This Osaka laundromat wants to clean more than your clothes; it also wants to clean you

Finally a store that understands that sometimes it’s you who needs refreshing, not just your clothes.

Having lived in fairly modern apartments in Japan with decent amounts of space for a washing machine and drying racks, I have always been rather fortunate to not have to make a journey to the laundromat every week or so to wash my clothes. That being said, I do find myself using one now and again to wash my futon or larger rugs that simply don’t fit into my washing machine.

After filling up the machine in the laundromat and setting it to wash, and since I don’t use a dryer as I air-dry at home, I find myself with between 30 to 60 minutes to fill before coming to pick my wet futon up. Do I stay and read a book on an uncomfortable seat? Or do I go back home, do something for a short while, before returning again? Or do I find a shop to browse around?

Nowadays, there are more and more laundromats branching out into other services, like cafes and shops, in the hopes of drawing more customers, and there’s one store in Osaka that has decided that it’s not just clothes that need a wash, but the people themselves need a refresh too, although not in a high-tech wash pod sort of way.

Neverending is a facility run by Toraya Cleaning that combines a laundromat with a fully-equipped private sauna, only a ten-minute walk from either Awaza Station on the Osaka Chuo and Sennichimae Lines or Nakanoshima on the Keihan Line.

The sauna is reservation-only, intended for small groups, and features a high-performance sauna stove, a specially designed cold bath, and an indoor cooling/rest area, creating a place where you can relax completely.

Reservations for the sauna can be completed online and paid via credit card, costing 2,000 yen (US$12.87) for 60 minutes or 2,800 yen for 120 minutes. While it is also possible to reserve on the phone, as well as pay in cash on the day, both options come with a 300-yen premium.

If you are coming with friends, reservations are only for one person, so each person will need to make their own reservation, and there is a hard limit of a maximum six guests in the sauna at any one time. However, the store prefers that larger groups opt for the 120-minute private rental for 20,000 yen to avoid inconveniencing other customers.

There are a lot of saunas out there that cater mostly to men, but Neverending sets aside two days a week for women-only use of the sauna at the same prices, being Wednesdays and either Saturday or Sunday.

Upon arrival at the sauna, you will be given three free rental towels for use inside the facility. You should aim to arrive about five minutes prior to your reservation for a smooth check-in on the first floor, before proceeding up to the sauna on the second floor, where you can get changed and enjoy the carefully formulated aromatic steam that is matched to the season and time of day.

However, what if you get so relaxed after your sauna that you end up forgetting to get your laundry out on time? Neverending has thought of that too, and if you request it, they offer a special service where the staff will remove your finished laundry and store it in a locker, so there is no need to worry or wait around. So, feel free to take your time enjoying some after-sauna tea from the on-site tea stand, or peruse the art gallery (although it is still under preparation), before you collect your laundry from the locker or from the dry cleaning service.

In the future, I would love to see more laundromats allowing people to make more efficient use of their time, be it for relaxation or entertainment, so that washing laundry feels like less of a chore and more of an enjoyable day out.

Store information
Neverending / ネバーエンディング
Address: Osaka-fu, Osaka-shi, Nishi-ku, Edobori 3-chome 3-27 Grandpia Edobori
大阪府大阪市西区江戸堀３丁目3-27 グランピア江戸堀
Open: Sauna 9:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m. (last entry 9:00 p.m.), Laundry 9:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m., Dry Cleaning 9:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m., Tea stand 9:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.
Website

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Foreign driver’s license conversion test passes plummet from over 90% to 33% in Japan

Driving test pass rates as low as two percent in some areas.

For a long time, Japan had a very convenient system for licensed drivers from other countries to convert their permits to Japanese ones. For some, this involved a very, very, very simplified version of the written and practical tests to get a license on par with anyone else in Japan, and as a regular license, it could also be renewed independently, regardless of the status of their home country’s license.

