Japan guide

Stays & baths

Doing laundry

Coin laundries (コインランドリー) are easy to find in residential streets, and many hotels have a laundry room for guests. The machines are simple once you know which button starts them.

9 steps · 3 common mistakes· Show in Japanese (2)
A row of front-loading coin washing machines in a laundromat, each with its own price panel.

Photo: Mr.ちゅらさん / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Finding one

Step by step

  1. Ask your hotel first — many have washers and dryers for guests.

  2. Search your map app for “coin laundry” or コインランドリー.

  3. Bring coins — many machines take 100 yen coins, and some take IC cards. Most laundries have a change machine.

Good to know: Many coin laundries are open late, and some all night.

Washing

In a coin laundry, a person puts clothes into a front-loading washing machine; two more machines stand beside it.

Step by step

  1. Choose a washer (洗濯機) or a washer-dryer (洗濯乾燥機), which does both.

  2. Check whether detergent is added automatically (洗剤自動投入). If not, buy a packet from the vending machine.

  3. Put your clothes in and close the door.

  4. Put in coins or tap your card — the machine starts and shows the time left.

Common mistakes

  • Adding your own detergent to a machine that adds it automatically — the clothes come out soapy.
  • Filling the drum to the top — clothes don't wash or dry properly.

Drying

Step by step

  1. Move your clothes to a dryer (乾燥機). Each coin buys a set number of minutes.

  2. Take your clothes out as soon as the machine stops.

Common mistakes

  • Leaving clothes in the machine — the next person may have to take them out.

Good to know: Wool and delicate fabrics can shrink in the dryer — hang them up instead.

Sources

Sources (checked 2026-11-04). Facts, numbers and prices on this page come from these official pages.

  1. Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)Japan Travel Planning(opens in a new tab)JNTO: official Japan travel planning pages
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