Tokyo's Kissa Laundry Café Has Craft Beer And Laundry Machines
If doing the laundry is one of those chores you dread, we may have a solution for you: Kissa Laundry. Here, you can kick back and sip a pint while watching your garments tumble and dry, but this concept is so much more than a place to wash duds.
First opened in 2018 in a renovated building, the concept in the east end of Tokyo transformed a space that was originally used as a glove-packing workshop into several different spaces that can be rented out for meetings and workshops. There's also a rotating calendar of events to keep the local community engaged – tarot readings, embroidery classes, and art exhibitions have all been hosted here.
Kissa Laundry is open until 6 p.m. (extended to 10:30 pm. on Fridays) so that you can head in after work to unwind, grab a bite, and kick back with friends. And the community café concept has caught on: There are now two additional locations. This establishment is clearly for the people (and their pets!).
A café for the people
Keep hunger pangs at bay with curry, soup, and open-faced sandwiches with ham or tuna, or satisfy your sweet tooth with a slice of apple and raisin pound cake, bitter chocolate cake, or rice flour roll cake. If it's too late in the day for you to enjoy coffee, there's also yuzu tea and craft beer. But Kissa Laundry isn't just light meals, snacks, sweets, and an assortment of beverages.
The café also provides an iron and sewing machine in the "town housework room." The space can accommodate up to 10 guests, and creative projects and social gatherings are openly encouraged. Groups of up to 10 people can relax among low sofas to discuss the latest book club read or celebrate birthday parties in the semiprivate "mole seat." Meanwhile, the floor seats can accommodate up to 20 people with separate tables and plenty of space, yet the atmosphere remains cozy and comfortable.
If you have to do laundry, this is certainly the kind of place to make the task more enjoyable.