The summer in Japan is very hot and rainy, and many people end up suffering from heatstroke. A great lifesaver is the air conditioner, however some foreigners who encounter it feel lost with those words entirely in Japanese. Of course, there are air conditioners from various brands and different types. Knowing the main words written on a remote will help you use it.
Each remote control is different, so it is pointless to put a photo here indicating each button. What we can do is present a list of words that are present on remote controls so you know what each button does.
| Japanese | Hiragana | Romaji | English |
| 停止 | ていし | teishi | stop, turn off |
| 運転 | うんてん | unten | turn on, operate |
| 冷房 | れいぼう | reibou | cooling |
| 暖房 | だんぼう | danbou | heating |
| 除湿 | じょしつ | joshitsu | dehumidify |
| ドライ | dorai | dehumidify (dry) | |
| 自動 | じどう | jidou | automatic |
These are the main basic functions of a Japanese air conditioner. Dehumidify (除湿 or ドライ) pulls moisture out of the air, which is why it shows up so often in the rainy season. Most units only cool weakly in that mode, so the room feels less sticky without a full chill. Automatic holds the temperature you set by switching between cooling and heating. You can still move that target with 温度.
More complete air conditioners
Some air conditioners have many more functions and settings. See below some words you may find on these air conditioners or even on heaters:
| Japanese | Hiragana | Romaji | English |
| 温度 | おんど | ondo | temperature |
| 風向 | ふうこう | fuukou | airflow direction |
| メニュー | menyuu | menu | |
| 進む | すすむ | susumu | next, advance |
| 戻る | もどる | modoru | back, return |
| 入タイマー | いりタイマー | iri taimaa | on timer |
| 切タイマー | きりタイマー | kiri taimaa | off timer |
| スイング | suingu | swing | |
| ハイパワー | haipawaa | high power | |
| ランドリー | randorii | laundry mode | |
| 省パワー | shou pawaa | energy saving | |
| 風量切換 | ふうりょうきりかえ | fuuryou kirikae | fan speed switch |
| 運転切換 | うんてんきりかえ | unten kirikae | mode switch |
| 送風 | そうふう | soufuu | fan only |
| 強風 | きょうふう | kyoufuu | strong, high |
| 弱風 | じゃくふう | jakufuu | weak, low |
| 微風 | びふう | bifuu | breeze, very low |
| 静音 | せいおん | seion | silent |
| 運転 | うんてん | unten | operate, turn on |
Some of the settings above sit on the same button and cycle from strong to weak. The fan-speed words usually appear on the screen to show how the unit is running. 運転切換 changes the operating mode. 風量切換 only changes how hard the fan blows.
- The swing function allows the flap to rotate from top to bottom;
- The laundry mode adjusts the temperature and humidity to dry your clothes;
- The fan speed can be set to strong, weak or silent. You click the same button several times to set it the way you want;
Well, I hope these words help you understand how the air conditioning works in Japan. I know that it is still necessary for you to have a basic understanding of temperature and how 冷房 or 暖房 reacts, so you can set it the way you want. If you have any tips or suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments below.
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