How I Purchased our First Washing Machine in Japan
If you haven’t yet reached the milestone of buying your first washing machine, read on! There are few pointers at the end.
I’m not saying that I’ve never used a washing machine…
Just that… there was a time I never did, a long time ago, because my mom never believed in using a washing machine when we had perfectly functioning hands!
It all changed when I went to the US for university. I encountered the very simple experience of using a washing machine for the first time. I mean, you just put the laundry in and turn on the switch, right?
I shared my dorm room with a wonderful soul — we’ll call her Lorette. She grew up in the United States, but her family was from the Philippines. I love her! She was very kind, patient and understanding. She taught me most of the basics of life in the U.S. that I just didn’t know — including, how to use a student-card-operated washing machine. She showed me how it’s done: that there’s stuff you need to add, called “detergent” and then if you wish, “fabric softner”.
You must be thinking, “Gosh… which planet were you on?” Well, I thought the same way, but since then, my relationship with washing machines grew and evolved.
I moved into my very own apartment that came with a washing machine and a dryer. We never needed to use a card to operate those; it was more simple and straightforward.
Then I moved to Japan and experienced a whole new world of laundry: the world of coin laundries.
I used to live in a guesthouse in Urawa that had a coin-operated laundry system. My first time trying it out, I thought it might be more straightforward like the washing machine and dryers we used in my rental apartment in the U.S.
Unfortunately, I realized after putting in my laundry in the washing machine that no matter how much I pressed the buttons in Japanese, nothing happened. This was before people used Google for everything and way before any translation apps like Google Lens were popular or even accurate.
So naturally, I thought the machine was broken, and I moved my laundry to another machine. Luckily at that time, another tenant came and when I realized the other machine wasn’t working either, I threw my pride aside and asked the surprised Arab gentleman,
“Are they all broken, or do you know how this thing works?”
He sheepishly smiled and showed me how it’s done. He took a handful of coins from a coin wallet and one by one, slipped in the ¥100 coins. Voila! Like magic, the once ‘broken’ washing machine now worked like a charm.
That’s when I realized it: Coins! You need coins! The washing machines and dryers in that coin-operated laundry system naturally needed coins to work.
Over ten years later, I returned to Japan as a married woman. My husband and I delayed the purchase of our own washing machine because there’s a laundromat near our home. We also had to prioratize purchasing other household items.
The first day we went to the laundromat near our new home, I went prepared with coins because I thought we’d need them from my guesthouse experience. To my surprise, this new brand of laundromats in Japan called Baluko Laundry Place offers the use of different payment methods. You can use coins, but you can also use one of their cards, or you can use their laundry app to pay for your laundry. I was amazed at how much technology had changed things in Tokyo in just ten years!
It is super convenient to use the Baluko app to pay each time you use a washer or a dryer. You just need to add your credit/debit card to the app, or you can even connect to PayPay — the popular e-money service in Japan. After you put your laundry into the washer/dryer, you can pay by scanning the QR code pasted on each machine. The convenience of this laundromat (which is within 10 minutes walk from our home) helped us delay the purchase of our own washing machine. We were able to manage well without a washing machine for almost a year, because of Baluko’s proximity and convenience.
However, as we close in on another summer in Japan, my husband agreed that it was finally time to purchase our own washing machine… and he handed over the responsibility of purchasing a new one to me! His only requirement was that it would be within a certain budget he specified.
My first requirement was that it would be a new machine. I tend to go for new items when it comes to long-term use devices. It’s just a preference I have. I’ve faced the arguments regarding depreciation and how much cheaper a used product is — but this one thing, I can’t let go. Not for a device I’d ideally like to use for over 5 years.
Within these two requirements, I started my search to find a good deal but I quickly realized I didn’t know enough about what I need to look for in a washing machine.
I knew how to use one, but I didn’t know what to look for, when buying one.
So I started researching what I should look for when buying a washing machine in Japan, and one of the simplest pieces of advice I came across was this: It all depends on what you are looking for.
That might seem obvious, but hear me out.
Get Chamathka Kangara’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
The search for the perfect washing machine really depends on what makes it perfect for YOU!
What I like and what I need for my living environment certainly won’t suit someone else if their preferences and living environments are different.
Do you prefer a washing machine that’s energy efficient? Does it matter to you that the washing machine might use more electricity or more water? Or are you wealthy enough that a few ¥1000 here or there won’t matter? In that case, it might not matter to you whether a washing machine has an inverter or not. However if energy efficiency and efficient use of water matter to you — then you may want to look for a washing machine that has an inverter.
This means even when trying to purchase a washing machine, you have to take some time to think about what matters to you in a washing machine and what are things that you’d like to have but aren’t deal breakers.
In the end of all my research, I narrowed things down to two lists (yes, I love lists!):
My “Must Haves” and My “Nice to Haves”.
By outlining these, I felt much more prepared to choose the best washing machine for us.
My “Must Haves”
These are the features I simply cannot compromise on. They form the core of what I expect from a modern, efficient washing machine.
My “Nice to Haves”
These are the features that aren’t strictly necessary but would definitely enhance the convenience and overall experience of doing our laundry.
Curious why these are in my must-have and nice-to-have lists? You can read more about it by clicking this link.
By outlining these, I felt much more prepared to choose the best washing machine for us.
The first thing I did after compiling this list was to select where I was going to purchase our washing machine. Since I like to buy my long-term items new, my usual favourites when it comes to buying electronics in Japan are Amazon, Bic Camera & Yamada denki. To me, these are trustworthy and convenient online stores. Bic Camera and Yamada denki have show rooms all across Japan, so you can visit them in person too. They give warranties in addition to the manufacturer warranties, have point systems that are useful for future purchases, along with delivery and assembly services. They also feature customer reviews which makes it easier to guage the value of the product and trustworthiness of a certain seller (in the case of Amazon) or a manufacturer. You can use these platforms in English — which also works great for someone with only conversational Japanese skills (I use them with Google Translate on Chrome. I’m not sure how the experience would be on other web browsers).
Out of the hundreds of washing machines available on these platforms, the first way I narrowed things down was by using these two conditions:
- I searched only for New Products
- I searched for products less than the specified budget value my husband gave me
Once the platforms started showing me products that fit these two conditons, I started checking my list to strike out the washing machines that didn’t meet the “Must have” conditions.
This further narrowed down my choices. I ended up with about 5 options.
From these 5, the way I made my final decision was choosing the machine that met the most “nice to haves” while also having a high review score. The brand name can also be taken into account when making this final decision, to guage the value and longevity of the product based on past performance of the manufacturer.
I discussed my findings and final choice with my husband, and he was happy with it! And that’s how we ended up purchasing our very first washing machine in Japan!
What features are on your must-have or nice-to-have list?
I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
**Disclaimer**
As this is a personal blog, please note that any views or opinions represented here are personal and belong solely to Chamathka. It does not represent the views or opinions of people, institutions or organizations that she may or may not be associated with in a professional or personal capacity unless explicitly stated.
The content of this article is based on personal thoughts, experiences and opinions. Any facts shared would be included with necessary references if required. The content shared is meant to inspire, encourage, empathize and connect with readers. The author condemns the use of this article to incite hate speech, violence or any legal/illegal activity that can harmfully affect another person/organization.
