Japan is pretty tight on space, particularly in urban areas, so locals have to get creative with the use of space. What do you do if you want the financial stability of owning a laundromat but want to indulge in your love of organic food and coffee? Luna Cafe Organic & Laundry has a template just for you!
Laundry
When you first walk in, you’ll be greeted by the warmth of humming dryers and clanking laundry machines on the rinse cycle. Everything is controlled from a touch-screen pad on the right of the entrance. They seem to have a fair number of machines available for use – I only counted about half occupied on a Sunday afternoon – and locals will be milling about, sorting and folding their clothes.
One thing I noticed was bags hanging off of machine doors. I wasn’t sure what this was, but I think it might be a variance of putting your basket on top of a top-loading machine to show that you are using it. You can remove clothing if it has finished and place it into said basket, but every laundromat may have its own way of doing things. Be vigilant!
Cafe
Once you walk in through the open doorway on the right, you’ll be at the counter for the cafe portion of the shop. Directly in front of you are some snacks available for sale, such as cookies, that don’t require refrigeration. To your right is the counter where you order, which also hosts the fridge where you can buy a lovely assortment of bear cakes. I didn’t have the money or hunger, so I passed. I did want to try to coffee to see if it was more of a gimmick shop with the bear theming or if they were more selective with their beans.
To your left you’ll see a good amount of seating and the restrooms. I took a seat after ordering a cafe latte in a bear cup. It came out quickly and ice-cold. The bear cups themselves are made of plastic with a screw top and hole for a straw. The hole also has a plug so you can seal it up if you are traveling and don’t want a straw in your drink quite yet.
The latte was fantastic – the beans they used had this wonderful flavor of prunes and stone fruit, the bitterness tempered with the fatty milk. Reading reviews online, their lunch offerings are also extremely good. Not bad for a place attached to a laundry!
If you ever find yourself in Takadanobaba, Luna Cafe Organic is worth your time to visit. Even if you don’t have any clothes to clean, the cakes, lunches, and drinks seem to be more than enough to justify a visit!
Two Second Street 