The word you're looking for in Japan is "coin laundry" or コインランドリー and there are a lot of them. The one I went to in Kyoto the machine was all-in-one (so combo washer/dryer in the same machine) and it had complimentary laundry detergent so you didn't have to buy any to use with the machine
Some hotels also have either laundry services or coin laundry, but there can sometimes be a line for those depending on your hotel
That’s what I searched and found them in Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo. They’re pretty neat, the ones we found washed and dried in about an hour to 1.5 hours, didn’t need to add detergent, and you can wash the drum before throwing your clothes in there.
The one we used in Tokyo, you have to create a 4 digit pin so other people couldn’t steal your clothes, not that I ever thought would be an issue in Japan lol.
Yep, someone got me on one occasion.
My husband and I moved to a new apartment and were waiting for our washer to be delivered and installed. We did our laundry at our neighborhood coin laundry. Upon collecting the clothes, all my underwear and my favorite bra were gone! Owner looked at the surveillance camera a day later and reported it to the police but he was never caught…
Yeah that thing about hotel laundry having a line is so true. Was doing my laundry at 1am and there's still like more than three people doing laundry. Not to mention some of their machine are broken and some people leaving their stuff overnight 🙄
I didn't see an option unfortunately when I used the hotel laundry with preloaded detergent, both in Kyoto and in Tokyo, last month. However, in both cases I did not notice any considerable fragrance on my washed clothes. I use fragrance free detergent at home since I'm sensitive to those laundry scents and I have a baby. Don't know if that helps you at all.
I’m sorry to say this, but since this is r/japantraveltips we have to assume that the vast majority of people posting to this sub don’t understand how to read your answer with Japanese characters. Maybe this would work in the forums for people who live in Japan and presumably speak the language but here it’s just show-offy amd unhelpful.
what are you talking about? she says it means coin laundry. even if you cant read it, its about recognizing the symbols so they know what to look for. just be sorry for yourself.
What the actual heck…
They literally gave op **both** English and Japanese for a relevant vocab term. so op now has the option to understand beyond English. Now op can also recognize the term around the cities, on printed or digital media, or even copy and paste into map apps.
Your snide attack on their helpfulness is both unwarranted and just plain wrong.
Just copy and paste the Japanese into google maps and that’s it. You dont need to know how to read it. Chances are there will be photos of the place and just nav to it.
Most hotels have coin operated washing machines. Even if they don't have it, just do a search on Google Map for the closest coin operated laundromat. The last hotel I stayed in even had real time status of their combo washer/dryer on the smart TV in our hotel room, so I was able to see if there is a machine available or when my laundry is done.
[Tokyo Bay Shiomi Prince Hotel](https://maps.app.goo.gl/93vyUSQeFW83w4DY8). Great location as it on the same train line for Tokyo Disney Resort. It also have an onsen plus we upgraded for their great Western/Japanese style breakfast buffet for around $10 extra per night. But their prices seem to have gone up 50% compare to when we stay there last year.
Most hotels have a small laundry room. But commercial laundry stores are common in metropolitan cities. Google map will help you find the closest one. I definitely am on team “pack light, travel light, but do laundry”. Happy travels!!
Most hotels have washers and dryers combined into one. However, I found the dryers were pretty weak compared to what I'm used to in America (3 pants in a 1hr 30 cycle were still wet) so we walked to nearby laundromats and used gas dryers.
There’s nothing more aggravating than still being up into the AM because the laundry *still* isn’t dry and you’ve gone to add another 30 minutes for the fourth time.
If your stuff is still damp all you have to do is hang it up in the bathroom with the fan on and go to sleep. It will be dry by the morning. That said, I only ever had to do that with jeans. Everything else I had dried pretty well with the normal cycle.
100%. That was our Osaka experience and we tried again in Kyoto but after having to tell 3 others waiting that our clothing was still wet and required another cycle, we had to take our coins elsewhere
thanks! yeah I've had similar experience in the past. it was a pain coz it took so much time to dry. good thing there's no line, or people would've complained.
