Within the past 5 years I’m so impressed at just how many new hotels are really listening to the needs of travelling families – and introducing apartment style hotels.
These apartment style hotels often include a kitchenette and sometimes separate rooms (a great option if you want to be able to go to sleep at a different time to your small children *disclaimer though – the multi-room option is definitely a more expensive way to stay in Japan as a family.)
My favourite brands of these types of apartment hotels are Mimaru and &Here. They really mean that travelling with kids can actually be more pleasant, you can actually have some space in your room, have language and restaurant reservation assistance from a well-trained reception team. It really is a game changer with kids in Japan.
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Now some of the bigger suites within these types of apartment hotel brands offer washing machines in the rooms. And over the past few months I’ve noticed many families are saying that a washing machine in their own room is something they MUST have. (Some people look to airbnbs for this too but I strongly recommend reading this first before booking an airbnb in Japan.) I think that must be because Japan is now attracting a higher price range style of holiday for families – so many families are trying to get a bit too fancy and the demands of what they think they need in their Japan accommodation aren’t always realistic and don’t always make the most sense.
I’m here to call you out and say – errr… no you don’t. Even if you have 7 children? No. No. You don’t.
Why don’t need a washing machine in your hotel room in Japan?
Even the most budget friendly business hotels have an on-site coin laundry. Even the hotels for just business travellers with minimal other amenities have a laundry (usually on their 2nd or top floors.) There are incredibly cheap to use and convenient. Almost all take 100 yen coins (and have change machines next to the washers and dryers, don’t worry – if not there is usually a vending machine so you can just buy a juice with a 1000 yen note and get your change that way) and cost around 300 yen for a washing cycle and about half of that for a drying cycle (although I like to put it on twice so it ends up being the same.)
The Oriental Hotel Tokyo Bay near Disney has the option to pay for their coin laundries using a credit card.
But don’t I have to wait for a washing machine to become free then?
I’ve had to check and come back to my room just ONCE ever (and that was a hotel near Disney that was full of domestic and international travelling families.)
Every other time there has always been a washing machine ready for me to use.
Some hotels even have a little indicator on their tv’s main menu screen that tells you how many machines are free and ready to use!
How do I make it work when I’m travelling in Japan alone with my kids and need to use the coin laundry within the hotel?
Of course, you would need to take a baby or a toddler with you but since my kids were about 5 I would just nip down at the end of the day (or afternoon) and put the washing machine on. The machines then tell you how many minutes until the cycle has finished (it’s almost always between 30-40 mins) – so I just set a timer on my phone. Then we would go out for dinner or chill in the room.
When my timer goes off I switch the items to the dryer. Set my phone timer again.
Then I’m usually putting kids in the bath or giving them some chill time.
I then collect the dry and clean laundry. Done!
How do I transport the laundry back and forth between the laundry room and the hotel room?
As I mention in my What to Pack to take to Japan with Kids blog post – I always pack a travel laundry basket (I pack it for this purpose but also because I like having somewhere to store the dirties in our room without them getting mixed up with the cleans.)
How do I make the most of a combination of hotels with on-site coin laundries and those who don’t?
This is where I adore the Japanese luggage forwarding (takyubin) system. If I’m staying at a hotel or a ryokan without laundry options, I just save it all up and forward my suitcase on to the next hotel to wait for me. Then I can do a big catch-up wash at the next place. I speak more about the luggage forwarding system in Japan here and how we make it work for us – it’s amazing!
Do people ever steal things from the washers or dryers in Japan?
Never say never. But I’ve never seen or heard of it happening. I also only do laundry before or after our daytime adventures – so I’m pretty much right there when it finishes.
So do I need to pack my own laundry detergent then?
No. Almost all machines have built in detergent (this can be tricky if you have detergent allergies and I speak more about that here.)
In the rare cases where they don’t – it is either provided OR you can purchase a satchet for 100 yen next to the machines.
But I really like having a washing machine in my room!
That’s fine. However, you won’t have as many hotels / apartments to choose from.
They will also be a LOT more expensive.
They often have the washing and dryer combo (and I, personally, don’t find the drying cycle on these to be great.)
PLEASE NOTE: This article contains some affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
