CityLab Daily

In Japan, the Bathroom Doubles as a Laundry Dryer

Also today: The world’s first museum of homelessness opens in London, and coworking is moving to the suburbs.

This vent device, installed in the ceiling of many bathrooms in Japans, doubles as a powerful clothes dryer. 

Photographer: Eddy Duan/Bloomberg

I took my first trip to Japan last month, and I went in expecting to observe a few ways the country has mastered urban living. But I was not expecting the most surprising innovation to be inside the bathroom of my Tokyo rental apartment.

That’s where I discovered a room where you can hang your clothes up to have them gently blown dry in just hours.