An oasis in the city center? Get a car wash at the Shuto Expressway parking area. (Nihonbashi, Chuo City)

"I'm in the mood to wash the car today!"

"I'm in the mood to wash the car today!" Even when you get that urge, there are surprisingly few places in Tokyo where you can wash your car yourself. There are a few if you drive out to the suburbs, but going to the trouble of getting on the highway just for that is quite a hassle.

Gas stations in the city center have wash bays, but they’re often lined with gleaming luxury cars, which can be a bit intimidating. For those of us who prefer doing it ourselves, the lack of casual, accessible spots is a common Tokyo struggle.

It’s like an oasis in the city.

When that happens, I remember the car wash space in the basement of the Shutoko Parking Nihonbashi-Kabutocho. The name might make you think, "Is it on the highway?", but it's actually just a corner of a public parking lot under the elevated expressway, and it's a convenient spot that anyone can use freely.

It’s just a three-minute drive after exiting the Shuto Expressway at the Edobashi Exit. Once you pass through the Nihonbashi intersection and weave through the office buildings of Kabutocho, a quiet slope leading underground appears right before your eyes.

Beyond that slope, it’s so quiet you’d never believe the bustling city was just above you! It’s like an oasis in the city. Being underground, you don't have to worry about the sun or the wind. It’s the perfect environment for washing your car.

The perfect place to freshen up your car

The parking lot is equipped with water and a hose, and it’s a nice bonus that you can wash your car by hand for just the parking fee of 250 yen per 30 minutes. Even if you take an hour to carefully wipe it down, it only costs around 500 yen—a single coin. This kind of casual convenience in the city center is quite rare.

Gently rinsing away the dust caked onto the body and polishing it with a cloth—the sensation is just like "taking care" of your own car. Each time you polish it, each time you touch it, your attachment grows. It’s a feeling you just can’t get with a rental car; it’s special because it’s your own!

Every time I wipe away the water droplets and see my car shining happily, I feel my own mood brightening up as well.

Once you’ve spruced up your freshly cleaned car, you could even park at a meter around the Nihonbashi area nearby and take a break at a cafe. That sounds like a pretty good way to spend the day. To be able to enjoy such quiet time in the heart of the city—it feels like a bit of a treat.