The Ghan's Holiday Preparation - Laundry

[The_Ghan]

What is the cost / convenience of doing laundry in Japan.  I presume there are Laundr-o-mats or Coin Laundries?  Will the staff do the laundry while we go off and enjoy ourselves?  What does it cost? 

 

We once spent half a day in Berlin doing laundry.  We'd prefer to leave it somewhere and pick up on our way back to the hotel.  Hotels charge a lot for laundry and we'd prefer not to use their services.

 

Funny story: we forgot to pick up our laundry in London.  It was only when I was carrying our bags to a hotel in Paris, thinking they weren't that heavy afterall, that we realised this.  We never got our laundry back.  That doesn't worry me, but I do feel bad about not paying for it.

 

Even funnier story: We went to a laundr-o-mat when we arrived in Austria and, trying to be cheap, I picked up a very small packet of washing powder at a supermarket nearby.  I loaded my clothes, opened the packet and tipped the blue powder into the soap compartment.  I was about to close the lid when a very kind German girl told me it was a packet of clothing dye.  So, I moved my load to another machine and bought the powder from the dispensor at the laundr-o-mat.  .... At the end of the week, Mrs Ghan and I went back to do our laundry again before heading to Italy.  I was loading the machine when another Aussie tourist came up to me and said, "Faaaark! Don't use that machine mate it turned all my shit blue last week!"  Sure enough, he was wearing what was a red t-shirt, but had now turned almost black because of the dye!!!  I thanked him, moved my stuff, and said something to him about the jerk who must have put dye in the machine.

 

Now that you've had your laughs, please answer my questions above.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[bikkuri bahn]

There are coin laundries (self service), of course, but whether there are any near your hotel is another issue. All Toyoko Inns have self service coin laundries adjacent to the lobby, I don't know if you're staying at that chain, but other than price and location, it's one of the reasons I am a regular customer.  I can pack light if I stay with them, and in the summer after spending the day out train watching, I can just throw my sweat drenched clothes in the washer when I return to the hotel.

[westfalen]

I can also vouch for Toyoko Inns. There is usually only two washers and dryers but I never had a problem getting to use them.

[Eisenbahn]

The Toyoko Inn at JR Noda station is a handy spot in Osaka. It is on the JR Osaka loop and also next to an underground station. 

 

In Kyoto, The ToyokoInn Karasuma-Shijo is above an underground station and on the main street in a very posh shopping/restaurant area.

 

In Tokyo, the ToyokoInn Shinagawa-Takanawa is opposite Shinagawa station on the Yamanote loop and has easy access to Narita Airport on NEX and  also Haneda Airport.

 

(By the way , if you are ever in Berlin again, the Meininger Hotel opposite the new Berlin Hauptbahnhof(Central Station) had a self service washing machine when I stayed there in 2010.)

 

cheers...Eisenbahn

[to2leo]

Yes, Toyoko Inn has limited washing/drying machine but other people will be using them also.

 

To save on cost and packing, you can also buy clothing with cotton/polyester blend.  They have the feel of cotton, does not stink and will dry overnight if you bring your own laundry string. I only bring 3 t-shirts, 2 pants (no jeans!), 3 polo, 3 quick dry underwear and 3 pairs of quick trying socks whenever I vacate abroad (That's usually twice a year for at least 3 weeks each).

 

I just booked my trip to Japan for October, looking forward to seeing your pictures.

[Bernard]

I also have a funny laundry story. When we were in Beijing filming the Olympics, with our schedule it was impossible to do laundry....the hotel did have a laundry service BUT they charged per item.....socks were $3.00 USD, a shirt $5.00, a pair of pants $10.00. I found it was cheaper to go to the department store next to hotel and buy new socks, shirts or any other articles of clothing. So I came home with all new clothing. 

[westfalen]

On my 2007 trip to China we got our laundry done one day at the hotel we were staying at in Hegang, in the backblocks of coal mining country away from the tourist traps of Beijing it was so cheap I wouldn't have bothered spending the time looking for a coin laundry. My story though is when one of the Americans on the tour got his laundry back with a button missing on a shirt, that had been sewn back on, and a note with it saying "Very sorry but we broke your shirt".

[The_Ghan]

Hey Eisenbahn

 

We stayed at Winters Hotel Berlin Mitte Am Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin, Germany for 4 nights when we were driving through Germany in 2010.  There was no laundry nearby.  It is something we factor in for longer trips now.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[The_Ghan]

I also have a funny laundry story. When we were in Beijing filming the Olympics, with our schedule it was impossible to do laundry....the hotel did have a laundry service BUT they charged per item.....socks were $3.00 USD, a shirt $5.00, a pair of pants $10.00. I found it was cheaper to go to the department store next to hotel and buy new socks, shirts or any other articles of clothing. So I came home with all new clothing. 