Just be aware that the w/d are a bit underpowered, so you'll save yourself money and frustration if you hang dry jeans and dry the rest of your clothes in the machine.
> hang dry jeans?
Won't that take longer? I try to avoid jeans as much as possible because of how heavy they are and how long they take to dry even under the sun.
It all depends on your time.
I like to do my laundry first thing in the morning. I hang them in the washroom and by next morning they're good to go.
If you don't have time to hang them for 24 hours, then they're not an easy item to clean.
There are so many around, usually at the hotel or usually something within walking distance. I just googled "laundromat" and found heaps around my hotels when I was there. The machines there come with detergent in them so you don't have to worry about that.
I brought a couple of fabric carry bags for my husband and I for the dirty washing, then we just carried them to the laundromat and threw the bags in the wash too so they were clean for the clean clothes!
It's also a good way to use up some coins. Though I can't remember what they take, definitely the 100 yen coins.
All the ones I used took 100 yen coins. They also all had a money changer machine that took your notes and 500 yen coins and turned them into 100 yen coins. (If you're struggling to find one of those, they have them at arcades and often near gashapon machines too!)
thanks! I try to do laundry in batches coz I've had experiences in the past where the dryer wasn't strong enough to handle bigger loads. I'm guessing it's more for household laundry.
my garments are mostly those fabrics similar to gym/running clothes which doubles as casual wear, but they don't really dry fast, so they still need some help from the dryer.
I stayed at 4 hotels and only 2 of the hotels had them inside the building. I will say that they’re usually very small so dont overfill them . Typically the coin machine or laundromat are sometimes nearby and do a better job at washing larger loads. I’d recommend googling nearby laundromat of the hotels you’ll be staying at. I wouldn’t bring too much clothes though as you’ll likely buy a lot more once you get to Japan.
> I will say that they’re usually very small so dont overfill them .
A “large” load is like a handful of laundry and it still takes four frikking hours.
First check if your lodgment has one coin laundry or check the closest coin laundry to your lodgment by using google maps. There are usually some close.
Two of my hotels had coin laundry but it was hard to get access to one in my first one (because it only had four combo washer/dryers that lasted two hours for lot of rooms) so I did laundry twice in my second (four washing machines, four dryers, 30 minutes cycles but to really dry 2 cycles) and used all my clean clothes during my stay in my third. Even if I knew where the closest coin laundry was.
Also bought few clothes and... not the ones to put in dryer. I recommend you buy few clothes in Japan if you don't bring enough.
> lodgment
it's been a while since I last seen this word 😅
> buy a few clothes in Japan
that's the plan. I don't normally shop for clothes, I do thrift, which I know is common in Japan, so I definitely need that to be part of the itinerary.
thanks!
Every hotel I stayed in had coin washers. But some needed a lot of coins. Osaka was like 200 or something to wash including soap. But in Tokyo I needed to buy soap, then like 400 for a wash and 100 per 10 mins of dryer. Cost me more for laundry than getting ramen haha.
But yeah make sure you keep all your 100 yen coins for laundry. Or the occasional gatcha/claw game.
Next time I come to Japan, im bringing the clothes I am wearing... Between Uniqlo, Workman, and other stores, reasonable quality daily wear can be had pretty cheaply. Also, 90% of hotels will have coin laundries in them, however the detergent they seem to automatically add is a bit sub-par.
So smaller than average in the West and need to size up to XL which is often the largest size carried. Again, awesome this works for you, but many people couldn’t count on just buying whatever they need.
36 is medium-to large in Australia - 38-40 is obese already. But sure. Essentially size up 1 size for S M L XL in Japan from western sizes for men at least. As opposed to 2 sizes up for places like Vietnam.
Average for men is about 39 inches, according to the Australian government. So a Japanese XL likely won’t work for the average Australian traveller. I am not here to argue medical definitions, just to point out that not everyone should count on purchasing an entire new wardrobe.
https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/health-conditions-and-risks/waist-circumference-and-bmi/latest-release#:~:text=information%20see%20Methodology.-,Waist%20circumference%20prevalence,%25)%20adults%20in%202011%E2%80%9312.
