#laundry in japan

[redheadinjapan]

Hung Up On Laundry in Japan?

Learning to do laundry in Japan has been a bit of a change for me. Not only because of all the new Japanese words I need to read to make sure I don’t ruin any clothes, but I’ve also had to get used to hanging my clothes out to dry. While most American houses have dryers, Japanese apartments don’t. Instead, there’s space to hang your clothes to dry. While not using a dryer is better for saving energy, it has certainly been an adjustment.

Since most people in Japan don’t have dryers, apartments typically come with space to hang your clothes. Whether you have a balcony or not, you’ll likely have a hanger for a clothesline or a rod outside your window. However, once winter hits, you’ll have to move your clothes inside to dry so they won’t freeze. Your Japanese apartment bathroom will likely have something like a shower rod that’s actually for hanging clothes, as well as fan settings to help with the drying process.

When it comes to hanging clothes, I recommend hanging them in such a way that you won’t notice if they stretch a little since hanging wet clothes can stretch out the fabric. I’ve taken to hanging shirts and pants folded on the bottom rung of hangers because hanging them normally or with clips can stretch out the necklines or waistbands. Also, generally, try not to hang anything by the elastic sections. I noticed my socks were a little loose after a few washes, so now I hang them by the toes rather than the stretchier ankle side. Of course, anything particularly stretchy, like bras or certain sweaters, are best left on an available surface to dry to keep the shape intact. 

I’ve also had to learn to do smaller, more frequent loads of laundry since coming to Japan. In America, I would usually do two loads (lights and darks) at the end of the week, but when you have to hang everything to dry, suddenly one big laundry day doesn’t work. If you hang clothes too close together, they won’t dry well since there needs to be space for air to move. So, sometimes laundry day has to become laundry days to give one load enough time to dry before hanging up the next one. This becomes especially true in winter when you have to use the limited space in the bathroom.

Luckily, though changing your laundry routine might be a hassle, buying laundry supplies is not. You can find laundry supplies at most stores, including 100 yen stores. My local 100 yen store has everything from hangers to clips to laundry baskets, as well as a laundry list of other laundry products. That’s where I got my clothes rod, recommended instead of a clothesline by another ALT, for 500 yen (cause some products are still a little extra). It’s been nice to use hangers instead of clips because I feel like it gives me more space and stretches my clothes less. 100 yen stores even sell laundry detergent, but it will likely be less product and not as good as what you can buy elsewhere. One of my best 100 yen store laundry purchases has been a bunch of cheap laundry bags because my washer seemed a little rough on my clothes, especially anything with buttons, which is definitely something to watch for since the washers shuffle your clothes around.

While I’ve mostly been using laundry pods because I still haven’t totally figured out my washer, one new Japanese word I’ve had to look out for is 漂白剤 (ひょうはくざい) or bleach. Given how clothing in Japan fit me, I definitely didn’t want to accidentally bleach a load of laundry in Japan. However, what can be more confusing is that I’ve found some products that say they contain bleach while also advertising being okay for use with colors. I guess I always associated bleach with whitening, but so far the oxyclean powder I found that seems to have bleach in it has yet to turn all my clothes white, so I think I’m good.

Doing laundry in Japan can be hard to get used to. Not only are there tons of specialized words you’ve probably never had to use before, but you might have to get used to a whole new laundry system. I always had a dryer, and I’m still getting used to not having one, but I’m slowly getting the hang of it!

[mayorkate]

𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦, 𝘪'𝘮 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘺 💤 🧺

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[frayed-at-the-seams]

My top ten bl dramas (with kissing scenes but no sex scenes)

Not in any particular order.

Sometimes I want a romance but I don’t need the sex scenes. Sometimes I just like the kissing and the plot. So here are my top ten.

- 2G ether. Season 1&2.

A adorable fake dating story with entertaining side couples and a well written plot. It is an easy watch with a comedic story line. Any problems in season 1 and any questions left unanswered are covered in season 2. The main couple have great chemistry and the side couples seem to match it well.

It is one of my favourites because it is such a chill drama to watch and rewatch. It is one I tend to go for when I’m tired or needing serotonin.

Available with English subtitles on YouTube.

- Minato Shouji coin laundry. Season 1.

