There are types A (Japan), B (US), C (EU), D (India), E (France), F (Germany), G (UK), H (Israel), I (AU) and so on: in which all have a distinct plug shape and differences in prongs. Type A plug is just two straight prongs without a ground while Type B is nearly identical to A but with a ground connection and Type F has no ground attached to the outlet while Type E does, usually this is solved with a adapter (for electronics that are dual voltage and support 50/60Hz frequency).
However, household appliances are typically region locked in the sense of being singular voltage (like electric kettles, toasters, refrigerators, washing machines) since those are intended to not be made for travel (mainly for domestic use supporting only a single plug type) unless you have both an adapter and a transformer. You can’t just plug a 120v 60Hz Toaster (B Plug) onto a 230v 50Hz outlet (Type F socket) with an adapter alone as that’ll blow the fuse.
Most modern electronics (as in laptops, game consoles and smartphones) support dual voltage and frequencies but their default plug type is region locked, so if you’ve bought a PS5 in the UK importing it into the US (the default cable is Type G that comes with the packaging when plugging into a TV) unless you swap cable for a Type B plug but it’ll work fine. Why is there no unilateral plug type that’s “region free” when discussing plug types found in appliances.
I had to google the Japan frequency thing. I had no idea!
Feel like elaborating on the UK issues/ why they’re problematic?
If the earth conductor fails, then it’s difficult to tell, and painful to repair
The Australasian system where each installation is earthed at the switchboard is far superior
With ring circuits, a broken conductor doesn’t become apparent until the remaining part of the circuit burns because it is carrying the entire load
As a Brit, I’m guessing their issues with earthing is that we make everything earthed and fused, even when it’s not needed on a device, but the longer prong that is the earth post on our 3-pin plugs is a security feature of our plug/socket and makes any item that requires earthing to be earthed before it is even powered.
Couldn’t say why they have issues with ring mains though. It became the norm in a post-war Britain when copper was still scarce.
ring-mains are the reason everything needs to be fused, because a short in one appliance could otherwise take out an entire building. they’re not used in new construction, and afaik are also being taken out of older buildings.
also schuko is the better plug because it has the same security feature as the british one but it’s reversible, recessed, and you can’t step on an upturned one in the middle of the night.
I can’t agree on Schuko because I always found them to be awkward to plug in, sometimes needing to wiggle them while applying an uncomfortable amount of force.
that’s interesting because i had the exact same reaction during my recent trip to the uk. maybe it’s just a matter of the force being applied differently than we’re used to.