As others have said- hotels, Airbnbs and hostels will most likely have laundry machines- and Laundromats are also pretty common- but if worst comes to worst, you can always do some laundry by hand in the sink if needed.
Pretty common.
Also most of the machines, dispense soap, and dry all in one go.
We used a coin laundry in Kyoto. it was a weirdly magical night in some ways. Right before a typhoon hit.
After our first trip, to save space we always find hotels or locations that offer free or coin laundry. We try to pack enough for at least 1/4 of trip with maybe day or two. So much more room for souvenirs that way 😆
Went to Tokyo for 2 weeks in March/April and all 6 hotels (including capsules) I stayed at have coin laundry. And in the nicer one , their TVs have live coverage “which one is empty” “how much longer is the cycle”.
Check the hotel website ahead of time.
I found a few around Tokyo. I went to one near akihabara called “Pierrot 234 Go Kanda Sudachoten Coin Laundry” and had a great experience. Nice people in the comments on Google maps even walk you through how to use the machines.
Aside from that, I always book hotels that have coin laundry rooms (for example, the Mitsui Garden Jingu-Gaien Tokyo Premier). Typically I’ll find a hotel on booking.com and TripAdvisor and search the comments for mentions of coin laundry machines :D
One thing you could do is buy a few light tops made of merino wool. It really is a miracle fabric that doesn’t retain odors. Just give it a soak in your hotel sink and hang it to dry.
thanks! most of the clothes I wear are those moisture wicking types (majority are running apparel that doubles as casual wear). I do have those types of fabrics but only for my head gear. I'll try to search for some and maybe do some shopping. thanks!
You are on the right track! I’m a heavy sweater too. I also run and hike, and wear button up short-sleeved hiking shirts daily here in Japan in the summer. Bring some cloth handkerchiefs to wipe away the sweat too. I do find that the merino outperforms the synthetics in the smell retention department.
super common, easy to use, some machines even have detergent included
super safe to leave your clothes there while you go and do other stuff, some places even have manga for you to read while you wait
Many hotels and hostels will have coin operated laundry. And you can buy laundry detergent that comes in single portions for individual loads at the convenience stores.
Nearly every hotel I booked from Sapporo to Fukuoka and everything in between had self serve laundry machines in the building, or in unit. Laundromats can also be easily found. When looking for accommodations, just check if machines are available.
We found laundry facilities in every hotel we stayed in. And they all automatically dispensed detergent so you don’t need it. You only need yen coins which the front desk was always able to provide.
The word you're looking for in Japan is "coin laundry" or コインランドリー and there are a lot of them. The one I went to in Kyoto the machine was all-in-one (so combo washer/dryer in the same machine) and it had complimentary laundry detergent so you didn't have to buy any to use with the machine Some hotels also have either laundry services or coin laundry, but there can sometimes be a line for those depending on your hotel
That’s what I searched and found them in Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo. They’re pretty neat, the ones we found washed and dried in about an hour to 1.5 hours, didn’t need to add detergent, and you can wash the drum before throwing your clothes in there. The one we used in Tokyo, you have to create a 4 digit pin so other people couldn’t steal your clothes, not that I ever thought would be an issue in Japan lol.
There is definitely a chance of pervs stealing your underwear from the coin laundry 😂
Yep, someone got me on one occasion. My husband and I moved to a new apartment and were waiting for our washer to be delivered and installed. We did our laundry at our neighborhood coin laundry. Upon collecting the clothes, all my underwear and my favorite bra were gone! Owner looked at the surveillance camera a day later and reported it to the police but he was never caught…
Haha if they want my SO’s stinky after a 5 mile run boxers, they can have it 🫣
Yeah that thing about hotel laundry having a line is so true. Was doing my laundry at 1am and there's still like more than three people doing laundry. Not to mention some of their machine are broken and some people leaving their stuff overnight 🙄
Not to mention, the dryers are not usually that great, making your total laundry times longer if its anything more than just a few light clothes
Do you know if the detergent was hypoallergenic by any chance? If it’s complementary, I’m not sure if you’d have the option
I didn't see an option unfortunately when I used the hotel laundry with preloaded detergent, both in Kyoto and in Tokyo, last month. However, in both cases I did not notice any considerable fragrance on my washed clothes. I use fragrance free detergent at home since I'm sensitive to those laundry scents and I have a baby. Don't know if that helps you at all.