This is compared to the standard way to get a license in Japan from scratch, which either involves a moderately easy course in driving school that costs upwards of 200,000 yen (US$1,300) or attempting the very difficult test at a local police station. That way only cost me about 50,000 yen ($320) and a good chunk of my mental well-being.

Still, if someone already proved they could adhere to the rules of the road in their home country, it seemed fair that they could get a pass in qualifying for a Japanese license, so this huge discrepancy has been overlooked for a long time. Then, last May, a horribly negligent hit-and-run by a Chinese national made headlines across the country, followed by a Peruvian national caught driving the wrong way on an expressway that same month.

It was enough to give people pause and wonder if the foreign license conversion tests were effective enough. Subsequent pressure was put on the government to review this system, resulting in a vow to make testing stricter from 1 October.

The previous written test involved 10 illustrated questions, such as identifying a stop sign, from which examinees needed to get seven correct to pass. Now, the test consists of 50 written questions, and in addition to the illustrated ones, there are also questions regarding traffic laws and driver responsibilities in cases such as accidents. Also, the passing threshold has been raised from 70 percent to 90 percent, making the test about the same as the first written test that regular Japanese examinees must take.

▼ Some argue that all Japanese license holders should be able to read these signs perfectly as well, but it’s not required for any of the tests.

As for the driving test, it once basically involved driving around the block of a closed course, but now is basically the same — if not exactly the same — as the standard first driving test on a closed course. Having done this one myself, I can say it involved navigating extremely narrow paths, requires precision turning in the style they demand, stopping on a slope, rolling down your windows at a fake railway crossing, and is, quite frankly, insanely hard.

But don’t take my word for it – since the changes took effect, average test scores took a nose dive. In Mie Prefecture, the driving test’s pass rate fell from about 20 percent to just 1.8 percent. Both Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures saw written test pass rates slide from an average of about 94 percent way down to around 35 percent.

Despite the increased difficulty, this is still only what prospective drivers in Japan have to endure just to get a learner’s permit. After that, there’s an even more difficult written and practical test to take before a full license can be awarded. So, it’s still technically easier to get a foreign license conversion than obtain a Japanese license from scratch, unless you want to pay out the nose for it. Also, it should be noted that the cases of countries that have reciprocal agreements with Japan, such as most of Europe, Australia, Canada, and some U.S. states, which exempts them from the tests altogether, will remain unchanged and is an easy process.

Still, the new requirements ought to be very effective at curbing the practice of tourists from some countries coming to Japan just to get a license. The high-profile traffic incidents last May put the spotlight on widespread cases of people from countries such as China and Vietnam coming to Japan in order to get their licenses converted. The reason for this was that their home countries’ licenses aren’t included in the Geneva Convention’s International Driving Permits, but Japan’s are, so they could use that to be able to drive in a large number of foreign countries.

This trend was made easy not only by the simple tests, but also because a Japanese license could even be obtained by using a hotel’s address. That also ended on 1 October, and now a Juminhyo residence certificate is required for all applicants. It’s too early to see how this will affect the number of examinees, but it will probably be much lower than the nearly 76,000 license conversions conducted last year.

While it’s a bit of a setback for some people trying to get their foreign licenses converted to Japanese ones from here on out, you can at least use our handy guide to getting a driver’s license in Japan to help you with this new test.

Source: Best Car Web, Itai News
Top image: Pakutaso
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Starbucks Japan now offers close-to-closing discounted items through its mobile order app

Usually you have to head to the store to see your options for this win-win-win Japanese shopping custom, but Starbucks has made it extra-easy.

In Japan, there’s a common practice of supermarkets and takeout places discounting leftover items as they get close to closing time. It’s a win-win-win policy, as consumers get to save a little cash, the store gets to make some extra sales, and the reduction in food waste is a plus for the environment too.

