Japan’s luggage forwarding services (takkyubin/takuhaibin) are one of the great secrets of smooth travel in Japan. Instead of dragging giant suitcases onto crowded trains, buses and station staircases, you can simply send your bags ahead to your next hotel.
Yamoto Kyubin delivery truck © NP27/Shutterstock.com
In most cases, luggage sent between major cities on Honshu (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, etc) arrives the following day. The system is fast, reliable, inexpensive and incredibly easy to use.
Once you start using luggage shipping in Japan, you may never want to travel any other way again.
Typical delivery times to/from Tokyo.
Most luggage sent between major cities on Honshu arrives the following day. More distant destinations like Hokkaido, Kyushu and Okinawa usually take two days.
Quick Answer: How Luggage Shipping Works in Japan
- Send your large suitcase from your hotel, airport or convenience store to your next destination.
- Travel with only a small day bag or backpack.
- Your suitcase usually arrives at your next hotel the following day.
- Typical cost: around US$20 per suitcase between Tokyo and Kyoto.
- Most hotels in Japan can arrange luggage forwarding for guests.
- Scroll down for a detailed explanation of how it works, how long it takes and how much it costs.
Best Uses for Luggage Shipping
- Airport → hotel,
- Hotel → hotel,
- Sending luggage ahead to your next city while you make a one-night stop at a place like Takayama or Hakone carrying just a day bag,
- Traveling light on the shinkansen.
Important Warning
If sending bags to an airport, carefully specify:
- the correct terminal,
- your flight number,
- the correct pickup date.
Japan’s major airports have multiple terminals and you do not want your luggage sent to the wrong one.
Luggage shipping counter at Haneda © Chris Rowthorn.
First: What Not to Do!
Every time we go on the shinkansen (bullet train) or Narita Express (N’EX) train, I’m amazed by the sheer amount of luggage that tourists bring to Japan. Check out this group of tourists waiting to board the shinkansen in Kyoto:
Too much luggage on the shinkansen © Chris Rowthorn.
Here’s another group of people trying to get their luggage onto the N’EX:
Too much luggage on the N’EX © Chris Rowthorn.
And here’s what it looks like when the folks get onto the train. Doesn’t that look like fun? And when the luggage racks are full, you’re going to have to put those big bags where your feet should go, so you’re going to have to assume some sort of yogic posture to fit into your seat.
Too much luggage in the N’EX aisle © Chris Rowthorn.
In addition to the sheer hassle of lugging too much baggage around Japan, the main problem with carrying your big suitcases around the country is the complete lack of space for luggage on most Japanese trains. Here’s a picture of the overhead luggage rack on the shinkansen. There’s just enough room for a small pack that would fit into the overhead bin on an airplane.
Shinkansen luggage rack © Chris Rowthorn.
There’s also enough room for three or four suitcases behind the last row of seats in each shinkansen car. You need to buy a special ticket from a JR ticket office to use this space in reserved cars (you don’t need a special ticket to use this space in unreserved cars). Note that Green shinkansen cars have special luggage racks for suitcases.
Here’s the JR Page on the oversize baggage area on the shinkansen. You can buy tickets to use this area at JR stations in Japan. You can also buy tickets for this space via the JR Online Booking Service if you buy your Japan Rail Pass direct from JR.
Shinkansen behind seat storage © Chris Rowthorn.
You must be thinking: There’s got to be a better way! And, guess what? There is a MUCH better way.
Tokyo Holiday Essentials
- Where To Stay In Tokyo: See our guide to the best areas and the best hotels to stay in Tokyo.
- Things To Do In Tokyo: Check this overview of Tokyo activities with links to all the key information.
- Flights To Tokyo: Find the cheapest flights to Tokyo and flight times from scores of airlines with Skyscanner.
- Tokyo Packing List: Don’t forget to take any of the essentials with our comprehensive Packing List For Japan.
- Travel Insurance: World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Claim online anywhere in the world.
Using Japan’s Luggage Shipping Services
If you look closely at the Japanese traveling on trains, you’ll notice that few of them have big bags. Most have briefcases, knapsacks or handbags. So, where are their big bags? Here’s the secret: They ship their big bags to their destination by one of Japan’s excellent overnight shipping services. These are called takkyubin (宅急便) in Japanese. The most famous of these is Yamato Kyubin, but there are several others and they’re all about the same. There’s a photo of one of Yamato’s trucks at the top of the page.
Japan’s express delivery services are one of the wonders of the modern world: They’re incredibly fast, efficient, reliable, and unbelievably cheap. And they don’t break anything. In short, they’re the exact opposite of so-called “express” delivery services anywhere else in the world.
How Long Does Luggage Shipping Take in Japan?
