One afternoon, Marci and I walked to the neighborhood laundromat. It was a small, efficient, clean, and organized place of business. The washing machines were a bit smaller than what we are used to using in the U.S.A. The dryers too were smaller but, super fast at drying your clothes.
There were nice tables available for folding clothes and carts on wheels to help you move your clothes from washers to dryers. Benches were positioned in front of the windows for waiting. There were pots of plants near the entrance.
The big difference and surprise for me were seeing a specialized washer/dryer just for your athletic shoes, yes – just for your sneakers! We have a saying in our family whenever we are surprised by something newly discovered in Japan, “Wow! Amazing Japanese technology”.
During my time of living in Japan, I was often delighted by my discoveries. It was never so much the technology as it was the collective thinking that was used for the benefit of the people.
Great article. I learned something new! I have lived here for 27 years and never knew there were washer machines just for sneakers. I may have to suss one out in my neighborhood!
Todd