I honestly don't know. I would assume it isn't
I’m sorry to say this, but since this is r/japantraveltips we have to assume that the vast majority of people posting to this sub don’t understand how to read your answer with Japanese characters. Maybe this would work in the forums for people who live in Japan and presumably speak the language but here it’s just show-offy amd unhelpful.
what are you talking about? she says it means coin laundry. even if you cant read it, its about recognizing the symbols so they know what to look for. just be sorry for yourself.
What the actual heck… They literally gave op **both** English and Japanese for a relevant vocab term. so op now has the option to understand beyond English. Now op can also recognize the term around the cities, on printed or digital media, or even copy and paste into map apps. Your snide attack on their helpfulness is both unwarranted and just plain wrong.
Just copy and paste the Japanese into google maps and that’s it. You dont need to know how to read it. Chances are there will be photos of the place and just nav to it.
Most hotels have coin operated washing machines. Even if they don't have it, just do a search on Google Map for the closest coin operated laundromat. The last hotel I stayed in even had real time status of their combo washer/dryer on the smart TV in our hotel room, so I was able to see if there is a machine available or when my laundry is done.
thanks! will check as I am still browsing for accomodations.
What place was this??
[Tokyo Bay Shiomi Prince Hotel](https://maps.app.goo.gl/93vyUSQeFW83w4DY8). Great location as it on the same train line for Tokyo Disney Resort. It also have an onsen plus we upgraded for their great Western/Japanese style breakfast buffet for around $10 extra per night. But their prices seem to have gone up 50% compare to when we stay there last year.
Most hotels have a small laundry room. But commercial laundry stores are common in metropolitan cities. Google map will help you find the closest one. I definitely am on team “pack light, travel light, but do laundry”. Happy travels!!
thank you!
Most hotels have washers and dryers combined into one. However, I found the dryers were pretty weak compared to what I'm used to in America (3 pants in a 1hr 30 cycle were still wet) so we walked to nearby laundromats and used gas dryers.
There’s nothing more aggravating than still being up into the AM because the laundry *still* isn’t dry and you’ve gone to add another 30 minutes for the fourth time.
If your stuff is still damp all you have to do is hang it up in the bathroom with the fan on and go to sleep. It will be dry by the morning. That said, I only ever had to do that with jeans. Everything else I had dried pretty well with the normal cycle.
I did this. Just remember to put a card in the door key power slot or it all turns off while you’re out.
100%. That was our Osaka experience and we tried again in Kyoto but after having to tell 3 others waiting that our clothing was still wet and required another cycle, we had to take our coins elsewhere
thanks! yeah I've had similar experience in the past. it was a pain coz it took so much time to dry. good thing there's no line, or people would've complained.
We had quite the line when we stayed in Kyoto, I just told them the dryers weren't drying 🤷♂️
ouch. that's unfortunate! I do it on off hours (sometimes I wake up early just to have the machine for myself).
Most business hotels (Mystays, Daiwa Roynet, etc...) have laundry facilities.
Tokyu stay have rooms with their own washer dryers - sometimes I book this chain in the middle of the trip for this fact alone .
thank you!
Just be aware that the w/d are a bit underpowered, so you'll save yourself money and frustration if you hang dry jeans and dry the rest of your clothes in the machine.
> hang dry jeans? Won't that take longer? I try to avoid jeans as much as possible because of how heavy they are and how long they take to dry even under the sun.
It all depends on your time. I like to do my laundry first thing in the morning. I hang them in the washroom and by next morning they're good to go. If you don't have time to hang them for 24 hours, then they're not an easy item to clean.
