sentakumono
One thing I was a bit surprised to see when I first moved to Tokyo was the amount of clothes, sheets, and futon mattresses that people hang out to dry. In a city like Tokyo I never expected to see clotheslines or clothespins. In fact, I often thought it was a bit revolting to see so many futon mattresses just hanging over the balcony railing, or to see shirts and shorts fluttering in the wind outside apartment windows.
Perhaps “revolting” is a bit too strong of a word, and I definitely no longer think that (in fact, I had to write this today in fear, given a few more months here, I’d completely forget how I originally felt).
Honestly though, I thought it was quite strange to be in a country with the 2nd largest economy in the world, home of the most advanced robotics, manufacturing, and technology (outside of silicon valley) - and yet these people still put their clothes outside to dry? Seriously, why hadn’t Japanese discovered drying machines? Did they not know about the amazing convenience that comes from simply throwing wet clothes in a dryer? As a bachelor I knew all too well, leave the clothes in there indefinitely - anytime you need a shirt - just restart the machine for 20 mins and viola! a freshly dried and unwrinkled shirt.
My first presumption was that Japanese apartments didnt provide enough room for dryers. Although this presumption is partially correct (many apartments dont provide connections to evacuate the hot air), it just isn’t a big enough reason in itself because I’ve seen some of the smallest and most efficient washing machines and dryers here than anywhere else (even washers that double as dryers in a single machine and are still half the size of a washer in the USA). So why do so many people hang their “sentakumono” out to dry (or hang them up inside their apartment to dry there)?
I’d like to think that the decision is primarily one of ecology, but I really can’t say for certain yet. Honestly, I don’t know the full reason why dryers are not as widely adopted as I would have thought. Although I grew up helping my mother hang clothes outside, a year ago I would never have dreamed of living in the US without a dryer, but perhaps that is just the bachelor in me. Living in Japan, however, has definitely changed my disposition towards the necessity of dryers. Seeing clothes hanging outside is not so bothersome anymore, in fact, I actually feel glad knowing we can occasionally make do without those things we think are necessities.
