Will Miss #536 - having a laundry hook-up in the apartment

The beige tray on the left (under the water spigot) was the home of my machine for more than two decades. You can see that there are disadvantages - mold developed on the walls behind and in front of it from moisture (both from the machine and the bathing area behind that door). Those trash bags were the things we were tossing out when we were vacating the apartment. It's not garbage so much as possessions that weren't worth carrying back to the U.S.

Prior to spending most of my adulthood in Japan, I had not lived in a truly independent fashion. I spent 23 years in my parent's house and then a year in California in my husband's best friend's house. The ease of living in a house was something that I took for granted. I had never rented my own place in the U.S. so I had no idea how that all tended to work when I returned to the U.S. at the age of 48. One of the surprises in store for me was that most apartments, at least in the Bay Area, don't have their own laundry facilities or a space in which one can set up a machine.* You have to rely on public or communal apartment (pay laundry) machines. Though the apartments here are bigger inside, people seem to prefer filling that space up with their crap instead of having the convenience of on-site laundry capability.

In Japan, there was space in my apartment for a washing machine. It had a plastic shell and a built-in drain. It was in the space next to the area with the tub and shower so I could recycle water from the tub if I wanted to by putting it in the washing machine. After spending some time back home dealing with the hassles of public laundry facilities which often consume my quarters without offering full service (either because the machines malfunction or the dryers are anemic), I truly miss having the ability to just toss my clothes into a machine any time I want. 

*Note: I know I can buy a portable washing machine and manually hook it up to a sink. However, this is not the same as having a dedicated space with a drain and water faucet. Lugging a machine back and forth and connecting it to the sink is not something I want to be doing - not to mention I'd still have to use the laundry room's dryer since there's no space for hanging clothes up to dry in most of the apartments here.

Won't Miss #40 - small refrigerator (reflection)

This was when the refrigerator was new. It didn't stay like this for long. Trust me.

I think that there are some things in life that you will always stretch to fit and then exceed the initial capacity. Closets are one of them. Blue jeans, unfortunately, are another. Refrigerators are as well.

In Japan, our refrigerator was quite small. Our first one was dorm-size-ish. Our second and third ones was about what you'd expect in a tiny New York studio apartment with a compact kitchen or a dwelling designed specifically for the needs of a single individual who rarely cooked. They were small. Since coming to the U.S., I've had access to enormous refrigerators with large freezers and somewhat smaller ones and it has always been the case that I fill the available space. 

Part of the reason that the bigger fridge isn't big enough in the U.S. is that the food is sold in bigger portions. Part of it is also that, the  more I have, the more I'll take. I don't miss my tiny refrigerator in Tokyo, especially because I cook all of my own meals and do need a lot of food on hand, but I have been surprised that bigger appliances didn't really solve my problem. The food just grew to fit.

Won't Miss #35 - not having a proper oven (reflection)

My "old" oven in Tokyo when it was brand new. I gave it to a student when I left and now she uses it.

Since coming back to the U.S., I have tried not to take the advantages that I have living here for granted, but this one, having a "proper" oven, is one that I've so eased into that I'd forgotten that things were once quite different. You'd think that every time I make a big clay pot chicken that wouldn't fit in my Japanese oven that I'd remember what I once couldn't manage. But, no. Having two racks upon which to bake? I've totally taken that for granted already.

One of the values of reflecting back on my old posts is that I can consider whether I feel the way I thought I'd feel after I was no longer living in Japan, but this is one that makes me appreciate what I have now a bit more. Being able to bake essentially without limits is something I really do appreciate and I truly do not miss my tiny oven in Japan.

Won't Miss #21 - cockroaches (reflection)

As I mentioned in my original post, there are roaches everywhere in the world, but the ones I encountered in Japan were bigger and more plentiful. Nothing in my experience since returning has changed that perception. In fact, since coming home, and living in three different places and two different states, I haven't seen one roach. Of course, I haven't hung out in many seedy dives or back alleys full of dumpsters, but there are dumpsters in my current apartment complex with nary a roach in sight. The fact that I have not seen roach motels or special roach killing spray prominently displayed in stores in the summer (which was always the case in Tokyo) supports the idea that it's just not that big a problem here.