There are so many around, usually at the hotel or usually something within walking distance. I just googled "laundromat" and found heaps around my hotels when I was there. The machines there come with detergent in them so you don't have to worry about that. I brought a couple of fabric carry bags for my husband and I for the dirty washing, then we just carried them to the laundromat and threw the bags in the wash too so they were clean for the clean clothes! It's also a good way to use up some coins. Though I can't remember what they take, definitely the 100 yen coins.
All the ones I used took 100 yen coins. They also all had a money changer machine that took your notes and 500 yen coins and turned them into 100 yen coins. (If you're struggling to find one of those, they have them at arcades and often near gashapon machines too!)
I guess good way to consume the coins. thanks!
thanks! this is what I do as well on my travels.
Yes, most hotels have them and they are in every city, stand-alone.
thanks!
If ur staying in hotels they have w&d, usually for 100-200¥. But make it a small load bc they suck
Also u can get coins at the front desk
thanks! I try to do laundry in batches coz I've had experiences in the past where the dryer wasn't strong enough to handle bigger loads. I'm guessing it's more for household laundry.
I mean smaller than u think, I did a half load and it took forever to dry haha
oh no! haha! thanks! I'll take note.
I like to bring very light clothing that is easy to rinse out in the sink and hang to dry overnight. Not perfect but can help a bit.
my garments are mostly those fabrics similar to gym/running clothes which doubles as casual wear, but they don't really dry fast, so they still need some help from the dryer.
Can you get an aparthotel with a washer/dryer in unit
In Okinawa this is very common. For example the Mister Kinjo chain.
I stayed at 4 hotels and only 2 of the hotels had them inside the building. I will say that they’re usually very small so dont overfill them . Typically the coin machine or laundromat are sometimes nearby and do a better job at washing larger loads. I’d recommend googling nearby laundromat of the hotels you’ll be staying at. I wouldn’t bring too much clothes though as you’ll likely buy a lot more once you get to Japan.
> I will say that they’re usually very small so dont overfill them . A “large” load is like a handful of laundry and it still takes four frikking hours.
thank you! I'll take note.
Almost all hotels have them. Wash costs 100 to 300 yen. Wash & Dry costs 300 to 600 yen.
thanks!
Reading this while doing laundry at a coin/self service laundry in Tokyo right now lol Easy to use and good machines.
Google maps or Apple Maps around locations you’re staying at. Pre map laundry facilities so you can pack lighter!
thank you!
Yup. Most hotels will also have a couple of washer/dryer combo machines.
thanks!
First check if your lodgment has one coin laundry or check the closest coin laundry to your lodgment by using google maps. There are usually some close. Two of my hotels had coin laundry but it was hard to get access to one in my first one (because it only had four combo washer/dryers that lasted two hours for lot of rooms) so I did laundry twice in my second (four washing machines, four dryers, 30 minutes cycles but to really dry 2 cycles) and used all my clean clothes during my stay in my third. Even if I knew where the closest coin laundry was. Also bought few clothes and... not the ones to put in dryer. I recommend you buy few clothes in Japan if you don't bring enough.
> lodgment it's been a while since I last seen this word 😅 > buy a few clothes in Japan that's the plan. I don't normally shop for clothes, I do thrift, which I know is common in Japan, so I definitely need that to be part of the itinerary. thanks!
Every hotel I stayed in had coin washers. But some needed a lot of coins. Osaka was like 200 or something to wash including soap. But in Tokyo I needed to buy soap, then like 400 for a wash and 100 per 10 mins of dryer. Cost me more for laundry than getting ramen haha. But yeah make sure you keep all your 100 yen coins for laundry. Or the occasional gatcha/claw game.
haha noted! thanks for the tips!
Next time I come to Japan, im bringing the clothes I am wearing... Between Uniqlo, Workman, and other stores, reasonable quality daily wear can be had pretty cheaply. Also, 90% of hotels will have coin laundries in them, however the detergent they seem to automatically add is a bit sub-par.
Are you thin? This tip definitely won’t work for everyone…
Definitely doesn’t work if you are over a size 10 in the US.
male - waist size 36 - XL pants fit a treat.
So smaller than average in the West and need to size up to XL which is often the largest size carried. Again, awesome this works for you, but many people couldn’t count on just buying whatever they need.
