me realize that even something as ordinary as laundry detergent has changed quite a lot during my lifetime. After living in Japan for many years, I have also watched the laundry aisle change. Japanese drugstores and home centers now sell powder detergent, liquid detergent, refill packs, concentrated formulas, and colorful laundry pods. In Japan, laundry pods are usually called “gel balls,” or ジェルボール. I did not move from one type to another because I believed one detergent was perfect. My choice changed gradually, depending on what felt easier in everyday life. Here is what I learned from using powder detergent, liquid detergent, and gel balls in Japan. Why I Stopped Using Powder Detergent Powder detergent is the type I remember most clearly from my childhood. There was a...

Sora had been staring at the living room ceiling for several minutes. I called her name, but she did not even look at me. She just kept meowing at the same spot. At first, I thought she had found a tiny moth or a spider. My three Bengal cats often notice insects long before I do, so this was not completely unusual. Still, something about the way she refused to move made me curious. I walked over, followed her eyes, and looked up. That was when I froze. There was a large cockroach clinging to the ceiling near the window. I have lived in Japan for many years, but I still cannot get used to seeing cockroaches in summer. We do not see them often in our home—usually only once or twice a year—but every time one appears, it feels just as shocking as the first time. And this one was not small. It was big enough to make me stand there for a moment thinking only one thing: Please do not fly. My Cat Found a Cockroach on the Ceiling Once I realized what Sora had been watching, I rushed to get the ...

Every summer in Japan, I end up doing the same thing. I stand in the living room with the air conditioner remote in my hand and hesitate. Should I press Cooling? Should I use Dry Mode instead? Would Eco Mode help lower the electricity bill? Japanese summers are not only hot. They are also incredibly humid, which makes choosing the right air conditioner setting feel more complicated than it should. For years, I mostly pressed whichever button seemed right at the time. We also have three Bengal cats at home, so I cannot think only about saving electricity. I want to keep the room comfortable for them, especially when we are out of the house. I used to assume that Dry Mode was always cheaper than Cooling Mode. Then I started reading different explanations online and became even more confused. Some articles said Cooling Mode used less electricity. Others said Dry Mode was more economical. Eco Mode added another question because I thought it might automatically choose between Cooling and Dr...