The weather in Tokyo as well as the close proximity of people meant that roaches were something I was never going to escape no matter how clean I kept my place or how trash was managed. I absolutely am happy not to have to deal with them anymore. 

Will Miss #487 - no clogs

I lived in the same apartment for 23 years in Tokyo and never once had to think about buying a plunger for the toilet. Maybe I was very lucky, but I also don't recall seeing plungers anywhere in office bathrooms that I worked at or visited. Perhaps the plungers were hidden or there was a magic pixie who lived in my septic system that made sure it was smooth sailing all the way, but for the duration of my time there, I never experienced a clogged toilet. Since coming back to the U.S., I've lived in three different places and each and every one has required the services of a plunger at least once. The odd thing is that the "worst" one in terms of frequency of clogs is a Toto toilet, the very same brand that I had in my Tokyo apartment. My guess is the issue is not the toilets, but rather the toilet paper that is sold in the U.S. I bought recycled paper that was cheap and 1-ply. Most of what you get in the U.S. is 2-ply and "quilted". Apparently, the few seconds of contact with your tender parts has to be well-padded here.

I miss the fact that the toilets I experienced, both Western- and Japanese-style in Japan never clogged.

Won't Miss #444 - dani bugs

Obviously, this is a spider, not a dani bug. Strangely enough, they didn't feature animatronic dani bugs at the local tanabata festival. This was the closest I could come to a picture of an annoying insect that infests your living space and bites you.

When I was a kid, we had problems with certain types of insects, but never bed bugs or things that lived where we slept. Of course, it helps that my home culture didn't have a tradition of sleeping on the floor and that our floor wasn't made of straw. The creepy-crawlies creep and crawl less at higher spaces than lower ones, especially when you're talking about things which enjoy living in the flooring. In Japan, one of the things that loves to live in the traditional tatami mats is dani bugs. The dung (dust) from them causes allergic reactions and the bugs themselves can literally nip at your heels. They leave little red bites behind in pairs. Dani bugs are the reason why you see people beating the hell out of their futon and hanging them in the sun. One of the reasons that you have to vacuum (rather than simply sweep) tatami is to suck out these mites. They also require toxic sprays and bug bombs at regular intervals to keep them at bay.

I won't miss all of the activities that go along with keeping the dani bugs at bay. 

Won't Miss #345 - Costco as a Herculean task

If the trip alone isn't enough to wear you out, being in a food court full of rude people, shrieking children, and people who hog the seating for as long as possible will. 

Living in central Tokyo can be awesome. Your commute is shorter, you're near a lot of interesting shops and restaurants, and the public transport is convenient. That being said, Costco can't afford to place its giant warehouses in close proximity to the center, so if you want to go there, it takes about 5-6 hours round trip to shop there. It also costs between $10-$18 per person in train costs and requires the shipping of boxes of your purchases and a heavy backpack that you have to schlep back home if you don't have a car (and I don't). Once every 3-4 months, my husband and I wear ourselves out for a nearly an entire day to benefit from greatly reduced prices on many essentials. The fresh and frozen food in particular at Costco is much better than most local offerings, and monumentally cheaper. Given how expensive life in the metropolis can be, it's hard to simply say it's not worth the effort and not go. Though the benefits (in prices, quality, and selection) make the trip worth it, I dearly miss the days when we had a car and could comfortably drive to a Costco when we were back in the U.S.

I won't miss these quarter yearly sojourns and how exhausting they are.

Won't Miss #342 - washing rice

Somewhere under that cloudy water is my rice. That color is telling me my work is far from done. And, no, I don't use a rice cooker for something as simple as making rice. 

One of my students lives and works in Tokyo, but her home town is in Miyazaki. I've never been there, but she tells me it is vast tracts of nothing, but she goes there because she's a wonderful person and a good daughter. When she visits, her mother always does a lot of cooking and doesn't ask anything of her daughter except that she wash the rice. The mother doesn't mind doing the plethora of repetitive tasks that come along with traditional Japanese cooking like making several different dishes from scratch or cutting things up into chopstick-accessible-size pieces, but she hates to wash the rice and I know how she feels. It's tedious, time-consuming, and ultimately a task which you can't do in any way which adds quality to the final dish. At least when you chop a vegetable, you don't do it the exact same way every single time and it doesn't take about 5 minutes of swirling, draining, and refilling with water.

It may seem like a small thing, but trust me when I say that after hundreds of experiences washing Japanese rice, you get pretty sick of it and I won't miss it.

Will Miss #320 - noren

Quite some time ago, the doors (literally) fell off of my closet so I strung some sumo noren over the doorway. This picture actually makes it look much more sheer than it really is. Without the camera flash, you can't see the clothes behind it much as all, nor do you notice the dust along the top. :-p

Noren are a traditional fabric "curtain" that is used to divide rooms or at the entrances of various shops. There are a plethora of designs, sizes, shapes and colors ranging from relatively simple to ornate. They are often split down the center or in three segments. Noren are cheap and attractive elements for home decor and an elegant and uniquely fashionable Japanese way to promote a business.

I'll miss seeing them at various places of business, and being able to buy them in many different styles for a low price.

Will Miss #314 - the genkan

The genkan is the Japanese word for the sunken entryway that is in every Japanese home. What's so great about it? Well, let's start with the fact that they are usually made with outdoor tile, concrete, or other durable surfaces. Dirty or rough-soled shoes, rain or snow run-off, etc. don't damage them and there is no expectation that the area is going to look fashionable or beautiful. They're also very convenient for resting a dripping umbrella without fear of warping flooring or soaking a rug or carpet. Additionally, the raised lip allows you to sit on the clean floor with your feet in the genkan to tie your shoelaces. It's much more comfortable (especially for people with back problems) putting on shoes in this way than bending down for the duration.

I think the genkan is a pretty nifty and practical architectural element, and I'll miss it.

Won't Miss #238 - eating at my desk

This is an old picture, but I'm too lazy to take a new one. However, that is pretty much the desk I still have and eat at. :-p

I have grown accustomed to many of the shortcomings of living in a very small space and I'm at peace with most of them. That being said, our apartment is too small for a dining table. When I was younger, that didn't trouble me much, but as I've gotten older and started to cook more and more, I've longed for the ability to eat a proper meal at a table big enough for both place settings and serving dishes. It wouldn't even have to be a big table, but the one I have (which folds and is stored unless I need it for teaching) isn't big enough for even two people to sit with a dinner plate only.

Now that I'm a grown-up, I'd like to not eat my meals like a college kid in a dorm and I won't miss this lack of space for a proper dining room table.

Will Miss #235 - Japanese pottery

 
My husband and I don't give each other gifts for holidays anymore, but early on in our stay in Japan, we still did. One of my earliest requests was some hand-made Japanese pottery. In particular, I wanted some cups with traditional glazing and designs. There's something about the natural look and feel of this type of pottery which is comforting. It makes me feel like I'm consuming food or beverages from something closer to the earth and humanity. It's a much more meaningful feeling using such implements than something which clearly came off of a factory assembly line.

I'll miss this type of Japanese pottery.

Won't Miss #206 - troublesome water heating

A selection of shower water heaters. Note the plethora of knobs and dials.

One thing which I find a cumbersome and irritating chore day-in and day-out  is having to fuss with the mechanism in my shower for getting the water to come out hot. Even though I have a new water heater and not some antique system, I still have to go through a process every night where I turn a crank about 10 times while holding down a big, plastic button that I have to twist to a certain setting. Doing this while crouching, naked, and cold is the worst part, especially when it doesn't work on the first attempt and takes twice as long to get going. Wait, no, the worst part is that in the summer water is too hot even on the lowest setting as water comes out of the tap so warm that minimal heating is too much (and no heating leaves the water too cold).

I won't miss the cumbersome and troublesome water heating method that I've been using in Japan.

