Outdoor laundry

If you remember one of my first post you already know that laundries are done with cold water (argh...) in Japan, but maybe you don't know that they are sometimes done in the street.
Alright, maybe I am slightly exagerating when I say "in the street", but isn't this what it looks like on the picture? And I can tell you that it is not an unusual sight. There is simply not enough space in this country. Some houses are very small and packed, and a washing machines take up a lot of space.
This house didn't strike me as particularly miniscule though, so is there another reason for outdoor laundry that I wouldn't know of?





Et le clin d'oeil franponais du jour:
Oui, je suis bon marché, et fier de l'être!
(ne vous inquietez pas, on ne l'utilise que pour cuisiner)