Obviously, the most important button on a Japanese A/C remote control is the “on/off” button. The on/off button is labeled 運転/停止 (pronounced “unten/teishi” and literally meaning “operation/suspension”). Sometimes this button will be labeled 運転 切/入 or just 切/入. Press this button once and the A/C will come on.
Once the A/C is on, the little screen on the remote control will also come on. The temperature will be displayed, possibly along with other settings.
Change Temperature (温度)
The “change temperature” buttons are usually in the shape of an up and down arrow or have a plus or minus sign on them. In kanji, they are labeled 温度 (“ondo,” meaning “temperature”). Press the up arrow or plus sign to raise the temperature. Press the down arrow or minus sign to lower the temperature.
Change Type of Operation (運転切換)
On my remote control, the type of operation (auto-run, heating, cooling, etc.) is displayed on the screen. When you press the 運転切換 button (“unten kirikae,” meaning “change operation”), the little arrow on the screen will go down and point to a different operation. Many Leopalace remote controls are also like this.
Sometimes, buttons themselves on the remote control will be labeled with the name of the type of operation. In this case, you would press the button labeled with the operation you desired.
The following are standard operations included on many Japanese air-conditioners.