Home May 19, 1996
Laundry
When I first arrived in Japan I was surprised to see laundry covered apartment
buildings. In America most people do not hang their laundry outside anymore
because electric dryers are very commonly used.
Homeowners usually have both a washer and a dryer. At the house I grew up in we had a dryer as well as permanently installed, completely unused laundry poles in the backyard. They were such relics that our friends were surprised just to see them. They were curious if we did anything so quaint as hanging our own laundry.
Apartment dwellers do not usually own their own washing machines. Fortunately, many apartment buildings have common (shared) laundry facilities. Having coin operated washers and dryers in the basement is very convenient. Some apartment buildings do not have laundry facilities; if so residents have to go to a laundromat. In any event, apartment residents do not hang laundry. Even if you have a veranda, there are often building regulations forbidding hanging laundry: it is seen as unsightly.
My first memory of naturally dried laundry is from when I was 12. We were visiting my grandmother in the countryside. She did laundry the traditional way and I remember being shocked at how good my clothes felt and smelled. In a few years I was responsible for doing my own laundry, though, and I then appreciated the convenience of just throwing the clothes in the dryer.