Unstaffed massage parlor pops up in Tokyo
Japan is like a whole new world since the coronavirus pandemic, with unprecendented advances in cashless payment methods leading to a surge in unstaffed stores. Some of these stores specialise in frozen gyoza, sweets, used clothing, and even home appliances, but now we've encountered something that was beyond even our imagination…
▼ …an unstaffed massage shop.
This store, located in the Kanda area of Tokyo, is actually part of a chain called Mujin Massage-ya Chokoma (Unstaffed Massage Shop Chokoma), which currently has eight 24-hour locations around Tokyo, and one each in Yamagata and Yamanashi prefectures.
The Kanda store is in a very convenient location about a one‑minute walk from the north exit of JR Kanda Station, and a visit will cost you just 300 yen (US$2.05) for every 10 minutes.
If you're wondering how an unstaffed massage parlor works, then this instructional sign has all the answers. After removing your shoes, you'll need to slide into the massage chair, pay with coins or a cashless option, and then enjoy your massage.
▼ Yes, the massage here is provided by a chair.
Japanese massage chairs are known for being high-tech wonders of technology that effectively reduce muscle tension and leave you feeling light and refreshed. There are two chairs inside this unstaffed store, each an Anma‑ō IV, which costs around 580,000 yen ($ 3,958.71 ). While luxury chairs like these would normally be found in pristine surroundings, when our reporter Mr Sato stepped inside to ease his stress, he felt his blood pressure rise as he laid eyes on a pile of trash left behind by customers.
After initially wondering why nobody had ever thought to start up a chain of unstaffed massage parlors before, this pile of trash gave him his answer. While food and drink are supposedly prohibited inside here, with no staff around to keep an eye on things, visitors can easily flout the rules. Plus, no staff means nobody to clean up, except perhaps for scheduled times during the day, so there's a high chance that discarded snack wrappers and plastic bottles might pile up like this, especially with no trash cans onsite. Unlike unstaffed shops that simply sell products, a massage shop also requires hygiene management, making it a harder type of business to run in unstaffed form.
The mess left Mr Sato in need of stress relief, so doing his best to ignore it, he slid into the chair and popped 300 yen into the coin slot.
▼ Alternatively, you can scan the QR code with your phone to access the dedicated site and pay by a cashless method.
After paying, there are four courses to choose from: Omakase (leave it up to the machine), Zero Gravity, Cradle, and Relax. Being an adventure seeker, Mr Sato chose the Zero Gravity course.
▼ You can customise the massage speed and strenth, and where you'd like 'もみ' (kneading) and 'たたき' (striking) massage methods as well.
Mr Sato chose not to fiddle with the details, leaving the chair to do its thing, but that meant the kneading strength ended up being surprisingly strong, turning the massage into an endurance session.
▼ No gain without pain, Mr Sato!
Agony aside, after 10 minutes Mr Sato's body felt much lighter, giving him a newfound respect for the wonders of the massage chair. As he left the store, he found himself wishing there were more of these unstaffed massage parlors around town so he could hop in and out whenever he felt like destressing from the daily grind. If they can just find a way to clean up the trash and keep things tidy, then these would be the perfect hideaway.
Site information Mujin Massage-ya Chokoma, Kanda North Exit Branch / 無人マッサージ屋 ちょこま 神田北口店 Address: Tokyo-to, Chiyoda-ku, Uchi‑Kanda 3‑3‑19‑9 Kanai Kanda Ekimae Building 1F, Room 2 東京都千代田区内神田３丁目３-１９-９ 金井神田駅前ビル1階2号室 Open: 24 hours
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