Since these discounts are for leftover items, though, you can’t necessarily count on them happening every day, especially if there’s a particular item you’re looking for. You actually have to go to the store to see what, if anything, is marked down that night…unless, that is, you’re looking for close-to-closing discounts at Starbucks Japan.

Because these kinds of discounts are limited to pre-made items with short shelf lives that wouldn’t be able to be sold the following day, Starbucks doesn’t mark down, say, coffee or S’mores Frappuccinos. They do, however, discount things like their sweets, snacks, and sandwiches, something they started doing in 2021 through their Save Food Program. Until now, the discounts were only offered to customers making regular in-store purchases, but beginning this month Starbucks Japan is expanding the program to include close-to-closing discounts on orders made through its Mobile Order and Pay app, letting customers purchase marked-down items before arriving at the branch to pick them up.

When selecting a Starbucks branch to place an order with, a Save Food mark will appear on items with reduced prices. Exact availability and discount timing will vary by branch and day, but Save Food items usually start showing up around three hours before closing time. A portion of Save Food sales is donated to a children’s hunger charity program too, adding one more group to the list of beneficiaries.

Save Food items were added to the Mobile Order and Pay system on December 1 and are in the process of being implemented for Starbucks Japan branches nationwide.

Source: Impress Watch via Hachima Kiko
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Popular Japanese ramen restaurant Ichiran’s lucky bags are great value for money

Even at the cheapest option, you’re getting a fantastic deal.

With its hearty pork bone broth noodles and unique dining experience, whereby customers are able to order, dine, and interact with staff all without saying a single word, Ichiran’s popularity is not surprising. It’s not uncommon at all for lines to sprawl out of the door and around the building.

Our Ichiran-loving Japanese language reporter K. Masami makes it a yearly tradition to check out what the restaurant has in store for fans each year when fukubukuro (“lucky bag”) season comes around.

Lucky bags are a way for Japanese companies to celebrate the new year by filling up a bag with random goods and selling them at a discounted price, often without revealing exactly what is inside.

Ichiran usually sells three types of lucky bags, with this year’s prices being:

● The smallest, Ume (“plum”), at 9,000 yen (US$57.87)
● The medium size, Take (“bamboo”), at 12,000 yen
● And the largest, Matsu (“pine”), at 19,000 yen

Last year, they also included a slightly cheaper “Hana” (“Flower”) size, but it seems that Ichiran has decided to return to its original three this year.

Masami had been thinking she’d want to pick up the Hana lucky bag this year, but since it was unavailable, her quest for more original goods overrode her concerns about a higher price tag, and she opted for the Ume size.

Upon receiving the Ume lucky bag, the first thing that stuck out to her was the box’s original design, which incorporated elements from the “Ramen Focus Booth” in which individual customers sit to enjoy their meals.

▼ On the top left is an image of the chain’s ordering sheet, and on the right, the button to call staff.

Looking into the box, Masami was greeted by an impressive assortment of goods.

First came the food.

▼ Five servings of both Kamadare Tonkotsu and Hakata-style Thin Straight Noodles (usually 2,300 yen each)

▼ Five servings of Curly Noodles (2,150 yen)

▼ Two packs of Fried Tonkotsu Ramen, each containing two servings (a total of 1,160 yen)

With the normal cost of the food reaching 7,910 yen, that leaves only 1,090 yen left until it reaches the value of the Ume lucky bag.
So, what other goodies were included in the box?

▼ A small Ichiran-themed Japanese sake cup, perfect for sipping some alcohol.

Masami was a little bit disappointed on receiving this, since she received one as part of the 2024 lucky bag. However, upon closer inspection, the design was a little bit different. The original cup was designed to be a miniature version of Ichiran’s iconic bowl, however this one uses a horse motif, alluding to 2026 being the Year of the Horse. So, in the end, Masami was pretty pleased with her new adorable variation of the sake cup.

▼ Alongside the original Japanese sake cup

After buying Ichiran’s lucky bags for so many years, Masami has amassed quite the collection of goods, to the extent that she felt that she might just have everything that Ichiran has to offer… until she took the next objects out of the box.

▼ Ichiran chopsticks and a renge spoon

Masami had yet to get a renge spoon, so she immediately tried it out with a bowl of ramen, and it added an extra layer of enjoyment to the experience. Her at-home Ichiran set has quite possibly reached its ultimate form, with the ramen noodles tasting even better than usual.

Rounding off the box, there is also a calendar in the shape of the Ramen Focus Booth, and a message card.

With a lucky bag that is filled to the brim with food that can satisfy your stomach and goods that can make you happy, Ichiran’s lucky bags are truly not to be missed.

▼ The full contents of the lucky bag

They went on sale to the general public on December 2 through the online store, but as of writing this article, only the Take size is left. If you happen to miss out, you can still pick up most of the items through their online store, and perhaps start to create your own at-home Ichiran experience.

Related: Ichiran 2026 Lucky Bag, Online Store
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Japan’s Shinkansen trains are getting a Super Mario makeover【Pics】

Mario is also taking over the Sonic train as part of collaboration with JR.

Mt. Fuji may be the most recognizable natural symbol of Japan, but if we’re throwing man-made ones into the mix, the Shinkansen has to be pretty high on the list, right? The crown jewel of Japan’s rail network represents not only technological innovation, but also the culture’s sense of hospitality towards travelers and how there are cool places to explore at all corners of the country.

Just about the only way the Shinkansen could be more Japanese is if it had Nintendo’s Super Mario plastered all over it…which is just what’s happening soon.

As part of rail operator JR Kyushu’s Let’s Go Kyushu collaboration with the video game franchise, the Kamome Shinkansen is getting a special wrapping in Mario’s red and blue image colors, plus a whole lot of graphics depicting the heroic plumber.

▼ There’s even a Fire Flower-powered-up Mario on Car 5!

But with Mario being one of the most prolific stars of the video game world, one bullet train isn’t enough, and he’ll also be appearing on JR Kyushu’s Tsubame Shinkansen, joined by a gathering of friends and foes that show just how huge the Super Mario cast of characters has grown over its decades as Nintendo’s flagship franchise.

A near-rainbow of Yoshis, the three princesses, and both Donkey and Diddy Kong are along for the ride, and the extended Koopa family has their own car too.

And though they may not be quite as speedy as the Shinkansen, a number of JR Kyushu’s special limited express trains are also getting Mario makeovers: the Relay Kamome, Kasasagi, Kirameki, Midori, and Sonic, the last of which, coincidentally, shares its name with Mario’s one-time rival from Sega.

The artwork for these trains has an especially clever aspect to it, as it’s designed to look like a side-scrolling Super Mario level, complete with Mario making a jump towards the finish flagpole at the end.

You won’t spot these trains along the so-called Tokyo-to-Kyoto “golden route” of the Shinkansen, though. Since this is a JR Kyushu collaboration, the trains’ routes are all contained within Japan’s southwestern island of Kyushu (which is also where you’ll find Japan’s newest Nintendo specialty shop). The red-and-blue Kamome will be run between Nagasaki and Takeo Onsen Stations on the Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen Line, and the Super Mario Tsubame between Hakata (Fukuoka) and Kumamoto or Kagoshima Chuo. The non-Shinkansen limited express trains follow a variety of routes connecting Hakata with Oita, Saiki, Takeo Onsen, Mojiku, Bizen Kashima, Kokura, and Sesebo.

The Super Mario limited express trains are running as of November 29, while the Kamome Shinkansen debuts February 7 and the Tsubame Shinkansen one month later, March 7. Shinkansen schedules have yet to be announced, but specific by-date timetables for the limited express trains are already available on the JR Kyushu website here, from which reservations can also be made. The collaboration is scheduled to last until June 30.

Related: Super Mario x JR Kyushu Let’s Go Kyushu official website
Source: JR Kyushu
Images: JR Kyushu
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Chinese government’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning has heartwarming non-effect on Yokohama Chinatown

Mr. Sato heads to one of Japan’s biggest Chinatowns to see how things are following China’s travel advisory.

The Chinese government recently made a statement telling citizens not to travel to Japan, which was seconded by the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo on November 26. Since the diplomatic spat started, we’ve been making the rounds of some of Japan’s most popular sightseeing destinations and shopping spots to see whether or not the travel advisory is having an affect on the size of tourist crowds, and the next spot on our list was Yokohama’s Chinatown.

Yokohama Chinatown is about 45 minutes south of downtown Tokyo by train. As he made the trip down from SoraNews24 HQ on a Monday morning, our ace reporter Mr. Sato mused over the sort of tourism demographics it attracts. Being so close to Tokyo, you can always count on a large number of Japanese day trippers from the capital, but it’s famous among international tourists too, since it’s one of the largest Chinatowns in Japan, rivaled in size only by Kobe’s and Nagasaki’s. Yokohama Chinatown is also located close to many of Yokohama’s other popular sightseeing spots, almost adjacent to the beautiful seaside Yamashita Park and fashionable Motomachi shopping avenue, and it’s geographically pretty easy to fold into an itinerary that includes the Minato Mirai harbor district or the Cup Noodle Museum. Basically, if you’re an international tourist spending a full day in Yokohama, there’s a pretty good chance you’re going to spend part of it in Chinatown.

And the other thing Mr. Sato was thinking about on the train? Food. Yokohama Chinatown’s biggest draw is its collection of Chinese restaurants and street food stalls, and we can’t rule out the possibility that Mr. Sato quickly volunteered for this assignment because he knew he’d be able to sneak a lunch into his field work.

It’s actually hard to not think about food when arriving in the neighborhood, since Motomachi Chukagai Station, the closest rail stop to Yokohama Chinatown, features several restaurant ads, like the one above for Hotenkaku, a xiaolongbao specialty shop that boasts about its “very long lines” (大行列) of customers.

Heading out of the station and onto the street near one of the gates that marks an entrance to Chinatown, Mr. Sato checked his watch and saw that it was just about 11 a.m. Considering that it was still before noon on a weekday, there were actually quite a lot of people browsing the shops and checking out the restaurants as they sorted through their lunch options, and the crowds got denser as he progressed deeper into the neighborhood down its main street.

The mood was fun and festive, and as he passed by other pedestrians Mr. Sato could hear some of them speaking Chinese. There’s a chance some of them were speaking Taiwanese, and even those speaking Mandarin might be residents of Japan, but in any case, the amount of Chinese he heard being spoken felt about the same as the last time he was in Yokohama Chinatown, which was well before the Chinese government’s recent travel advisory.

As it got closer to lunchtime, even more people started showing up, and Mr. Sato also started noticing Japanese schoolkids in uniform here on field trips too. Eventually he found himself in front of the main branch of Hotenkaku, the xiaolongbao shop with the supposedly long lines, and yep, there were a whole bunch of people waiting to buy some.

Unbeknownst to them, apparently, Hotenkaku has another branch in the neighborhood, one that’s farther away from the station. There was no line at that one, but that might just be because of its less convenient location and because it was a weekday. Regardless of the reason, Mr. Sato recognized this as an opportunity to try a local favorite without having to wait, and treated himself to four of the delicious dumplings.

Hotenkaku wasn’t the only place doing a brisk business on this day, either. Among the other restaurants with huge lunch crowds were Shanghai-style restaurant Jogenro, which had this many people already outside even before they opened for the day…

…and Shatenki, where there was a line out the door of people craving their congee rice porridge.

▼ It’s said that Shatenki has a picture of Santa Claus on their sign because they want the restaurant to become as famous and recognized as St. Nick. They’re not quite there yet, but it definitely does help the place stand out.

