Your Appliances Are Listening — And They Know When You're Shopping for a Replacement

What's going on

You've probably experienced it: a beloved appliance starts acting up, and you reluctantly tell a family member you're going out to buy a replacement — only for the thing to spring back to life as if nothing happened. One Japanese Twitter user shared exactly this moment, and the replies flooded in with the same story told over and over again, with washing machines, cars, printers, microwaves, sewing machines, and kitchen cabinets all apparently in on the conspiracy.

The thread turned into a kind of collective confession: people have started talking to their appliances out of desperation, or gratitude, or just habit — and quietly reporting that it seems to work. Whether it's the power of vibration settling a loose connection, or pure coincidence, the experience feels universal enough that no one is willing to rule out that these things are, somehow, listening.

Comments

They’re definitely listening. I said “I’m heading to Yamada Denki (a major Japanese electronics retail chain) to buy a new washing machine” — and my washing machine, which had been acting up, suddenly started working perfectly.

あいつらやっぱり私たちの会話聞いてるよ。「ヤマダ電機で洗濯機買ってくる」って言ったら様子のおかしかった洗濯機が正常に動いたもん。

I get it (・o・)

わかる(・o・)

They really do listen.

会話聞いてるよねあいつら

It’s so weird, but it really does happen 💦

不思議だけど、そう言う事ありますよね💦

Same thing when you call a repair person — it immediately starts working fine again.

修理屋さん呼ぶと途端に正常に動き出すんですよね

Washing machine: “Alright, that buys me another year.”

洗濯機「よしよしこれで1年いけるだろう」

I feel the same way! So whenever an appliance starts acting up, I just announce that I’m replacing it — to give it a chance to reconsider.

私もコレすごくおもう！なので家電の調子が悪くなったらとりあえず買い替えを呟き再起を促す

Treat them well and they’ll work hard for you. That’s what mine do.

大事に使うと、長く働いてくれます、うちの子達。

“Guess we don’t need to go to Yamada after all.” “…Dad, it won’t turn on.”

「じャマダ買わなくていいね」「…お父さん、電源入らないよ」

Same… cars are listening too…

分かる…車も聞いてる…

Smartphones, PCs, washing machines — they’re all absolutely listening 🤔

スマフォもPCも洗濯機もめっちゃ聴いてるよね🤔

Happens all the time. Weird as it is. Cars, washing machines, computers — all of them. ☺️

あるあるですね。不思議だけど。車　洗濯機　パソコン　そうです。☺️

The shared copy machine on our floor just did exactly this.

先日のうちのフロアの複合コピー機がまさに

Not just appliances — cars too. I’m convinced they understand words.

家電だけじゃなく車もそう。絶対に言葉わかってると思う。

Walls have ears, appliances have ears — and eyes.

家電に耳あり家電に目あり

The original is a play on the Japanese proverb 壁に耳あり障子に目あり (kabe ni mimi ari, shōji ni me ari) — “walls have ears, paper screens have eyes” — meaning: be careful what you say, someone may always be watching or listening.

The first time I sent a fax as a new hire, I muttered “please take care of it!” out loud. I became a legend that day.

新卒で初めてFAXを送った時、ﾖﾛｼｸｵﾈｶﾞｲｼﾏｽ!と呟いてしまい伝説になったのはこの私です

Oh god, I get it. I thought my washing machine was done for, so I said something like “thank you for everything, sorry I pushed you so hard” — and the next day it was completely fine. Now I tiptoe around its feelings.

わ、分かる。洗濯機ダメになったと思って「今までありがとう。無理させてごめんね」みたいにしんみりしてたら次の日ケロッとしてた。もう機嫌伺いながら使ってる

I’ve had a large kitchen cabinet for nearly 20 years. The main drawer had been sticking badly for over a year. The moment I told my husband I wanted to replace it — it slid open perfectly smooth. Turns out the cabinet was listening too.