 

That's exactly why I asked how much it was in Japan.  We usually deliberately pack our oldest and just throw it and buy a new set half way through the trip. 

 

Apparently underwear is way too expensive in Japan for me to consider that !!!

 

I haven't been to Japan for 20 years, so I've lost touch of the prices.

 

I've been reading some of the threads for trips by other members and the photos are like a time warp for me.  For example, whenever people talk shinkansen I think 0, 200, 100, and 300 series - what I've ridden on, and I was reading about the Azusa and I think of the red and cream 183 series.  Thankfully the Holiday View Yamanashi is still the same ... but it can't be far away from retirement ...

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[Eisenbahn]

Hi Ghan,

 

There arent many laundromats around Berlin Central Station and that is why I stayed at the MeiningerHotel there in 2010. I agree with what you say about factoring in laundry costs when planning a trip. It is one of the reasons I use Toyoko Inns in Japan even if I  stay in one every 4th day just to do the laundry.

 

(Actually I was in Berlin 10 days ago and stayed at the new Motel-One at the Berlin Hbf. It didnt have a self service laundry but I had a private arrangement with a Berlin family I visited, to do my shirts for which I was most thankful. )

 

I suppose you know about price differences in booking a hotel room directly on the  Japanese

Hotel's own website compared with using an Australian Travel Agent.  Earlier this year I advanced booked a single room at the Nikko Hotel Narita Airport(Operated by Japan Airlines) on their website for A$60 per night and a well known Travel provider in Australia was selling rooms there for A$250 per night.

 

Best wishes in planning your trip ......cheers...Eisenbahn

[Martijn Meerts]

The laundry thing is one of the reasons I'm looking at getting an apartment for 3 weeks rather than a hotel room. Many apartments come with a washing machine.. Whether I'll be able to figure out how it works is a different matter of course =)

 

That said, I really should start planning my Kyoto trip as well before it's too late ;)

[The_Ghan]

Thanks Eisenbahn,

 

I usually use HotelTravel.com and Agoda to book my hotels.  I have an account with each.  In this case, Agoda has rooms at the Nikko for around AUD$56.

 

I've got plenty of time yet.  I'll be running most ideas past the group here.  Thanks for your good advice.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

 

PS: Mrs Ghan and I really miss Berlin.  Unfortunately, we had rain follow us all the way across from the Netherlands.  By the time we got to Berlin I had a shocking cold. Knocked me out of action for several days.

[The_Ghan]

I've just looked at Toyoko Inn rooms on the web.  Mrs Ghan will be unimpressed if we make a habit of staying there.  I'll have to limit to a night per week, or better, stay in another hotel nearby and use the Toyoko laundry .... can I do that?

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[cteno4]

ghan,

 

i had no troubles in japan finding a little local laundromat to do laundry in. i would just do as i did in grad school and pick up some take a way dinner, headphones, and a book and plop at the laundromat for a couple of hours to do laundry. im always amazed that laundromats are the same the world around and one of those human things that seems to cut through cultures! maybe ms ghan can go shopping that evening!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[bikkuri bahn]

stay in another hotel nearby and use the Toyoko laundry

 

I think the laundry is for the use of hotel guests only.  You'll have to find a neighborhood laundry.  If you are staying for a week or longer in one place, there is also the option of short stay apartments.

 

Example:

http://www.wmt-osaka.com/otemae/index.html

[bill937ca]

Are you prepared for the potential power shortages this summer? Prepare for rolling blackouts in Kansai and Kyushu.

 

Summer voluntary power curbs set

 

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nb20120519a1.html

 

Japan faces a long, hot, nuclear-free summer

 

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fd20120520bj.html

[westfalen]

Hi Ghan,

 

 

I suppose you know about price differences in booking a hotel room directly on the  Japanese

Hotel's own website compared with using an Australian Travel Agent.  Earlier this year I advanced booked a single room at the Nikko Hotel Narita Airport(Operated by Japan Airlines) on their website for A$60 per night and a well known Travel provider in Australia was selling rooms there for A$250 per night.

 

Best wishes in planning your trip ......cheers...Eisenbahn

 

 

Thanks for that tip from me too. I might look into the Nikko as the first night stay for a trip I'm planning with a mate from work and a couple of guys from the model railway club later in the year.

[The_Ghan]

Thanks for the heads up about the power shortages ... that will really ruin keitaro's holiday ... he's already stressing over the incredible strength of the ¥.  Now he's going to have to sweat it out as well.