Won't Miss #201 - lack of central air/heating

A small space heater which uses gas and has an open flame. This was the type of space heater we used for well over a decade. It was great for heating a space rapidly, but a little dangerous. The cost is $194 U.S.

I know that foreign folks are renowned for whining about the lack of central air conditioning and heating in many parts of Japan. People who criticize these complaints think that the Japanese are saving energy by not heating up their entire homes, but that only works if they aren't heating their homes using other methods and if inefficient space heating methods aren't being employed. Given the lack of insulation, and the inefficient energy consumption of space heaters, kotatsu, and heated carpets, I'm not sure that not employing central heating is really doing the planet any favors. Well-implemented central air and heating and good insulation would almost certainly be less wasteful energy-wise than current space-heating methods in Japan.

I won't miss seeing my breath in the kitchen in winter and sweating myself stupid in summer because only one room in my apartment has heating and air conditioning.

Won't Miss #189 - time zone adjustments

One of my friends always says that I "live in the future", because it's usually tomorrow here and yesterday there. I talk to this friend in California (the west coast of the U.S.) and my sister in Pennsylvania (east coast) several times a week and there's always adjusting to be done to try and work out what time(s) it is for them when it's whatever time it is for me. This situation is complicated by daylight savings time altering these adjustments twice a year.

I won't miss constantly adjusting the clock and having to figure out what time it is "there" when it's whatever time it is here.

Will Miss #82 - being able to hang out laundry

I've heard in America that some neighborhoods won't allow people to hang their clothes out to dry because of concerns that it'll look bad or lower the image of the neighborhood. Much as I hate having to hang out my laundry, I'm happy to be able to without a bunch of neighborhood busybodies getting their undies in a bunch over it spoiling the view. With current energy and environmental concerns, hanging the clothes out to dry when you can makes a lot of sense. If I had the space and the weather (which I don't exactly have in Tokyo), I'd be happy to do it all of the time.

I'll miss living in a place where the cultural norm is the environmentally best thing to do when it comes to dealing with drying clothes.

Won't Miss #82 - needing to hang out laundry

Few homes in Tokyo have clothes dryers so you have to hang out your clothes to dry. Even those that have dryers find that Japanese dryers use low temperatures and take hours to dry clothes. I know because I used to have one and it was almost useless. I've been told that they use low temperatures to stop clothes from shrinking. At any rate, nearly everyone hangs out their clothes because this is the only real solution unless you want to lug your clothes to a laundromat and use their expensive industrial-size dryers. The main problem with having to hang out clothes is that the weather is so unpredictable that they can be rained on at any given time and the balconies that shield them from rain are generally useless. Those same verandas are also pretty small for the most part so you have to do laundry every day or every other day to keep on top of it.

I won't miss trying to outrun the weather and deal with the small capacity of my balcony to dry my clothes.

Will Miss #74 - being a working housewife

In the U.S., my husband and I were hard-pressed to afford our own apartment on our combined incomes at full-time jobs (granted, we lived in silicon valley in California). In Japan, we've been able to do fine by having one of us work part-time and the other work full-time throughout most of our stay, and this is despite the fact that we live in one of the most expensive cities in the world. He spent some years as a househusband and I have spent some years as a housewife. Japan is still a place where a family can usually get by on one income, or one full and one part-time. Back home, we're not expecting to have this sort of option.

I'll miss the lifestyle we enjoy here in regards to dealing with household responsibilities with relative ease.

Won't Miss #38 - icing down salad greens

From the middle to the end of the long Tokyo summer, the water starts to come out of the tap quite warm. It's so warm that I have to put ice into the water when I wash salad greens to stop the warmth from wilting the lettuce.

I won't miss having to waste the ice or hassle with adding steps to an already tedious domestic task.

Won't Miss #1- not finding shoes in my size

In America, I wear a size 8 1/2 shoe. This isn't the most petite foot, but it's also nowhere near a gigantic side. In Japan, this translates to my feet being a 1/2 size too big for women's shoes here.

I won't miss not being able to find shoes in my size at shoe shops.