{"id":1347,"date":"2025-07-03T06:00:48","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T13:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=1347"},"modified":"2025-07-03T06:00:48","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T13:00:48","slug":"laundry-day-is-something-to-look-forward-to-at-this-unique-laundromat-in-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=1347","title":{"rendered":"Laundry day is something to look forward to at this unique laundromat in Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-706445 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/imgi_147_24388_0.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong><span>Say goodbye to boring chores and hello to whipped cream-topped shaved ice, and oodles of Americana.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Space is quite often a luxury in most Japanese homes, and not all apartments have room for a large washing machine. So when it comes time to wash bulkier items, such as futons and carpets, most people turn to a nearby laundromat that usually comes installed with a variety of machines in different sizes.<\/p>\n<p>For a long time, many laundromats in Japan seemed to focus more on function over form, favoring a plain, utilitarian design, which is not exactly conducive to making people feel welcomed.<\/p>\n<p>However, over the past few years, there\u2019s been a growing trend of laundromats adopting a more modern and visually appealing aesthetic. One such store is <strong>Step in Bubble<\/strong>, located in <strong>Fujinomiya, Shizuoka<\/strong>, boasting a <strong>striking cyan blue exterior<\/strong>, and a charming<strong> American diner-esque interior<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-706430 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/imgi_242_24451_0.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Stepping through the door, you\u2019re met with bursts of colors that instantly boost your mood.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-706429 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/imgi_152_24429_0.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Not only does it have the standard installations of <strong>washing machines and tables to fold laundry<\/strong>, but off to the corner there\u2019s even a <strong>children\u2019s play area<\/strong> to keep your little ones occupied, complete with a television.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-706444 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/imgi_158_24427_0.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" \/><\/p>\n<p>On the opposite side of the store, next to a cute, little \u201copen\u201d sign, stands a white door.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-706442 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/imgi_164_24419_0.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re curious enough to venture beyond, you\u2019re greeted with\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-706443 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/imgi_170_24418_0.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2026 an assortment of goods<\/strong> that can only be described as<strong> \u201cthe entirety of American culture condensed into a single room.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-706440 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/imgi_176_24415_0.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Right next door to the laundromat is the <strong>American goods store Okey doKey<\/strong>, packed full of cute merchandise.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-706441 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/imgi_182_24414_0.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" \/><\/p>\n<p>You won\u2019t be lacking for things to peruse while you wait for your laundry to finish its cycle.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-706439 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/imgi_188_24413_0.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-706437 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/imgi_194_24398_0.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-706438 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/imgi_200_24395_0.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" \/><\/p>\n<p>However, the fun doesn\u2019t end there, with the store also having <strong>a cafe space<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-706436 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/imgi_206_24407_0.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The cafe serves <strong>a selection of drinks<\/strong>, as well as <strong>shaved ice<\/strong>, which is a perfect little treat amid the sweltering summer.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-706434 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/imgi_212_24445_0.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-706435 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/imgi_218_24446_0.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re feeling particularly fancy, you can even top it off with a little whipped cream and sprinkles for a total of 350 yen (US$2.43).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-706432 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/imgi_224_24438_0.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" \/><\/p>\n<p>When we were there, all of the customers who visited the store looked like they were enjoying themselves, sporting lovely smiles. The owner of the store has managed to create a warm and pleasant space that makes visitors happy.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-706431 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/imgi_236_24417_0.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" \/><\/p>\n<p>While it\u2019s unlikely that there will be many laundromats as unique as this one, there will no doubt be many people who would appreciate some form of entertainment to enjoy while they wait for their load to finish, much like <a href=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/2018\/01\/24\/tokyos-stylish-laundromat-cafes-are-worth-a-visit-even-if-your-clothes-are-already-clean\/\">these stylish cafe-laundromats you can find in Tokyo<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Store location<\/strong><br \/>\nSTEP in BUBBLE \/ Okey doKey<br \/>\nAddress: Shizuoka-ken, Fujinomiya-shi, Oiwa 139-15<br \/>\n\u9759\u5ca1\u770c\u5bcc\u58eb\u5bae\u5e02\u5927\u5ca9139-15<br \/>\nOpen: 5:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. (laundromat); 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. (shop and cafe)<br \/>\nClosed: Thursdays (shop and cafe); laundromat is open all year<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/step_in_bubble\/\">Website<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Photos \u00a9SoraNews24<\/em><br \/>\n<em>\u25cf Want to hear about SoraNews24\u2019s latest articles as soon as they\u2019re published? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RocketNews24En\">Follow us on Facebook<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RocketNews24En\">Twitter<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Say goodbye to boring chores and hello to whipped cream-topped shaved ice, and oodles of Americana. Space is quite often a luxury in most Japanese homes, and not all apartments&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1347","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1347","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1347"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1347\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1347"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1347"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1347"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}