 

For me, we think we'll be travelling in October.  Specifically, I remember the hot, humid summer I had in Kofu in '84.  Damn nearly killed me.  And while my local 115-0 Yokosuka had heated seats, there wasn't any a/c on the train, at home, or at my school.  Choosing October was a deliberate attempt to avoid the heat, the cold, the rain, and the peak tourist seasons.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[Martijn Meerts]

You didn't account for me (hopefully) being in Japan in October though 

[Eisenbahn]

Hi Westfalen

 

The Nikko  Hotel Narita Airport  has more regular shuttle bus times that the Tokoyo Inn around the corner. It also has a few different restaurants with a variety of meal choices, some of which are reasonably priced. There is a Lawsons inside the hotel foyer.  The $60 single rooms are in the old wing but are still big  by Tokyo standards and good. The Hotel has quite a posh feel about it. The  breakfast restaurant has glass walls overlooking a garden.  I think it is the transit hotel for Japan Airlines and things run very  smoothly. ( No self service washing machine though)

 

The first NEX in the morning takes a long time to work its way into Tokyo Station but by 9am they seem to do the run in 60 minutes or so.  www.hyperdia.com

 

cheers....Eisenbahn

[Eisenbahn]

Hi Ghan,

 

If you or your wife were a bit hesitant at  lengthy stays at a Toyoko Inn, may I make a couple of other suggestions of places where I have previously stayed in Tokyo?  The websites of these hotels are accurate depictions.

 

The Shiba Park Hotel has Daimon station near the front of the hotel and Onarimon at the back. If the places you want to go in Tokyo are near underground stations then this hotel is quite good. Getting from Narita Airport is easy on a Keisei Ltd Express. You just get out at Aoto and walk across the platform to a waiting asakusa line train and get out at Daimon. www.hyperdia.com  If you are coming from Haneda Airport just get the monorail to Hamamatchuco (spelling?)  and walk two blocks to the hotel ( via the underground passage to Daimon station if raining).  Similarly you can use the JR Yamanote loop at Hamamatchuco.  SHiba Park Hotel has a self service washing machine.  THere are nice places nearby where you can eat and a pleasant park at the back of the hotel to walk or sit down for some peace & quiet. It is a full service hotel but with a friendly family feel.

 

The Shinagawa Prince Hotel is a huge impersonal three tower international resort hotel opposite Shinagawa Station. ( no washing machine). However they have a big choice of rooms from budget to posh and prices vary day by day depending on market demand. They always have specials on their website.  It has a lot of foreign tourists and business travellers. It has the big advantage of being at Shinagawa Station. Since we all are Japanese Rail enthusiasts I wont detail all the trains that stop there. www.hyperdia.com I will just say that it is easy to get to on NEX from Narita and also on a local train from Haneda Airport. Shinagawa  Station also gets you into the underground network , and of course the Yamanote loop and the Tokaido Shinkansen.  Can you detect I like Shinagawa?  Shinagawa station itself has nice places to eat and there are good eating places on the opposite entrance to Shinagawa  Station( mainly people in suits from the various corporate headquarters around there).

 

Does any forum member know of a Laundromat at or near Shinagawa Station?  By the way, there is a Toyoko Inn next door if you wanted to stay there on e night just to do your washing.

 

Hope you find this helpful......Eisenbahn

[The_Ghan]

You didn't account for me (hopefully) being in Japan in October though  

 

Yes I did!  Don't you remember?  A few months ago I exchanged a couple of PM with you about your possible trip.  In a week or two I should have airline tickets booked and a rough itinerary done.  I was going to have a chat to you about meeting up then, but since you've raised the subject, we will basically be travelling from Fukuoka to Tokyo over 2 weeks.  Then we will have a week in Tokyo with several day trips, such as Yamanashi (hopefully on the Holiday View and the Super Azusa), Enoshima, etc.  Happy to share some travelling with you Martijn, although we will have Green Rail Passes for shinkansen and limited express.  Let us collect our thoughts and exchange ideas over coming weeks.

 

Edit: Martijn, if it helps jog your memory, it was around the time that we exchanged PM's about making the forum a little more exciting!

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[Martijn Meerts]

I do remember yes, just a bad attempt at a funny comment =)

 

 

I haven't booked anything myself yet, I'm heading to Norway on thursday for a few days, but after that I'll start looking into apartments/hotels .. I'll be around the Kyoto area for most of the time, but going to Tokyo to visit the Ghibli Museum. That's about all I've planned for now :)

[The_Ghan]

Martijn,

 

Cool .... we'll be having about 4 days in Kyoto around the middle of the month.  I want a day trip to Osaka to ride the Hankyu's and I'm hoping to convince Mrs Ghan to spend a day on the bicycle exploring temples in Kyoto - that's how I did it last time ... I presume it's still a popular method ... I also want to visit Kurama, just north of Kyoto.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[The_Ghan]

Eisenbahn,

 

Thanks mate.  Awesome.  I'll look into both of those hotels.  Actually, I'm surprised there isn't a sticky at the top of this section about good hotels to stay at.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan