In Japan, many households still hang laundry outside in winter when the weather is clear. The arrival of cold weather does not mean that people automatically switch to indoor drying or tumble dryers for the entire season. If the sky is sunny in the morning, it is perfectly normal to think, “The laundry should dry outside today.”
Of course, winter laundry does not dry as quickly as it does in summer. Because the temperature is lower, thick clothes and towels may take much longer even when they have been outside since morning. If they are still slightly damp in the evening, people may bring them inside and let them finish drying indoors.
What makes winter laundry in Japan more interesting is how much it varies by region. On the Pacific side of the country, many areas have relatively sunny and dry winters, so there are more days when outdoor drying is practical even in cold weather. On the Sea of Japan side, however, winter often brings more clouds, rain, and snow, which can make outdoor drying difficult on many days.
This difference can appear even between places that are not very far apart. Sanin and Sanyo, for example, lie on opposite sides of the Chugoku Mountains, yet their winter weather can be quite different. That difference affects everyday routines as well. In areas on the Sea of Japan side, people are more likely to rely on indoor drying, clothes dryers, or laundromats during winter.
So it would be misleading to think that people in Japan simply stop drying clothes outside because it is cold. On the Pacific side, there are often more winter days when outdoor drying is possible, while on the Sea of Japan side, indoor drying and laundromats may be used more often. In either region, people usually adjust depending on the weather that day.
Even within the same country, the way people dry laundry in winter is shaped not just by temperature, but by whether the local winter tends to be sunny, rainy, or snowy.
