In Japan, there’s a term that perfectly captures modern-day living: “Taipa,” short for “time performance.” It refers to how efficiently you can get things done. Ideally, in less time and with less effort. And a similar word is "Jitan," which simply means Time-Saving.
I'm not talking about complicated stuff. When Japanese people talk about taipa or jitan, we are usually talking about everyday life - more specifically, mainly housework.
In other words, how to handle housework and daily tasks with as little hassle and effort as possible.
Over the past few years, I’ve adopted many time-saving tips into my daily life. So in this article, I’ll introduce the appliances and services I use to save time - and why I rely on them.
Contents (Tap to Jump)
Time Isn’t Equal for Everyone
First, let’s clarify why time-saving matters. Put simply, it’s about buying back your time. Taking a train or car instead of walking is time-saving. Using a washing machine or microwave is the same idea. What I’ll introduce in this article is the Reiwa-era version of that.
By the way, we believe that everyone on Earth has the same 24 hours in a day. That’s not wrong—but it’s not entirely true either.
A simple example is the difference between developed and developing countries. In developed countries, people drive and use washing machines. In some parts of the world, people still walk everywhere and wash clothes by hand. It’s pretty clear who has the advantage.
That’s an extreme example, but even within Japan, how efficiently people use their time varies a lot.
So from here, I’ll focus on time-saving methods that shine the most in commuting and housework.
Amazon Prime【¥492/month】
Before getting into Amazon Prime, there’s one thing to note: In Japan, shopping on Amazon is generally cheaper than buying most items in stores. And with Amazon "Expedited Delivery", anything you order arrives the same day or the next day.
Express delivery normally costs ¥510, but with the monthly Amazon Prime subscription, you can use it at no additional cost.
Amazon Prime costs ¥600 monthly or ¥5,900 annually (¥492 per month when paid yearly).
Rice, shampoo, toothbrushes, bottled water - basically all daily necessities - I order everything from Amazon, and it arrives the same day. I’m genuinely grateful to the delivery workers.
By the way, I have three reasons for buying everyday items on Amazon. First, it saves me time that I’d otherwise spend shopping. Second, it saves me money - as I mentioned earlier, most products are cheaper on Amazon. And third, it helps me avoid impulse purchases at stores. Especially when it comes to drugstore shopping, you’re practically losing out if you don’t use Amazon.
I know it sounds extremely picky. Call it the "Yamato(Japanese) spirit".
Prime comes with a bunch of perks too, and the ones I use most are:
- Unlimited photo storage with Amazon Photos
- The Prime Video
- Prime-exclusive sales
Considering all this, ¥492/month is ridiculously cheap.
Boiled Egg Maker【¥2,000】
It’s just a machine that makes boiled eggs. That’s it. But what I mean is: I don’t want to take out a pot, watch the timer, and wash everything afterward. If I have the time, I’d rather lie around watching Netflix. I’m busy.
I’ve been using a steam egg cooker for almost five years. You get perfect boiled eggs by adding a little water, twisting the dial, and in ten minutes.
Robot Vacuum【¥20,000】
A robot that cleans your floors. Press one button, and 30 minutes later, the dust is gone. If you’re thinking, “Just vacuum it yourself,” welcome to the Reiwa era.
I bought mine a year and a half ago and it still works great. Ever since I bought it, I’ve barely used a regular vacuum. Traditional vacuums might as well be endangered.
My vacuum is a mid-range Anker model that costs around ¥20,000 on Amazon. High-end models have mop-washing or auto-dust-collection features, but I’m Japanese—I don’t walk inside with outdoor shoes and get the floor muddy. So a simple model is enough.
By the way, the Eufy RoboVac G30 Hybrid I use normally sells for around ¥40,000, but during Amazon sales, the price drops significantly. That’s when you should buy it.
Living near the office or close to the station.
This isn’t a product, but it’s a time-saving essential. The biggest waste of time in daily life is commuting.
Not just in Tokyo, but also in Osaka, Fukuoka, and even in Nagoya (where I live) - commuting during rush hour is hell. If your commute takes over an hour one way, you should seriously consider moving.
A weekday-morning subway platform in Osaka City
The rent will be higher, sure. But time is finite. I’m not saying you don’t need to spend your free time working or studying, but you do need uninterrupted time for thinking, reflecting, and making good decisions about your future.
Living closer to your workplace reduces commute time and stress.
Washing Machine With Dryer【¥200,000】
I already knew this before buying it, but this machine is life-changing. It washes and dries your clothes with a single button (technically two buttons).