It’s hard to say if the Chinese government’s travel advisory has caused a reduction in the number of Chinese tourists in Yokohama Chinatown, since at a glance it can be hard to differentiate them from ethnic-Chinese residents of Japan who’re visiting the neighborhood for the day. However, there’s something we can say a little more definitively after Mr. Sato’s visit, which is that the number of Japanese sightseers in Yokohama Chinatown doesn’t seem to have shrunk at all.

Yes, there’s an increased level of diplomatic tension right now between the Chinese and Japanese governments, but the continued interest from Japanese tourists in Yokohama Chinatown at least shows that most people in Japan are able to keep their feelings towards the Chinese government from having a significant negative effect on their perception of Chinese culture or Chinese people.

Seeing that, it’s heartening to know that while governments may sometimes have beef with each other, most people are more interested in having xiaolongbao.

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Japanese convenience store chain has beer and sake dispensers that few people know about

Shhh…don’t let anyone know we told you about the secrets you can find inside New Days.

Whenever anyone talks about Japanese convenience store chains, they’re usually referring to one of the nation’s top three, Lawson, 7-Eleven and Family Mart. However, locals know there are hidden gems to be found at other convenience stores, and over at New Days, the chain run by East Japan Railways (JR East), you’ll find some branches that have beer and sake servers inside of them.

▼ One such branch is located outside the east exit ticket gates of Tokyo’s JR Iidabashi Station.

This location flies under the radar for most tourists, and even a lot of locals are unaware of the hidden wonders that await beer and sake lovers inside. If you’re after a freshly poured beer, all you have to do is request your drink at the register by saying “nama biiru wo onegaishimasu” (“draft beer please”) and as soon as you pay for it you’ll get a cup, which you should take it over to the beer server at the counter.

After placing your cup on the tray and pressing the button with the beer icon on it, the beer server will automatically hold the plastic cup at an angle and pour the beer for you.

▼ This professionally poured beer only costs 330 yen (US$2.12), which is as cheap as a can of beer from the fridge.

Before requesting your beer at the counter, you’ll want to pick up some snacks to enjoy with it, because once you’ve poured your drink you can take it up to the next floor, where you’ll find an eat-in area for customers.

▼ Like a bar inside a convenience store.

To use the eat-in service, a receipt of 300 yen or more per person is required. Simply scan the QR code on your receipt at the entrance to enter.

The eat-in space is incredibly clean and spacious, with a cafe-like space and a separate workspace area. There are even beautifully clean restrooms, making this a great place to sip on a beer while exploring the city or after a long day at work. Some customers choose to work in the workspace, though, so you’ll want to be sure to keep quiet while using the area.

▼ A great spot for solo customers to unwind with a beer and a book.

After enjoying a draft beer at the Iidabashi store, sake lovers will want to head over to the branch outside the ticket gates of Ecute Ueno Park. because here, in addition to a draft beer server, they also have…

▼ … a sake server!

As the sign says, you can drink from one cup, and there’s a lineup of four different brands to choose from. To use the service, simply head over to the cashier and say “Nihonshuu wo onegaishimasu” (“Sake please”) and they’ll pour your desired tipple into the cup for you.

We ordered a cup of Asahiyama, a pure rice ginjo from Niigata, one of the country’s premier sake-producing regions, and it was utterly delicious and incredibly easy to drink.

▼ At 300 yen, this was another great deal.

The only downside to this location is the fact that there’s nowhere for you to sit and enjoy your delicious sake, but you’re fine to stand near the server and enjoy your tipple, which is a good option if you’re looking for a quick drink on your own or with a colleague after work.

With both the Iidabashi and Ueno branches located a 10-second walk from the ticket gates, they’re a great spot to stop by for a quick drink while riding the rails. Now is the best time to try them out too, while they remain a hidden secret amongst the world of Japanese convenience stores.

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