A romantic comedy with a strangers to lovers trope. The plot revolves around a 17 yr old in love with a 27 yr old man. That put me off at first but the age gap is really well covered. The whole plot revolves around the age gap and how it affects them. It is both light hearted while dealing with the honest dynamic of their relationship. Both characters go through a wholesome journey of development, with Shin growing more mature and Akira learning to let himself be loved.

There is hints of a side couple but those characters go through development rather than have their relationship end romantically, which I really enjoyed.

The dialogue is very well written and the actors have really good chemistry together. Despite the age gap, it became one of my favourites in a very short amount of time. It is all so well done and they handled the dynamic wonderfully.

Though I did not like season 2 cause the writing was terrible. Still acted well but bad plot writing.

Available on Bilibili or dramacool.

- We Best Love, N1 for you & Fighting Mr second.

Ignoring the two different titles, this is season 1 and 2 of the same drama.

It is a enemies to lover dynamic in season 1 with a enemies to lovers dynamic once again in season 2.

While the plot is overly dramatic at times and cliche, it is very well acted and the actors really work with their lines and make the cliche parts fit so well. They have amazing chemistry (especially in season 2) and I love their dynamics. The side couples don’t get much screen time but they fit very well with the plot and the dynamics of the main characters.

When it comes to pure chemistry, this couple is one of my all time favourites. They speak so much with their actions. It’s a drama that will entertain throughout. I didn’t get bored at all.

Available on Bilibili and Dramacool.

- Semantic Error.

Another Enemies to lovers trope between two opposing characters. Opposites attract between a digital media student and a computing student. The plot is well paced and the actors spark off each other very well. The character development is explored well and the filming style adds such a tension and uniqueness to the scenes. One of the reasons why it is a favourite is how the filming style works with the characters and highlights their personalities. Everything just flows.

There are no side couples in this drama however the side characters are well portrayed and fully dimensional. I enjoyed how each character’s dynamics worked with those around them.

Available on Viki or Bilibili.

- Sotus The series.

A real slow burn between a new student and his head hazer. Although the hazing put me off at first the show went to explain all viewpoints really well. It explained why the Hazers continued the tradition of hazing as well as the students who were experiencing it. The relationship is a real slow burn but it’s done so well and scenes had me laughing and crying.

It includes other lgbt side characters and a straight side couple who are cute and go through their own personal growth.

An old bl (2016) but a good one. It was one of my first ones and I will never get over it.

Available on KissKH, Bilibili and YouTube.

- Takara’s Treasure.

A more recently released drama, this show was so wholesome and cute. It dealt with a character’s journey as he joins a university in Tokyo after living in a small town his whole life. His slow burn relationship with his senior is very cute and green flag.

I sort of wish that there were more kiss scenes but I did enjoy the ones we go.

Available on KissKH and Bilibili.

- Love for Love’s sake.

Another more recent drama. This one had me sobbing and giggling. For what seemed to be an intriguing plot about a boy seemingly playing out a video game where the goal is to make another boy happy turned into a really deep portrayal of depression and the loneliness of being lgbt. The romance and the relationships as they develop in this drama was all well paced and wholesome. The main character is iconic and he fights for what he wants which is great to watch. The drama itself was very well filmed. The cinematography didn’t distract too much from the plot but also made itself known and memorable. The pace was good though it could have done with maybe another episode towards the end, but with the time they had the pacing was pretty good.

This drama leads itself towards theory and not all the questions are answered but that is a good thing as an ending is provided but there is still enough to make one curious.

Available on Viki and KissKH.

- Why R U? (Korean version).

While I enjoyed the original Thai version, the Korean version out paced it for me. While the Thai one had many side couples and confusing plot lines the Korean one keeps it just to two main couples. It deletes the cheating element of the second couple and made it more wholesome rather than dramatic. The first couple actually starts as enemies to lovers and their dynamic is very funny. They fight all the time and swear at each other before slowly starting to admire and appreciate each other before falling for each other. The show was well paced and very lighthearted. The cinematography wasn’t bad but could have been more fun.

Though it’s from the same books as the Thai one, it feel almost like a completely different drama. This one had me laughing much more.

Available on KissKH and Bilibili.

- Stay With Me.

This is a Chinese drama based off a pervious BL drama called Addicted Heroin. Compared to the previous adaptation, the toxicity is taken out. Stay with me is mostly found family vibes between two step brothers, who don’t know that they’re stepbrothers for a long time, and how their relationship develops from friends to family. Whether this be family in a romantic sense between them or not, the show leaves that up to the viewer.

For a Chinese bl we do get kisses on the cheeks! Although I would like them to kiss properly. The show focuses on them growing as people and not just their relationship, which I enjoyed.

However, the show does end on a sob inducing cliffhanger and there has been no news about a season 2 yet. So watch at your peril. The show itself was well paced and very well acted.

Available on Viki and KissKH.

- Unintentional Love story.

This drama is of a young man who was wrongly fired from his job finding a reclusive ceramicist. He is told that if he can get the famous artist to sign with his old company, then he will get his job back. What follows is a slow burn romance with misunderstandings and great character development. Since the characters are all adults in their late twenties to early thirties, the show has a different feel compared to a lot of other shows where the characters are teenagers or young adults. These characters are running businesses and having to deal with issues such as money problems and loans. It’s nice to see such realistic things playing a big part in a character’s motivation. Yet they still have moments fuelled by their feelings and impulses. But they grow and learn and that’s what makes this drama really wholesome and lovely to watch.

The side couple in this is left unresolved but with a hopeful note. However there is a history between them that is not fully explained. There has been a movie based on their backstory that has come out recently, yet I do not know if it resolves their relationship in the show.

One of the things I love in this show is the costumes. As the sunshine character takes on more depth and grows as a person, his clothing colour palette gets darker. While for the grumpy character who learns to open himself up again, his palette gets lighter and by the end of the show their outfits have swapped colours. That is a detail which I loved when watching.

Available on Viki or Bilibili.

Here you go. These are my top ten dramas with no sex scenes. While some of them may have making out scenes that fade to black, they are not explicit and the drama plots focus more on the storylines or the character growth.

So for anyone who doesn’t like watching sex scenes, I recommend the dramas above.

Hope you enjoy.

Feel free to ask about anymore in the comments.

[athenaismdb]

[rumeko]

locked in

止まらない時間

[heretherebedork]

@absolutebl A BL feeling expressed perfectly.

[gommette]

Coin Laundry Aoki

Encre noire sur papier Moleskine (10 x 15 cm) Œuvres disponibles à la vente chez Inventaire (Paris) Coin Laundry Aoki Black ink on Moleskine paper (10 x 15 cm) Pieces available for sale at Inventaire (Paris) Instagram - Drawings - Prints

[801number]

Minato shouji coin laundry 2

[husbandosforeva]

Minato Shouji Coin Laundry - Last Chapter Kiss (Behind the Scene)

I'm so happy with the cute kiss from the last episode. But just look at this… the way they're kissing behind the scenes… it looks like more passionate(?) 👁‍🗨👄👁‍🗨✨

I think this kiss should show up in the last episode.💫

💫NEED SOME HELP, CAN'T GET OVER THIS 💫

♡

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrl5egU0VKY&ab_channel=BLshore

[nagoyish]

[littlemonstersinwonderland]

💘

[conscbgb]

After more than 1 year Shin couldn't wait any longer and went full attack on Minato 🤣😂🙌🤟😉

Minato Coin Laundry S2 Ep 12

[frayed-at-the-seams]

Favourite BLs with age gaps (4+ years).

Here’s some of my favourite bl dramas where the age gap between the couple is 4 or more years. I chose 4 or more years because there is always a different feel to those who are 4 or more years older. There’s a lot that can be done.

Anyway, here it is. Enjoy.

- Minato Shouji coin laundry.

This is one of my top favourite shows ever. It’s a comfort show for me, although I recall the age gap of characters being 9 years put me off at first. Still, I tried the show and I am so glad I did.

The main plot of this show is the age gap. The issues between the characters stem from the age gap. With Shin being 17 when they meet and Minato being 27. I felt that the drama handled the age gap very well.

With the character of Minato, he does not feel creepy for being with a teenager. His character finds Shin attractive and that is where it stops. He is very strict about nothing happening between them while Shin is underage despite all the flirting and seducing Shin tries. Minato absolutely refuses to see Shin in a sexual or romantic way until he is of age despite all the other characters choosing to see their relationship as romantic. Minato continues to treat Shin almost like a younger brother despite it all, even when he gets flustered.

I was very glad to find a show where despite being attracted to a younger person, the character kept to their morals and waited until the person was 18+. Even when Shin has turned 18, minato waits until he has graduated high school.

While I would normally hate a drama with such a big age gap for the usual sexualisation of a teenager, this show didn’t do that. Whenever it started to lean in that direction, minato shuts it down.

Even so the dynamics between the characters was gold and there was a real growth and development for them. (Less so in season2 but we don’t need to talk about that). Shin learned that although he wanted Minato, he grew to respect the boundaries Minato set. While Minato learned to let Shin dictate what he felt comfortable with while also maintaining though boundaries. Throughout all of this the show maintained a light and almost puppy love atmosphere, perhaps to offset such a large agar gap.

I won’t lie and say that there’s not negatives to this show. Such a large age gap between characters itself is problematic. But despite my initial misgivings I really loved this show. The ages and dynamics work well with their characters and the actors did a great job.

Available on Bilibili and KissKH.

- Old Fashion Cupcake

Despite this show only having five episodes, it has a unique atmosphere and really works well in terms of pacing and storyline. It is a comfort show with a simple but engaging plot and it explores a story normally overlooked in BL.

This show is about 39 Nozue who is a boss of a team in a company that he has been working in for over ten years. He is feeling his age and getting stuck into a rut. This frightens him as it is affecting his mental health. When lamenting about how carefree a couple of teenagers look to his coworker, Togawa, he mentions how he’s feeling. Togawa suggests doing things that teenage girls would do (basically as a metaphor of breaking out of their comfort zones and trying new things). This leads them to a series of dates with a lot of desserts and eventually to love.

This story was so enchanting and sweet. While the characters worked so well together. The fact that both were independent adults meant that the age gap never really came into play other than when Nozue was joking about his age. The antagonist being more Nozue’s fear of leaving his comfort zone than their age gap and work dynamics. Also, they had such great chemistry that you forget about all the negatives.

Available on KissKH and Viki.

- The Eighth Sense.

Another all time fave drama of mine.

This drama was beautiful. With a unique and indie filming style and story telling you got a real sense of the characters and the cinematic style really worked.

While the age gap between Jihyun (20) and Jaewon (24-26) being a minimum of about four years (they never explicitly state it but it is said that Jaewon is around four or more years older) the drama revolves around Jaewon’s mental health and how it affects him. The characters grow through their own personal growths and it is only with these changes that they can be together. Jihyun learns to find his confidence and grows to be a self assured young man who knows what he wants, while Jaewon learns to know when to be a people pleaser and when to set boundaries and fight for what he wants too.

The way mental health was portrayed in this drama was the part that drew me in the most. It was glorified, or brought in for just some angst before being forgotten. It was a real and persistent problem to Jaewon and despite going to therapy, he had bad days and good. It fuelled decisions that he may not have made if he wasn’t feeling so self destructive and low. Even with the happy ending of the drama, his bad mental health does not go away. It remains something that he still deal with but with far more support and in a less toxic environment. It was a realistic portrayal of how things like trauma and depression can follow someone. It may not hang over their heads like a looming storm, but they persist like an annoying strand of hair. You may not notice it at first, then something can remind you and all of a sudden it’s there.

This portrayal of mental health and its effect on a character was raw. The romance interwoven between it was sweet and lovely to watch. This show really captures the viewer, though due to its unique style some may say that it feel disjointed.

Still, this show is unique.

Available on Viki and KissKH.

- Love Tractor.

A city boy goes to a countryside village to clear up his grandfather’s will and meet a young man who falls head one heals for him.

This drama is very cute and has a real ‘back to basics’ atmosphere. SeonYul (27 if I remember correctly) is a city boy through and through. At first this return to the countryside and all its old fashioned ways disgusts him, yet as time passes he begins to love the community and the peace it brings him. While YeChan (20-23 if I recall) is utterly smitten with this new face and takes great joy in helping him learn countryside life.

Is the plot complicated? No. Are there cliche tropes? Yes. Is YeChan a bit of a himbo? Definitely. (He’s more than just a himbo but he has his moments and we love him for it).