That means no more hanging clothes to dry. When it’s done, just toss everything into a basket like this.
And you don’t need to fold them because you’ll wear them again soon anyway. (I know this is a man thing, but why would I fold something I wear right away :D)
Anyway, clothes come out soft, and you don’t have to worry about bad weather anymore. Just let the sky do whatever it wants, even if it rains.
There are 2 downsides: price and their compatibility with 100% cotton clothing. My Panasonic model cost ¥300,000, so I’m paying in installments - ¥8,333 a month for three years. And 100% cotton clothes shrink in the dryer. So when that happens, either toss them or just run the spin cycle and stop there.
Even so, drum washers are incredibly convenient. Cheaper models start around ¥200,000, and big electronics stores offer installment plans. I highly recommend checking them out in person.
Online Grocery Delivery
This is a service that lets you order your everyday groceries online. Think about what it’s like when you shop at a supermarket: you wander through endless aisles full of temptations, sometimes end up buying things you don’t need, and then carry heavy bags home, one in each hand or sometimes one in each hand. Sure, that can be fun sometimes, but you definitely don’t need to do it every time.
That’s where online grocery services come in handy. Just pick what you need on your phone, and your order will arrive the same day or the next day at the latest.
Prices are the same as in-store, with only a small delivery fee of a few hundred yen. Considering the convenience, that fee is absolutely worth it.
These days, most major supermarket chains in Japan offer online grocery delivery, and I personally use Aeon’s service.
Since availability depends on your area, I recommend checking the link below to see if your home is within the delivery range, or simply search “your address + ネットスーパー” on Google.
Below is a list of major online grocery services, as well as a video where I talk about the one I use.
Automatic Cooking Device【¥100,000–140,000】
Once you have groceries, next comes cooking. Personally, I wish I could eat ingredients raw like an animal, but unfortunately, I’m human.
There are two types of people: those who enjoy cooking and those who don't. I’m firmly in the latter one. I love eating, but cooking? Not at all. Looking at recipes, measuring ingredients, checking doneness every few minutes - it’s seriously bullshit.
My wife likes cooking, so she’s been a huge help.
But her time is limited, too. So we bought a Panasonic steam oven, and my favorite function is the “Auto Grill.” It uses sensors to determine how to cook each ingredient.
Put the food on the plate, press a button, and wait 20 minutes. Meanwhile, that’s enough time to shower, get dressed, or get information from JapanTips articles and videos. Twenty minutes later, your meal is ready.
I bought a higher-end model because my wife bakes, but the Auto Grill feature is available in cheaper versions too, so you can pick from those as well.
It’s not cheap, and I’m not writing this to brag about purchases. My goal is to share useful information for you. So before anything else, it might be worth considering a microwave-compatible cooking device that can simplify fish and meat dishes.
nosh【From ¥620 per Meal】
Next up is nosh. A meal-delivery subscription service. My wife is actually the one who uses it, and because she’s extremely budget-conscious yet has kept her subscription for a long time, I gave it a try a few times myself. It turned out to be really good, so I wanted to introduce it here.
We all know that cooking at home is the cheapest option. But preparing lunch every single day is exhausting. And buying food from convenience stores isn’t exactly cheap either. That’s where nosh comes in: they deliver nutritionally balanced, ready-to-eat meals starting from ¥620 per meal.
The meals come packaged like this and are delivered frozen. You can freely adjust both the delivery frequency and the number of meals per order. Each meal is calorie-controlled as well, so it’s great for maintaining a healthy diet.
You can try it once and cancel anytime, or keep ordering at whatever pace works for you. And if you order through the link below, you’ll get ¥2,000 off your first order and ¥1,500 off your second and third orders.
ChatGPT【Free】
And lastly, AI for information gathering. I use ChatGPT. Some people say Gemini is better these days, but the important thing is just using AI. Bad information wastes both time and money. And lately, Google searches have become pretty unreliable. The same goes for YouTube and TikTok—most of the content you see is packed with ads and affiliate links, designed to benefit the creator, not the user. Well, since the people providing the information are running a business, it’s only natural.
But AI gives comprehensive answers to your questions. You don’t need to sift through search results like with Google, so info-gathering becomes much faster. And since the responses aren’t covered in ads, the information is more trustworthy.
Because of this, I’ve been using Google search much less over the past few years.
These are the appliances and subscription services Japanese people (me) actually use in my daily life. I recommend starting with whatever fits best in your lifestyle.
I hope this article helps make your day-to-day life in Japan a little easier. That’s all.
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