Japanese Decoded: Washing Machines And Dryers

Savvy's Guide To Getting Laundry Done

By The Savvy Team |
July 14, 2020 |
Lifestyle

Know the right buttons!

Whether you have a separate washing machine and dryer, a combined unit, or just a washer, doing your laundry is maybe not that easy. These appliances can be difficult to master in Japan, where the controls are almost always in Japanese only.

To ease frustration and help you get your laundry done right in no time, check out the following list of characters that are commonly found on these machines.

Washing Machine

Laundry Products

Japanese	Rōmaji	English
洗剤	senzai	Detergent
漂白剤	hyōhaku-zai	Bleach
柔軟剤	nyūnanzai	Fabric softener

Washing Modes

Japanese	Rōmaji	English
洗濯コース	sentaku kōsu	Washing course
標準	hyōjun	Standard
お急ぎ	oisogi	Fast
毛布	mōfu	Heavy (blankets/linen)
手洗い/念入り	tearai/nen iri	Gentle wash
わが家流	wagaya-ryū	Personalized settings
洗濯/洗い	sentaku/arai	Wash
すすぎ	susugi	Rinse
排水	haisui	Drain
脱水	dassui	Spin dry
一時停止	ichiji teishi	Pause
洗濯のみ	sentaku nomi	Wash only
乾燥のみ	kansō nomi	Dry only
洗・乾切替	arai・inui kirikae	Switching between washing/drying

Water

Japanese	Rōmaji	English
冷水	reisui	Cold water
温水	onsui	Warm water
水量	suiryō	Water volume
水位	suii	Water level
給水	kyūsui	Water supply

Dryers and Washers/Dryers combo

Japanese	Rōmaji	English
洗濯～乾燥連続運転	sentaku ~ kansō renzoku unten	Continuous wash to dry operation
乾燥	kansō	Dry
室内干し	shitsunaiboshi	Indoor drying / Hanging clothes inside
ソフト温風	sofuto onpū	Soft warm air
送風	sōfū	Cool air
高温	kōon	Hot/High temperature
控えめ	hikaeme	Low temperature/Controlled drying

If we’ve missed any confusing or important buttons, leave us a comment. We hope with these decoded buttons you can finally have a nice clean set of clothes that have been washed with the right settings!