Either way this drama is cute and wholesome with two guys falling in love in the countryside. The age gap is barely ever mentioned other than a few stray comments. It’s not much of a plot point and doesn’t pose a problem between the characters.

In all, while simple, this drama was refreshing and an easy watch.

Available on KissKH and Bilibili.

- History 2: Right or Wrong.

Where Shi Yi Jie, a divorced teacher in his thirties with an eight year old daughter meets Fei Sheng Zhe, a college student in his early twenties. What starts as a simple child care job for Sheng Zhe becomes more as he slowly rebuilds and joins the little family.

I am not going to lie, at first this age gap and the power dynamics put me off. Yi Jie is a teacher at Sheng Zhe’s college, while not his lecturer for long (for one class which Sheng Zhe only had for a semester) the power dynamics that are involved put me off. Yet when I started watching this drama I found that despite Yi Jie being the older one, Sheng Zhe is the one who takes the lead in everything. Yi Jie is a bit of a wreck of a man before Sheng Zhe turns up.

He’s a workaholic with bad habits who often misjudges time and is late to collect his daughter. As the drama progresses Sheng Zhe convinces Yi Jie to take better care of himself and enables the father and daughter to bond more. What could have been a toxic mess turns into a wholesome found family with the pair raising the daughter together.

Any age gap toxicity was made null simply by their characters. Sheng Zhe being mature enough to handle the issues that could arise and Yi Jie allowing him to take the lead.

It is a sweet drama that does not shy away from the difficulties of maintaining a job while being a single parent with a messy divorce. Another great show by History.

Available on Viki or on Bilibili.

- History 3: Make Our Days Count (Second couple).

While the main couple of this show are both the same age. The second couple, Sun Bo (18) and Zhi Gang (26-30 though his age is never explicitly stated) have an age gap of around 8-10 years.

Again, much like other shows the romance between this pairing is mostly pursued by the younger.

Sun Bo works at his cousin’s gym part time where he develops a crush on regular and small time business owner and openly gay man Zhi Gang. He doggedly pursues the older, to which Zhi Gang refuses due to age gap issues. As a character, he is jaded by his past relationships and does not believe that a young man still in high school would want him. Eventually Sun Bo wears him down and they get together. (But not without a sex scene in the gym first. Which definitely surprised me on the first watch). However, despite all the angst between them, while the main couple end in tragedy (I still cry) these two make it into a lasting and healthy relationship. In history 4; Close to You (set around five years after MODC) they even make a cameo and get married.

For a couple that had the potential to be toxic and unhealthy, they actually surprised me and I grew to love their dynamic. Sun Bo is all enthusiasm and ‘follow your heart’ while Zhi Gang is a bit too restrained. He has experienced the downsides and consequences that following your heart can lead, especially when it comes to gay relationships and homophobia. The plot follows Sun Bo as he encourages Zhi Gang to take a chance on him.

Despite my misgivings it was lovely to see this couple get together and develop as characters. I loved both couples in this show and both couples made me cry at various points.

Available on Viki and KissKH.

- You Make Me Dance.

This drama, though short is sweet and adorable. There is a movie version of it available as well.

The plot covers Song Shi On (20-23), a university student studying contemporary dance, who is in debt. He has no family to depend on and no friends. Jin Hong Seok (27-30) works as a debt collector and has to go and collect money from Shi On. Instead of collecting money, he instead helps Shi On practise for an audition where he can get paid the money to repay his debt. While doing this, they fall in love.

Despite the age gap and power dynamics that could come to play in this show, the romance is equal and actually very sweet. It is two people, one who gave up on their dream and one who is fighting for his, bonding and living together. It’s a very short drama but ultimately about finding kindred spirits and the age gap doesn’t pose a problem. It’s actually very easy to forget the age gap between them as each of the character’s experiences mean that they are almost on equal footing.

Wholesome and sweet.

Available on Viki and KissKH.

These are all I can think of so far. May add to this list later. Hope you enjoy.

[athenaismdb]

[lilypadpanda]

We need more (read: any) fanfics about what Hiei was doing with his time while he was confined to Human World. Like, canonically we know he was sleeping in trees, but what about other stuff? What the hell was he doing all day?