Our cool folding washing machine lid

I'm home again, after nearly four hours this afternoon getting around Tokyo and neighbouring Chiba on trains. I have not enough energy to post much about my great day, so I'll do that, hopefully tomorrow (though tomorrow has it's own agenda...).

Meanwhile, I realised again as I spent time with Australian friends (who I'll tell you about when I post about today) that I know more Japanese that I realise. For instance, I could quickly scan the signs in the lift (US=elevator) and know which floor the restaurants were on.

Our house has more Japanese language in it than I realise too. I kind-of just forget that all the appliances are Japanese. Check out our washing machine and dryer, for example. Admittedly I don't know what all the buttons do (I think David might know), but I can wash an ordinary load of clothes and dry them too, if I wanted to!

Do Australian washing machines have such cool folding lids? 

Notice the lid says, "Clear and simple".

I love how compact our washing machine is, yet it packs a punch in the amount that it holds. But I do love it when I go back to Australia and I can read everything that I see: signs, cereal boxes, ads, etc. You take it for granted, you really do.