The Wall Switch Was the Remote All Along

What's going on

In Japan, ceiling lights that come with a small handheld remote are very common, so common that a light without one feels like something is missing. One person had quietly assumed their light just didn't have one, and that they'd have to buy an add-on someday. Then a button on the wall switch came loose in their hand. It was the remote.

The product is Panasonic's "Tottara Remocon," which translates roughly as "take it off and it's a remote." The remote sits in the wall plate, held in place by a magnet, and works as an ordinary wall button until you pull it out. It has been around for years, but it blends in so well that plenty of people living with one never noticed. Once the photos got around, others went to check their own walls, and some of them found one.

Comments

I always figured my light just didn’t have a remote and I’d have to get one separately someday. Then the wall button popped right off and turned into a remote. How was I supposed to know if you put it THERE!

そういえばうちの照明、リモコンないんだなあ後付けかなーと思ってたら壁ボタンがポロっと取れてリモコンになってた分かんないよそんなとこに置かれてても！

@a999_fox · View on X

( ´ﾟдﾟ｀) Huh? Where did it come from??? Is the second pic the back of the remote? 🤔

( ´ﾟдﾟ｀)え？どっから出てきた？？？二枚目はリモコンの裏面？🤔

It sits in that little recess in the second pic, held in with a magnet. Normally you just use it as a wall button like that, apparently.

なんか2枚目のくぼみのところに磁石ではまってるんです、普段は壁ボタンとしてそのまま使えるようです

Wait, the remote came out of the spot in the left pic?! Houses have stuff like this now?? That’s wild

左の画像の場所からリモコンが出てきたってこと？！今こんなお家があるの？？すごすぎ

Looks like it’s just stuck on with a magnet lol

なんか磁石でくっついてるみたいｗ

No way lol Like you’d live somewhere and never notice the wall button comes off……… oh. Seriously.

いやそんなwww 壁ボタン取れるとか住んでて気づかないわけ………マジか。

@jujuderu · View on X

lol Welcome to the club lol Life’s about to get a lot more convenient!

ww お仲間ですねw これからの生活が便利になりますね！

Turns out I have three of these switches in my house, and the coin batteries in all of them were dead lol. Buying some tomorrow lol

このタイプのスイッチが3つ家にあったんですが、全て中のボタン電池切れてましたw明日買いますw

No way, not mine too… ………seriously?!!! (National) (National was Panasonic’s old brand name for home appliances, so this one has been on the wall a while.)

まさかそんなうちのも…………まじか！！！ (National)

@aikawayumi · View on X

Wait… mine too… Huh, it went crack…

え…うちのも… あれ、バキッて…

WHOAAAAAA it’s real

うおおおおおおおマジだ

@electriccomcom · View on X

It looked just like my light switch, so I checked, half thinking “no way…” and out came a remote. Lived here over five years and never noticed. Surprised.

うちの照明ボタンと同じだったので、もしや…と思いながら確かめたらリモコン出てきた。5年以上住んでて気づかなかった。びっくり。

This post is straight-up legendary. My place had no remote either (no manual or anything), and for a year and a half I’ve been going “this is so inconvenient, makes no sense.” Thought “nah, can’t be~” and checked. It could be.

えぐい神ツイすぎるて、うちもリモコンなくて(取扱説明書とかもない)1年半ずっと不便すぎやし意味分からんわって思ってたまさかな〜とか思ってみたらまさかやった

@m3954522859450 · View on X

That’s Panasonic’s Tottara Remocon, right

パナソニックのとったらリモコンってやつですね

Handy, and the design really blends into the room. Though it wouldn’t hurt to make it stand out a little more

便利でインテリアに溶け込むデザインですねもうちょい目立たせても良さそうですけど

Tottara Remocon! That’s the Tottara Remocon! When we built our house, I borrowed a catalog of electrical fittings that was one edition out of date, saw this and went “this is the one!” Our house also has an “open it and it’s an outlet” (put that in the kitchen) and an “open it and it’s a timer” (in the entryway). People told me that’s a pretty rare setup.

取ったらリモコン！取ったらリモコンじゃないか！ウチ建てるとき電設資材カタログの1個古いの借りて帰ってこれしかない！って付けたヤツ！これ以外にもウチには開けたらコンセント（キッチンに付けた）に開けたらタイマー（玄関に付けた）もあるなかなかレアだと言われたな

Tottara Remocon! Back in the day, hardly any lights came with remotes. That thing was a lifesaver.

取ったらリモコン！昔は照明にリモコンなんて少なかったからね重宝したよ

Once you’ve had a remote for your lights, there’s no going back

照明のリモコン、一度ある状態になったらもう戻れないですね

These have been on sale for quite a while. One catch: the light fixture also has to be a compatible model, or in the worst case it could start a fire. So be careful.

これ結構前から売られてまして、欠点として照明器具も対応品で無いと最悪火事になったりしかねないのでご注意ください

My bedroom has one of these too, but I didn’t know it was a remote until a year after moving in lol

うちの寝室もコレなんだけど、リモコンなの知らなくて住んで1年後に知ったw

Mine’s a detachable light remote too

うちのも取れる照明リモコン

@m__2466 · View on X

Panasonic’s Tottara Remocon. Handy, but the remote is so small it tends to vanish. Usually it’s found sleeping in my futon.

パナソニックの取ったらリモコン。便利なんだけど、リモコンが小さすぎてどこかへ消えがち。僕の布団で寝てることが多い。

I bet there are homes where nobody ever figures this out!

これ、一生気付かないでこのままの家ありそう！

When a friend was moving out of their place, I went “oh, this is one of those ones that come off!” and pulled it out. Friend: “Ugh…… NOW?!” lol

友達の引っ越し(退去)時に、「あー、これ外れるやつだ！」って外したら友「えぇ……今？！」って言われた事あるw

Hold on hold on, I have this switch at my place too

まてまてうちにもこのスイッチあるぞ

All this time I’ve been turning it off and then heading to bed in the dark. No idea how many times I’ve tripped..

いままで消してから寝床に行き、何回つまづいたやら。。

@yukm · View on X

Time to enjoy the fruits of civilization…!!

文明の利器にあやかりましょう…！！

Sorry to jump in uninvited… (A stock polite opener when replying to someone you don’t follow.) Mine’s the same type! Only realized because of your post 😭 Thank you so much!

FF外から失礼します、、、同じタイプでした！こちらのポストで気付けました😭 ありがとうございますー！

Come off come off come off come off please please please please please please please I’m begging I’m begging I’m begging I’m begging I’m begging I’m begging I’m begging I’m begging I’m begging

取れろ取れろ取れろ取れろ頼む頼む頼む頼む頼む頼む頼むお願いお願いお願いお願いお願いお願いお願いお願いお願い

@man_maru_oyama · View on X

My take

Naturally, I went and checked the switch in my own room. Yep. It does not come off.

Source & translation note

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

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