Finally a store that understands that sometimes it’s you who needs refreshing, not just your clothes.
laundromat
Say goodbye to boring chores and hello to whipped cream-topped shaved ice, and oodles of Americana.
Japan’s combination laundromats/ice cream parlors are the combo we never knew we needed, until now
If you’re used to using a dryer when you do laundry in your home country, you might be in for a surprise if you ever move to Japan. Despite the country’s numerous technological advancements to make your life easier, clothes dryers here pale in comparison to many overseas models, and they aren’t something you’ll find in your average Japanese household. Instead, most Japanese people prefer to hang their washing outside to air dry.
Sure it’s a more affordable and ecological way of doing things, but what do you do when the rainy and typhoon seasons make drying clothes outside impossible or you have too much laundry to hang outside all at once? It’s time for a trip to the laundromat, or what Japanese like to call a koin randorii (coin laundry). In fact, they’re becoming so popular that over the past 10 years the number of coin laundries across Japan has almost doubled, despite little growth in the laundromat industry world-wide.
But why is the coin laundry business suddenly booming? We decided to find out!








Stamina-destroying “Paralysis Noodles” are Tokyo’s newest over-the-top ramen innovation
What’s inside the McDonald’s Japan fukubukuro lucky bag for 2026?
Dozens of new photos of Japan’s miraculously romantic Sailor Moon wedding dress line【Photos】
This is Japan’s, and the world’s, first capsule hotel, and you can still stay there
We check out the new apartment building construction site area that opened in KidZania Tokyo
Toyota City civil servant arrested for using government access to run a detective agency
Studio Ghibli mixes with sporty street styles of New Era to put No Face on your head in cap series
Survey says osechi New Year’s food differs according to each region in Japan
We mixed all 31 flavors of Baskin Robbins ice cream and created a Frankenstein dessert【Video】
The 6 best frozen foods at a Japanese grocery store
Nintendo’s Kirby now delivering orders at Kura Sushi restaurants, but not in Japan
Japan considering raising international traveler departure tax even more than previously reported
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Shibuya’s Don Quijote?
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowd sizes in Nara?
China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning seems to be affecting Osaka’s Namba and Dotonbori neighborhoods
Japanese town suing resident for being a jerk
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
You can now buy a Japanese train station clock in Japan
Japanese police attempting to clamp down on “zombie cigarettes”
Tokyo’s Ueno Station has an unmanned noodle restaurant on its platform, and its no-joke good
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods and a rhinestone tumbler that costs 19,500 yen
Real-world Nausicaa Ghibli anime glider completes its final flight in Japan【Video】
Brand-new Pokémon park opens in Japan with larger-than-life-size Lapras【Photos】
Japanese train company is letting fans buy its actual ticket gates for their homes
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood?
The 10 best day trips from downtown Tokyo【Survey】
Naturally brown-haired Osaka student sues government for forcing her to dye her hair black
Japanese government considering tripling departure taxes to combat overtourism
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Toyota City civil servant arrested for using government access to run a detective agency
Studio Ghibli mixes with sporty street styles of New Era to put No Face on your head in cap series
Survey says osechi New Year’s food differs according to each region in Japan
We mixed all 31 flavors of Baskin Robbins ice cream and created a Frankenstein dessert【Video】
The 6 best frozen foods at a Japanese grocery store
Uniqlo Ukiyo-e Blue T-shirts: A cool-hued reinterpretation of some of Japan’s greatest paintings
Gacha gourmet — can we survive only eating meals that we pull a capsule toy replica version of?
Sailor Moon Wedding Dress Collection lets you dress like Usagi, Tuxedo Mask as you say I do【Pics】
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood?
“Cherry blossoms of the heart” — The 10 most popular Japanese names for girls in 2017-2018
More than one in three Japanese working women in survey would rather be housewives
Secret staff cafeteria in Tokyo’s Kabukicho is a hidden gem you won’t find in travel guides
Osaka teen arrested for hacking into Internet cafe’s app to steal data, was helped by Chat-GPT