Reinventing the Coin-Operated Laundry

This series follows Dentsu Inc.'s 'Company Design' team as they uncover the secrets behind vibrant companies with 'originality.' In the 36th installment, we introduce OKULAB, a company continuously driving innovation in the coin laundry industry.

OKULAB operates the coin laundry "Balco Laundry Place" (hereafter Balco). To those with the image of a traditional coin laundry, it might not look like one at first glance. It's not just the appearance. The user experience and the entire system are completely different from coin laundries of the past. It's no exaggeration to call it the reinvention of the coin laundry. We asked Mr. Kubota, President of OKULAB and the mastermind behind it, directly about this innovative concept.

Written by: Hideaki Morohashi (Dentsu Inc. BXCC)

Mr. Atsushi Kubota, Representative Director and CEO, OKULAB
Born in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture. After graduating from university, he joined Adidas Japan as a new graduate.
Founded an agricultural IT venture in 2010, which he sold within two years. Gained experience at Sony Pictures Entertainment in 2012, then built the foundation for his current laundry business at Haier Asia starting in 2014. Sensing business potential in latent user needs, he founded OKULAB Inc. in 2016.

Bringing innovation to everyday life

Despite being a service deeply tied to the daily routine of laundry, the coin laundry industry often features old-fashioned stores that are "old, dirty, and small" – places many people tend to avoid. President Kubota explains, "Given the quality of the hardware like the machines, I felt that by taking a customer-centric approach and creating stores that are more inviting, easier to use, and more comfortable, the market could significantly expand from a macro perspective and become a game-changer, especially considering the future of society and Japan's population." "There are no major players driving the market in the coin laundry industry yet, so I saw this as an opportunity," he explains.

His previous employer, Haier Asia, held a large market share as an appliance manufacturer but couldn't create the actual stores that interact with end-users. That's why he decided to start his own venture.

The author has personally used Barco and recalls being greatly impressed by the convenience of connecting laundry with communication—such as checking the washing machine's status via smartphone and cashless payment options. What was even more intriguing was how DX plays a significant role not only for user convenience but also from a franchise management perspective. It reportedly contributes greatly to cost reduction and productivity improvement through functions like detergent replenishment scheduling and sales management.

However, the fusion of laundry and communications alone doesn't seem to be the sole driving force behind Balco's rapid growth. There must be something more fundamental at its core. While pondering this, I recalled President Kubota's words: "We are completely dedicated to our users." I felt that was the answer. This article will delve deeper into that point.

Time flows differently at Balco

What sets Balco apart is the very nature of time flowing within it. While "user experience" sounds like marketing jargon, I deliberately define it as time. The design of the time spent waiting for laundry to finish is entirely different from others.

President Kubota's vision—"Precisely because laundry is an inseparable part of daily life, we want customers to find joy in it"—is realized through meticulous attention to detail. It starts with a clean, open space and extends to delicious coffee, the color scheme of the signage, the fonts used—every element is imbued with a spirit of service. Everything chosen with the user in mind becomes a component of Balco's time. And as the final piece of this design, the moment of encountering fluffy, freshly laundered clothes awaits. That is the design of time.

"The cafe at our flagship Barco store in Yoyogi-Uehara has become a gathering spot for moms from the nearby kindergarten. They don't seem to feel like they're in a laundromat at all (laughs)." This anecdote, unimaginable in the dim, cluttered, and chaotic image of traditional laundromats, speaks to the success of this time design.

Public Over Luxury

Let's delve deeper into President Kubota's approach to connecting with users. "Rather than being something luxurious, I want it to be something that carries the scent of everyday life. I think coin laundries are very public spaces." It's not just about creating a stylish laundry. It's about the awareness that it's fundamentally part of life, part of the daily infrastructure. This is a perspective that can only emerge from truly connecting with users.

"Laundry is essential to life. It's necessary for everyone, regardless of age or gender. People gather at coin laundries, exchanging nods with familiar faces and sharing tips on how to use the machines." This philosophy also led to the opening of a store within "Watashino," a disaster-preparedness complex in Koshimizu Town, Hokkaido, which features a laundry located inside the town hall building.

"Regarding the store interior and various designs, we aim for something that won't feel unnatural even 50 years from now. We consciously avoid being overly stylish, focusing instead on blending into the town. Excessively chasing trends leads to people getting bored. Our job is to provide a place that's easy to enter and relaxing." What should a laundry be like for the people who live there? What can it do? At the core of Barco, no matter how far you go, lies that question.

A group reinventing coin laundries with excitement

Why is OKULAB so innovative in advancing its business? At the end of our conversation, we also heard a bit from Barco's "management" perspective. The answer was that every employee embraces OKULAB's five core values: "Cut through the wind and lead the way," "Work that excites the heart," "Everything has a reason," "Fair play is the strongest," and "Never forget your original aspirations." No matter how talented someone is, they cannot board the OKULAB ship without resonating with these values. That's precisely why such a strong organization exists.

President Kubota, in particular, consciously focuses on "Work That Excites the Heart" every day. "Don't we all want to do work that excites our hearts? Otherwise, we can't keep delighting others." A group that reinvents laundromats while feeling excited exists in this country. ...How thrilling is that?

Business always exists as an extension of someone's everyday life.

Before this interview, I thought Balco elevated laundry into some kind of extraordinary activity. But as I listened, I realized that was a misinterpretation. Precisely because laundry is an inseparable part of daily life, a symbol of the everyday, they make it a little better. They stay close to people, striving to improve their daily lives. There's much to learn from this approach. Because no business can be conceived of as separate from someone's everyday reality.

Visit OKULAB's website here.

This series explores the secrets behind "vibrant companies" possessing "originality," investigated by Dentsu Inc.'s "Company Design" team. In the 36th installment, we introduced OKULAB, a company bringing new value to the familiar, long-standing business model of coin laundries.

See Season 1 of the series here.
The "Company Design" project site is here.

[Editor's Note]

At the end of our interview, I posed this question to President Kubota: Cooking, cleaning, laundry. These seem like the three most troublesome household chores. What's the difference between cooking/cleaning and laundry? His answer was simple: "It's mental, I suppose."

Cooking and cleaning are essential acts for survival. They're done instinctively or for someone else. In contrast, while laundry is also essential for living, President Kubota emphasized that the mental aspect—the desire to cleanse your mind and body—is crucial.

That makes sense, I thought. Freshly laundered clothes, fluffy towels, that soft, pleasant scent lingering in the air. That indescribable feeling of refreshment is something everyone should experience. It's an experience unique to laundry, different from cooking or cleaning. Now, how can we further enhance that time and space? That's what OKULAB is working on.