Old vs New Japanese Laundry Symbols: Conversion Chart and Tips for Reading Old Labels
Older clothes in your wardrobe may carry care labels with Japanese words on them, such as "弱 30 中性" (gentle, 30, neutral), "Tearai 30" (hand wash 30) or "Enso sarashi" (chlorine bleach). These are the old Japanese labels used until November 2016. This article covers when and how Japan's laundry symbols changed, a chart matching old and new symbols, symbols the old system didn't have, and the points where conversions tend to go wrong.
Japan's laundry symbols changed in December 2016
Japanese care labels switched to a new standard on December 1, 2016. They moved from Japan's own standard (JIS L 0217) to a new standard (JIS L 0001) aligned with the international standard (ISO 3758), and the number of symbols grew from 22 to 41.
| Old labels | New labels | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | JIS L 0217 | JIS L 0001 (based on ISO 3758) |
| Period of use | Until November 2016 | From December 2016 |
| Number of symbols | 22 | 41 |
| Style | Pictures with Japanese words (katakana and kanji) | Symbols with numbers and letters |
| How meaning works | A recommended method: "best done this way" | An upper limit: "allowed up to this point" |
Clothes made before November 2016 continued to be sold with the old labels, so you still see them on older clothes, second-hand clothes and hand-me-downs. Symbols on clothes bought abroad look almost the same as the new Japanese ones because the system was aligned with the international standard.
The biggest change: from recommendation to upper limit
The way labels are meant to be read changed even more than the shapes. Old labels showed a recommended method: "this is the best way to wash it". New labels show an upper limit: "it can be treated up to this strength or temperature".
- If a new label's tub says 40, you're free to wash at a lower temperature or on a gentler cycle.
- Detergent instructions like the old label's "中性" (neutral) are gone from the new symbols.
- Warnings the symbols can't convey are written in words near the symbols as supplementary notes, such as "use a laundry net", "wash inside out" or "use a pressing cloth".
Old-to-new symbol chart
Here's a guide to converting old labels to new symbols. As Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency also notes, some old and new symbols don't match in meaning exactly, so read these as "the closest symbol".
| Old label | Old meaning | Closest new symbol |
|---|---|---|
| Tub with 95, 60 or 40 | Machine-washable up to that temperature | Tub with 95, 60 or 40 (no line) |
| Tub with "弱 40" (gentle 40) | Up to 40°C; low-agitation machine wash or gentle hand wash recommended | Tub with 40 and 1 line |
| Tub with "弱 30 中性" (gentle 30 neutral) | Up to 30°C; low-agitation or gentle hand wash. Use neutral detergent | Tub with 30 and 1 or 2 lines |
| Tub with "Tearai 30" (hand wash 30) | Up to 30°C; gentle hand wash recommended (no machine). Use neutral detergent | Hand in tub (new symbol allows up to 40°C) |
| Tub with a cross | Cannot be washed in water | Tub with a cross |
| Flask with "Enso sarashi" (chlorine bleach) | Chlorine bleach can be used | Triangle (chlorine or oxygen bleach) |
| Flask with a cross | No chlorine bleach | Triangle with 2 diagonal lines, or triangle with a cross |
| Iron with "高", "中" or "低" (high, medium, low) | Iron at up to 210°C, 160°C or 120°C | Iron with 3, 2 or 1 dots (up to 200°C, 150°C or 110°C) |
| Wavy line under the iron | Use a pressing cloth | Supplementary note "use a pressing cloth" |
| Circle with "Dry" | Can be dry-cleaned (perchloroethylene or petroleum) | Circle with P |
| Circle with "Dry Sekiyu-kei" (petroleum) | Can be dry-cleaned with petroleum solvent | Circle with F |
| Twisted cloth with "Yowaku" (gently) | Wring gently by hand; spin briefly | Supplementary note "wring gently" |
| Twisted cloth with a cross | Do not wring | Closest: square with 2 vertical or 2 horizontal lines (drip dry) |
| Shirt shape or flat-dry shape | Line drying or flat drying recommended | Square with 1 vertical line or 1 horizontal line |
| Shirt shape with a diagonal line | Line drying in the shade recommended | Square with 1 vertical line and a diagonal line in the upper left |
4 points where conversions tend to go wrong
Where the numbers or ranges differ between old and new, following the new symbol can mean treating the garment more harshly than the old label intended. For old clothes, sticking to the old label's conditions is the safe choice.
- Hand-wash temperature: the old "Tearai 30" meant up to 30°C, while the new hand-wash symbol allows up to 40°C. Wash old-label garments in lukewarm water (30°C or below).
- Machine use: the old "Tearai" label meant no washing machine. New hand-wash garments can often go on a machine's hand-wash cycle, but think carefully before putting an old-label garment in the machine.
- Bleach: the old flask with a cross only refers to chlorine bleach. You can't tell whether oxygen bleach is safe, so test it somewhere inconspicuous first.
- Iron temperature: the old high, medium and low (up to 210°C, 160°C and 120°C) differ slightly from the new 3, 2 and 1 dots (up to 200°C, 150°C and 110°C). The new low-temperature 1 dot also adds the condition "no steam".
Symbols added in the new system
The count went from 22 to 41 because symbols were created for treatments the old system could only describe in words, and for places where it didn't have enough steps.
- Tumble drying (square with a circle): the old system had no symbol and used words such as "please avoid tumble drying". See What the Laundry Drying Symbols Mean for details.
- Wet cleaning (circle with W): the symbol for special water cleaning at a professional cleaner, which the old system didn't have.
- Oxygen bleach: the old system only covered chlorine bleach; "oxygen bleach only (triangle with 2 diagonal lines)" was added. For how to choose, see The Laundry Triangle Symbol and Bleach.
- Water temperatures of 70°C and 50°C, hand wash at 40°C, very gentle washing (2 lines) and drip drying: the steps became finer. How to read the lines is explained in The Washtub Laundry Symbol Explained.
In the Laundry Care Symbols Meaning & Washing Guide Checker, the "Old-to-new symbol chart" shows each old label picture next to the closest new symbol. Tap the new symbol to read the washing machine cycle and drying instructions straight away.
FAQ
- When did Japan's laundry symbols change?
- On December 1, 2016. They moved from Japan's own standard (JIS L 0217) to a new standard aligned with the international one (JIS L 0001), and the symbols grew from 22 to 41. Clothes made before then carry the old labels.
- Which new symbol corresponds to the old "弱 30 中性" (gentle 30 neutral)?
- A tub with 30 and 1 line (gentle) or 2 lines (very gentle) is the closest. Wash in lukewarm or cold water up to 30°C on a low-agitation cycle or by gentle hand washing, and use neutral detergent as the old label specifies.
- Can I machine-wash clothes with the old "Tearai 30" label?
- The old "Tearai" label meant no washing machine. New hand-wash garments can often go on a machine's hand-wash cycle, but for old-label garments, press washing by hand is the safe choice. Keep the temperature to 30°C or below too.
- What does "Yowaku" on the old twisted-cloth symbol mean?
- It means wring gently by hand and spin only briefly in a machine. The new system has no wringing symbol; it's written in words as the supplementary note "wring gently".
- Do the old and new labels mean exactly the same thing?
- Not exactly. The old labels show a recommended method and the new ones an upper limit, and there are differences in hand-wash and iron temperatures, among others. Use the chart as a guide, and for old clothes it's safest to follow the old label's conditions.
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