20年近く使っている大型キッチンボード大きな引き出しがガキガキ引っかかり引き出しにくくなって１年以上さすがに買い替えたいと夫に話した途端スルスルスルと引き出せるようにやっぱり耳がありましたよキッチンボードにも

My microwave. Been using it for 30 years, so I gave it a little pat and said “yeah, I think it’s time” before heading to the store. Came back and it was working fine. That was three years ago. I think it was just sulking 😌 — hasn’t acted up since.

うち電子レンジ。30年使っているからもうそうだよねってナデナデしてから電気屋さんに探しに行って戻ってきたら普通に動き出した。そして3年経過した。なんかスネてただけみたい😌 動かなかったのあれ一度きり。

Absolutely, they’re listening. So I talk to them every day — I tell the fridge “count on you 🎵” and the washing machine “I’m counting on you again today~”. They’re old, but my appliances really do their best. “Take care of your things” — I feel that in my bones 🎵

そうです絶対聴いてますよだから普段から冷蔵庫とかにも「たのむね🎵」とか洗濯機にも「今日も頼むよ〜」って年代物だけどうちの家電くんたちは頑張ってくれてますものは大切にって本当の事なんだなって実感です🎵

When I got lost in my car, Apple Music played “Mayoi Michi” (a 1977 J-pop ballad by Machiko Watanabe meaning “lost road”) — it must have picked up on my GPS location.

私が車で迷子になったときApple Musicが「迷い道」（渡辺真知子）をかけたんですよ。GPSで察知したに違いありません。

My sewing machine too. Three years ago I went to the store ready to buy a new one, pulled out cash and said “if it can’t be repaired I’ll buy one right now” — and it somehow started working. The staff asked me what had been wrong with it. It’s still running to this day 🤣

うちのミシンも、3年前、買い替え覚悟で店に行き、修理無理なら今すぐ買いますって現金出して言ったら、何故か動きました店員さんがどこが悪かったんですか？って言われました。あれからまだ動いてます🤣

Same here. The day my washing machine stopped turning on, I kept talking to it: “You’re my favorite, I love you, you’re my absolute fave” (推し / oshi: the term fans use for their most beloved idol or character). Three days later it turned on. Worked for another six years. Last year it stopped again — and passed away of old age.

うちもあの日電源が入らなくなった洗濯機に、君は私の推しなんだよ好きだよ推しだよと話しかけ続けたら、3日後に電源が入ったそして6年ほど現役で動いてくれた昨年また電源が入らなくなり、老衰で亡くなった

ꉂꉂ(ᵔᗜᵔ*) The shredder at work did the same thing. “Excuse me, this one seems to be done for…” CLUNK rattle rattle rattle “I called the extension and it came back to life…”

ꉂꉂ(ᵔᗜᵔ*) 職場のシュレッダーと同じ『すみません、ここのもうダメみた…』『ガタッガガガガガガ』『内線したら復活しました…』

A friend’s car — after they decided to trade it in, it got hit by a stone on the highway requiring a windshield replacement, and on the very day of the sale, all four tires got a flat. That car was a yandere (an obsessive character type who turns destructive when faced with abandonment) …

知り合いの車は、買い換えると決めた後に・高速で飛び石でフロントガラス交換・売払当日にタイヤがパンクして全交換したのでヤンデレちゃんでしたね…

This happens so much. When I search “washing machine malfunction” it ignores me completely, but search “washing machine latest model reviews” and it fixes itself. Pretty sure it’s in cahoots with Google.

これめちゃあるグーグルとかで「洗濯機　故障」で調べたときはシカトなのに「洗濯機　最新　クチコミ」とかで調べると直りやがるの多分グーグル先生と内通してる

My take

We really shouldn't forget to appreciate the appliances that work hard for us every day. And just like with people, it's probably wise to save the complaints for when they're not around to hear.

#Relatable #Culture

Source & translation note

Comments loosely translated for tone. Reactions collected from Togetter and X threads.

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