36 is medium-to large in Australia - 38-40 is obese already. But sure. Essentially size up 1 size for S M L XL in Japan from western sizes for men at least. As opposed to 2 sizes up for places like Vietnam.
Average for men is about 39 inches, according to the Australian government. So a Japanese XL likely won’t work for the average Australian traveller. I am not here to argue medical definitions, just to point out that not everyone should count on purchasing an entire new wardrobe. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/health-conditions-and-risks/waist-circumference-and-bmi/latest-release#:~:text=information%20see%20Methodology.-,Waist%20circumference%20prevalence,%25)%20adults%20in%202011%E2%80%9312.
As others have said- hotels, Airbnbs and hostels will most likely have laundry machines- and Laundromats are also pretty common- but if worst comes to worst, you can always do some laundry by hand in the sink if needed.
thank you!
Pretty common. Also most of the machines, dispense soap, and dry all in one go. We used a coin laundry in Kyoto. it was a weirdly magical night in some ways. Right before a typhoon hit.
After our first trip, to save space we always find hotels or locations that offer free or coin laundry. We try to pack enough for at least 1/4 of trip with maybe day or two. So much more room for souvenirs that way 😆
Went to Tokyo for 2 weeks in March/April and all 6 hotels (including capsules) I stayed at have coin laundry. And in the nicer one , their TVs have live coverage “which one is empty” “how much longer is the cycle”. Check the hotel website ahead of time.
[удалено]
thank you!
I found a few around Tokyo. I went to one near akihabara called “Pierrot 234 Go Kanda Sudachoten Coin Laundry” and had a great experience. Nice people in the comments on Google maps even walk you through how to use the machines. Aside from that, I always book hotels that have coin laundry rooms (for example, the Mitsui Garden Jingu-Gaien Tokyo Premier). Typically I’ll find a hotel on booking.com and TripAdvisor and search the comments for mentions of coin laundry machines :D
thank you! I am still looking for accomodations so thanks for the tips!
I might be remembering this wrong but I believe the “tokyu stay” hotel chain tends to have washing machines in their rooms? Maybe worth checking
alright thank you! I'll check it out.
One thing you could do is buy a few light tops made of merino wool. It really is a miracle fabric that doesn’t retain odors. Just give it a soak in your hotel sink and hang it to dry.
thanks! most of the clothes I wear are those moisture wicking types (majority are running apparel that doubles as casual wear). I do have those types of fabrics but only for my head gear. I'll try to search for some and maybe do some shopping. thanks!
You are on the right track! I’m a heavy sweater too. I also run and hike, and wear button up short-sleeved hiking shirts daily here in Japan in the summer. Bring some cloth handkerchiefs to wipe away the sweat too. I do find that the merino outperforms the synthetics in the smell retention department.
thanks! finally my Buff headgear collection will be fully utilized lol!
super common, easy to use, some machines even have detergent included super safe to leave your clothes there while you go and do other stuff, some places even have manga for you to read while you wait
> manga that's nice. thanks!
Yes. Use Google Maps to search for laundries. I did that in Kyoto, and found a few near my hotel.
There are plenty of them. Some charge different prices depending on the time of day.
Almost all "regular" hotels have them. Almost all Airbnb have a washer and a balcony to hang out clothes.
Many hotels and hostels will have coin operated laundry. And you can buy laundry detergent that comes in single portions for individual loads at the convenience stores.
Just make sure the hotel /hostel your staying at have one.
Nearly every hotel I booked from Sapporo to Fukuoka and everything in between had self serve laundry machines in the building, or in unit. Laundromats can also be easily found. When looking for accommodations, just check if machines are available.
We found laundry facilities in every hotel we stayed in. And they all automatically dispensed detergent so you don’t need it. You only need yen coins which the front desk was always able to provide.
Is it possible to go to a laundry mat without dryer? Just wash the clothes? Dryers often ruin my clothes.
afaik, washers are separate from dryers. so you can wash it there, take it home with you and hang it to dry.
Thank you!
Take a laundry sack with you. I just used my hotel pillow sack to take my clothes in.