Japan has just taken the idea of convenience to a new level with a machine that feels almost out of sci-fi movies and cartoons we all loved as kids.
Japanese company Science Inc. has begun selling what it calls the Mirai Human Washing Machine, a full-body automatic bath pod that washes, rinses and dries a person without needing to lift even one finger.
The design made a splash at the Osaka World Expo earlier this year. Now with its formal launch, it entered the market as a real product you can actually use, provided you have access to one — and a very deep wallet.
The pod looks a bit like a cross between a tanning capsule and a capsule hotel bed. You step inside, settle into a reclined seat, and the door seals behind you. Then the machine gets to work, using streams of microscopic bubbles to clean the body down to the pores.
Dirt, oil and dead skin lift away while the user lies back listening to soft music. The system even dries you before you step out, so the whole routine takes around fifteen minutes from start to finish.
Wash your mind and body
Science Inc. isn’t pitching this machine as just a high-tech shower. Company spokeswoman Sachiko Maekura says the Mirai is meant to wash the body and that it “washes the soul”.
To back that claim, the pod is packed with sensors that track heart rate and other vitals, stepping in to slow or stop the process if it detects stress, panic or anything that looks medically risky.
It’s not an entirely new idea. A prototype “human washing machine” drew crowds at the 1970 Osaka Expo, and Science chairman Yasuaki Aoyama remembers seeing it as a child.
Half a century later, he revived the concept with modern hardware, and the updated version was one of the most talked-about attractions of Expo 2025. That enthusiasm convinced the company to build it for real.
How much is it? Where can I buy the automatic shower pod?
The first-generation Mirai isn’t meant for homes. At roughly 60 million yen — about 385,000 dollars — it’s aimed squarely at luxury hotels, spas, resorts and theme parks.
Science Inc. says it will only produce 40 to 50 units to start, each hand-built. One hotel has already placed the first order, and several more buyers are lined up.
“As the technology advances and mass production becomes more feasible, a more affordable home model may be released,” said the company.
