If we want to do our own laundry in Tokyo, what tips can you offer? Are there laundry mats and are they easy to find? Plentiful?Are they easy to use for English-speaking Americans?

In a word, NO, don't try it. It's not easy, they aren't in English, in fact, as I recall some years ago when I walked in with the same idea, they were utterly incomprehensible. Have the hotel do your laundry for you, or get s local to take you through it.

I cannot tell you about laundromats in Tokyo as we did not use one there. However we did use one in Kyoto recently and while there were no English instructions a washer and dryer is not that difficult to work out. My wife and I have done laundry in many different countries without knowing much of the language and always there is someone there (someone who works there or someone else doing laundry) who can help you. Your hotel concierge can help you find a laundromat. I do not think laundromats are plentiful. Take a taxi to the laundromat. Having your hotel do your laundry will cost you a fortune.

Yes, agreed, it will cost you a fortune for the hotel to do your laundry, but EVERYTHING in Tokyo costs a fortune, so it isn't that different from anything else you'll have to do there!

How about trying so called "coin-laundry"?

You can find this kind of unattended self-service shops around residential districts, but may hardly find them in central area.

Be sure to have several 100JPY coins, and someone there will help you to use them.

These coin operated laundries are not that expensive and do require 100 yen pieces. Having your hotel do your laundry will cost you about $20/slacks, $10/shirt, $2 -$5 each for socks, and underwear. Japan is expensive but you can stay at a luxury hotel for $300, and eat decently for $10 to $20/ meal. Everything does not have to cost a fortune and one way to save $100's is to do your own laundry. Whether it is worth your time to do laundry is another matter and dependent on your finances.