Tsujimoto Market: Our Guarantees
Description
Unicharm Sanitary Shorts, Black, Size L — a Carrier Garment, Not an Absorbent One
Overview
Japanese sanitary shorts — 生理用ショーツ — are one of those products that everyone in Japan owns and almost nobody outside Japan has had explained to them. They are ordinary, comfortable underwear with two modifications: a waterproof panel laminated behind the crotch lining, and a pair of shallow side pockets that the wings of a pad tuck into so they cannot fold over or shift during the night.
Read this part before you buy. These are not absorbent period underwear. They do not replace a pad or a tampon and they will not hold anything on their own. They are the garment you wear the pad in, and their job is to stop the pad moving and to stop what gets past the pad reaching your clothes or the sheets. If you were looking for the wear-nothing-else kind of period underwear, this is the wrong product and we would rather you knew that now than at 3 a.m.
What they are very good at is the thing they are designed for. A pad that is anchored at the wings does not creep sideways when you turn over, which is the usual reason for a night-time leak, and the waterproof panel gives you a second line behind it.
Browse more from the same shelf: Japanese health products, Japanese household products.
Key Benefits
- Wing pockets hold a winged pad in place instead of letting it fold over during the night
- Waterproof panel laminated behind the crotch as a second line of defence
- Cut and elastic sized to the Japanese body, so the leg openings sit closer than most Western equivalents
- Soft cotton-feel fabric with a lace trim — everyday underwear, not a medical-looking garment
- Sized by hip measurement rather than by a vague S/M/L, so you can check before ordering
- Machine washable and reusable — this is a garment you keep, not a disposable
Product Details
| Brand | Unicharm (ユニ・チャーム) |
|---|---|
| Product | Sanitary shorts (生理用ショーツ) — period underwear worn with a pad |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Absorbency | None. This garment does not absorb. A pad or tampon is still required |
| Colour | black |
| Size | L — hip circumference 92–100 cm |
| Crotch construction | Waterproof panel laminated behind the crotch lining |
| Wing pockets | Yes — shallow side pockets that the wings of a winged pad fold into |
| Trim | Elasticated with a lace edge |
| Fabric composition | Not published by Unicharm in the data we hold. The hand is cotton-like; we will not state a percentage we cannot source — ask and we will photograph the care label |
| Care | Machine washable. Do not tumble dry, bleach, iron the crotch panel or wash hot — heat damages the waterproof laminate |
| Reusable | Yes. This is a garment, not a disposable product |
| Returns | Underwear cannot be returned once the packaging is opened, for hygiene reasons. Please check the hip measurement before ordering |
| JAN code | Printed on the Japanese packaging. Not verified against Unicharm's published data, so not stated here |
| Sold by | Tsujimoto Market, Kobe, Japan |
Who Is This For?
- Anyone who uses winged pads and loses them sideways overnight — that is the exact problem this garment solves
- Heavy-flow nights, the first two days, and anyone who sleeps on their side or moves a lot
- People who want a garment they can wash and keep rather than another disposable product
- Post-partum and post-surgical use with a maternity pad, where a pad needs to stay exactly where it was put
- NOT for you if you wanted absorbent period underwear that replaces a pad — this is not that product
How to Use
- Measure around the fullest part of your hips before ordering and compare with the size range above. Japanese sizing runs closer to the body than European sizing.
- Put the pad in as you normally would, centred on the crotch lining.
- Fold each wing outward and tuck it into the shallow pocket on its side. The wings sit in the pockets rather than sticking to the outside of the fabric.
- Check the pad is centred before you get into bed — the pockets hold it where you put it, including if you put it slightly off.
- Wash in cool or warm water on a normal cycle. Do not tumble dry, do not bleach, do not iron the crotch, and do not wash hot: heat is what destroys the waterproof layer.
Frequency: As needed during a period. Reusable — wash after each wear.
Full Ingredients
Construction, as described by the manufacturer: elasticated shorts with a lace trim, a crotch lining backed by a waterproof panel, and two shallow side pockets sized for the wings of a winged sanitary pad.
Fabric composition: Unicharm does not publish a fibre breakdown in the data we hold, and we are not going to write 'cotton 95%%' because the fabric feels like cotton. The hand is soft and cotton-like and the waterproof panel is a laminate. If the exact fibre content decides your purchase — for a skin sensitivity, for instance — ask us before ordering and we will photograph the Japanese care label on the stock we hold.
What is not in it: no absorbent core, no gel, no fragrance and no antibacterial treatment are declared. It is underwear with a waterproof panel, and the absorbing is done entirely by the pad you put in it.
Cautions
- This garment does not absorb. You still need a pad or a tampon. Worn on its own it will not hold anything.
- Heat destroys the waterproof panel. No tumble dryer, no hot wash, no iron on the crotch. If you machine dry them once, the panel is likely to be finished.
- Do not bleach and avoid fabric softener on the crotch panel — softener coats the lining and reduces how well it sits against the pad.
- Check the hip measurement before ordering. Japanese sizing runs closer to the body than European or US sizing, and underwear cannot be returned once opened.
- Wash before first wear, as with any new garment.
- If you have a skin sensitivity and need the exact fibre content, ask us for a photo of the care label before ordering rather than after.
- Replace them when the crotch panel starts to feel stiff, crackly or separated — that is the laminate failing, and a failed panel is doing nothing for you.
Package Contents
One pair of Unicharm sanitary shorts in black, size L, in Japanese retail packaging with Japanese-language labelling. Pads are not included — this garment is worn with a pad you supply.
Shipping & Store Notes
- Ships directly from Japan
- Processing time: 2–6 business days
- Tracking number provided after dispatch
- Import duties and taxes may apply depending on destination country
- Opened cosmetics cannot be returned for hygiene and safety reasons
Authenticity Guarantee
Every product at Tsujimoto Market is sourced directly from Japan and verified for authenticity. We never sell fakes or grey-market goods. Each order is carefully packed in Kobe, Japan and dispatched with full tracking.
FAQ
Do I still need a pad with these?
Yes. This is the question the old listing left unanswered and it is the one that matters. These are sanitary shorts, not absorbent period underwear: there is no absorbent core in them at all. The waterproof panel is a backstop, not a reservoir. If you wear them without a pad you will leak. If you are shopping for the type of period underwear that replaces a pad entirely, this is not it.
How do the wing pockets work?
A winged pad normally sticks its wings to the outside of your underwear, and over a night of turning over the adhesive lets go and the pad travels. Here the wings fold into two shallow pockets at the sides of the crotch instead, so the pad is held mechanically rather than by glue. The practical result is that the pad is still where you put it in the morning.
What size should I order?
Measure around the fullest part of your hips with a tape measure and compare it to the range on this page — size L covers 92–100 cm. Japanese underwear is cut closer to the body than European or American underwear, so if you are between sizes, go up rather than down. Please measure rather than guess: underwear cannot be returned once the packaging is opened.
Can I put them in the dryer?
Please do not. The crotch has a waterproof laminate behind the lining, and a tumble dryer is the fastest way to destroy it — the panel goes stiff, then crackly, then it delaminates and stops working. Wash cool or warm, hang them to dry, and keep the iron away from the crotch. Treated that way they last for years.
Can I use these after giving birth or after surgery?
They work well for that, and it is a common use in Japan — with a maternity or a large sanitary pad, the wing pockets keep the pad exactly where it was placed, which is the whole difficulty when you are moving carefully. They are not a medical product and we are not selling them as one, so if you are recovering from surgery, follow whatever your midwife or surgeon told you about what to wear.
