What do people get wrong about reading care labels in Japan?

This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.

Clothes sold in Japan carry a care label (洗濯表示, sentaku hyōji) that switched in 2016 to symbols aligned with the international standard (JIS L0001). Many people, Japanese included, use the labels without knowing how to read them. Here is what the shapes, numbers and lines mean.

How the system changed

There are five basic symbols — washing (a tub), bleaching (a triangle), drying (a square), ironing (an iron), and professional cleaning (a circle). Additional marks are combined with these.

[Verify] The dates and symbol counts are based on Consumer Affairs Agency materials. Check the Consumer Affairs Agency's "Care labels" page before publication.

Misunderstanding 1｜The symbols are the same as they used to be

The current labels are a different system from the old Japanese-text labels, which used words such as "gently" (弱く) and "hand wash" (手洗イ). If you learnt the old system, or copy an old Japanese guide, you will misread the new labels.

Misunderstanding 2｜The number in the tub is not a temperature

The number in the tub (30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 95) is the maximum temperature of the wash water in °C. The unit is left off. "40" means up to 40°C (104°F).

Misunderstanding 3｜The lines underneath are decoration

The lines under the tub or the triangle show how gentle the process must be. One line means "gentle", two lines mean "very gentle". More lines means a gentler process.

Misunderstanding 4｜A cross means "not recommended"

A cross means "do not". Do not do it on your own judgement.

Misunderstanding 5｜Follow the label and the garment will never be damaged

The label is a guide. Results vary with trims, colours and how the item has been used. If in doubt, ask a specialist cleaner.

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Sources

• Consumer Affairs Agency (消費者庁), "The new care labels" [新しい洗濯表示]

https://www.caa.go.jp/policies/policy/representation/household_goods/laundry_symbols.html

• Consumer Affairs Agency, "Care labels (from 20 August 2024)" [洗濯表示（令和6年8月20日以降）]

https://www.caa.go.jp/policies/policy/representation/household_goods/guide/wash_02.html

• Government Public Relations Online (政府広報オンライン), "It's the season to change wardrobes. Are you washing correctly?" [衣替えの季節です。あなたは正しく洗濯していますか？]

https://www.gov-online.go.jp/article/201812/entry-9307.html

⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.

About this article

What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.

This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.

Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.

Follow the care label and the maker's instructions for any garment, shoe or bag. For expensive or sentimental items, ask a specialist cleaner or repairer.

Sources

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