Luggage in Japan: forwarding, lockers and Shinkansen rules

Japan's trains are fast, but its stations are big, its stairs are many and its rush hour is famous. Dragging a large suitcase through Shinjuku at 8am is nobody's idea of a holiday. The good news is that Japan has one of the best luggage delivery systems in the world, and most visitors only discover it halfway through their trip.

Luggage forwarding (takkyubin)

Takkyubin means door-to-door delivery. Yamato Transport (its service is called TA-Q-BIN, with the black cat logo) is the biggest company, and Sagawa Express and Japan Post offer the same thing. Hotels, airports and convenience stores all accept parcels.

How to send a bag from your hotel

1. Ask at the front desk the day before or the morning you leave. Say you want to send your luggage to your next hotel.
2. Fill in the form (staff usually help). Write the next hotel's name, full address and phone number, the name on your booking and the date you check in.
3. Pay at the desk, usually in cash. Some hotels also take cards.
4. Keep the receipt. It has a tracking number you can check on Yamato's English website.
5. Pack a day bag with one night of clothes, chargers and medicine, because the suitcase normally arrives the next day.

Tip: email your next hotel to say a bag is coming. Most hotels are happy to hold luggage before you arrive, but Airbnbs and small guesthouses without a staffed desk often cannot accept deliveries.

How much it costs

These are Yamato's standard rates as of autumn 2026. Shorter trips cost a little less and Hokkaido or Okinawa cost more. Some hotels add a small handling fee.

How long it takes

• Between major cities on Honshu: usually next day, if the bag is collected before the hotel's daily pickup time.
• To Kyushu or Hokkaido: one to two days.
• Same day: only in a few places, such as from Haneda Airport to central Tokyo hotels if you drop the bag off in the morning, and from Kyoto Station to Kyoto hotels.

Airport to hotel, and hotel to airport

Yamato and JAL ABC counters sit in the arrivals halls at Narita, Haneda and Kansai. Send your bags to the hotel and ride the train with just a backpack. For your flight home, send them to the airport at least two days before departure (three in some areas), and collect them at the counter before check-in.

Keep with you: passports, medicine, valuables and anything with a lithium battery, such as power banks.

Coin lockers and luggage storage

Almost every station has coin lockers. Small lockers fit a backpack and large ones fit a medium suitcase, but very large suitcases rarely fit. Many now take Suica or other IC cards instead of coins.

• Busy stations fill up early. Lockers at Kyoto Station, Tokyo Station and Shinjuku are often full by late morning.
• Use a staffed baggage room if lockers are full. Big stations have them, and apps such as ecbo cloak let you store bags at shops and cafes nearby.
• Check out first, then explore. Hotels will almost always hold your bags for the day after check-out, for free.

Shinkansen oversized baggage rule

On the Tokaido, Sanyo, Kyushu and Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen (Tokyo to Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Kagoshima and Nagasaki), bags have a size rule:

If you board with an oversized bag but no reservation, you pay a ¥1,000 fee on board and staff will find a place for it. Sports equipment, musical instruments, strollers and wheelchairs are exempt.

How to reserve: choose a "seat with oversized baggage area" when booking online with the SmartEX app, at a ticket machine, or tell the staff at a ticket office. JR Pass holders can reserve these seats at no extra cost. Book early in busy seasons, because there are only a few per carriage.

How big is 160 cm? A typical large check-in suitcase (about 75 x 50 x 30 cm) is about 155 cm. The biggest 32-inch suitcases are usually over 160 cm. Measure yours before you go.

Other Shinkansen lines, such as the Tohoku and Hokuriku, do not have this rule, but space is still tight. Sending big bags ahead is often easier.

Tips for travelling light

• Plan forwarding around one-night stops. A popular move is to send your suitcase from Tokyo straight to Kyoto, and take only a small bag for a night in Hakone.
• Avoid rush hour with luggage, roughly 7:30 to 9:30am and 5:30 to 7:30pm on weekdays.
• Use the elevators. Look for the elevator symbol on station signs. Lifts can be at the far end of a platform.
• Pack a foldable bag for shopping, so you can send souvenirs home or to the airport too.

For more on getting around, read our cash, cards and IC cards guide, is the JR Pass worth it and Narita and Haneda airport transfers.

Opening hours, prices and transport details change. Check the official sources before you travel: Yamato Transport (TA-Q-BIN).

We check this guide regularly. Prices, rules and services in Japan can change, so confirm with the official sources before you travel. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.