In most cases, luggage shipped between major cities on Honshu arrives the following day. Between Tokyo and Hokkaido, Kyushu or Okinawa usually takes two days.
Typical delivery times:
- Tokyo → Kyoto: next day.
- Tokyo → Osaka: next day.
- Kyoto → Tokyo: next day.
- Tokyo → Kanazawa: next day.
- Tokyo → Sendai: next day.
- Tokyo → Hokkaido: usually two days.
- Tokyo → Kyushu: usually two days.
- Tokyo → Okinawa: usually two days.
Hotels generally recommend sending luggage one day ahead, meaning you ship your luggage the day before you travel to your next destination. Your luggage travels overnight and gets there before you arrive (in most cases).
Booking Your First Hotel
Before you use the luggage shipping service, you’ll obviously need to know the name and address of the hotel where you’ll be staying. If you’ve not already decided on a hotel, see our Where To Stay In Tokyo guide or simply browse available Tokyo hotels on your chosen dates.
Airport to First Hotel Luggage Shipping
After a long international flight, the last thing most travelers want to do is wrestle a giant suitcase onto trains or buses. Fortunately, Japan’s airports make luggage forwarding extremely easy.
You can either:
- book your luggage delivery service online through an agent like Klook OR
- organise it after landing at the airport.
Look for the takkyubin counters in the arrivals hall. Here are the takkyubin counters at Tokyo’s Narita Airport:
Luggage shipping counters in Narita arrivals hall © Chris Rowthorn.
Here are the luggage shipping counters at Haneda Airport:
Luggage shipping counters at Haneda Airport © Chris Rowthorn.
The staff usually speak some English and can help with:
- paperwork,
- destination details,
- payment.
In most cases, your luggage will arrive at your hotel the following day.
That means you should keep essentials in your day bag, including:
- passport,
- wallet,
- medications,
- chargers,
- toiletries,
- change of clothes.
Once you hand over your suitcase, traveling through Japan suddenly becomes dramatically easier.
Recently, I shipped my suitcase from Haneda Airport directly to my hotel in Kyoto (the excellent Hotel Okura Kyoto). I spent that evening in the comfortable Villa Fontaine Grand Haneda Airport because I was too tired to get on a train to downtown Tokyo. Here I am giving my bags to the people at the luggage shipping counter near the arrivals hall in Haneda Terminal 3.
Chris Rowthorn at the luggage shipping counter at Haneda Terminal 3 © Chris Rowthorn.
The next day I woke up feeling refreshed and I took the shinkansen to Kyoto with nothing but my day bag:
On the shinkansen platform © Chris Rowthorn.
And here’s my suitcase waiting for me in my room at the Okura Hotel Kyoto. I didn’t even have to lug it up to my room. Most hotels will bring your suitcase to your room before you even check in. What could be more convenient than that?
My suitcase in my room at the Hotel Okura Kyoto © Chris Rowthorn.
Warning: Shipping Bags to Your Departure Airport
While Japan’s takkyubin (luggage forwarding services) are fast and reliable, be careful if you ship your bags to your departure airport. If you do so, write the correct airport terminal and your flight number on the takkyubin form. Japan’s big airports have multiple terminals and you don’t want your bags to be sent to the wrong terminal (takkyubin companies have counters in every terminal).
It is safer to hand carry your bags to your departure airport. Or, spend your last night in Tokyo and ship your bags to that hotel then take a cab to Haneda or the Narita Express train to Narita. If you do ship your bags to your departure airport, leave time to chase down your bags if they’ve been sent to the wrong terminal.
How Hotel-to-Hotel Luggage Shipping Works
This is the part many first-time travelers find confusing, but it’s actually very simple.
You bring your suitcase to the front desk of your hotel, usually by around noon (ask at the front desk what the cut-off time is). The hotel ships it to your next hotel. You then travel with only a small backpack or day bag while your large suitcase travels separately.
Your suitcase usually arrives at your next hotel by the following afternoon.
You can also book hotel-to-hotel luggage delivery online with Klook if you wish.
How luggage shipping works in Japan.
This is the classic Japan travel strategy: send your large suitcase ahead and travel between cities with only a small day bag.
Pro Tip: The One-Night Stop Strategy
Experienced Japan travelers often ship their main suitcase directly from Tokyo to Kyoto or Osaka while carrying only a small overnight bag for stops like:
- Hakone,
- Takayama,
- Koyasan,
- Kanazawa.
This makes train travel, buses, station staircases and hotel transfers dramatically easier.
It’s one of the best ways to travel comfortably in Japan.
Suitcases being unloaded at a Japanese hotel © Nattasak Buranasri/Shutterstock.com.
Convenience Store Luggage Shipping
You don’t need to stay at a hotel to use takkyubin. You can also send luggage from:
- convenience stores,
- luggage counters,
- airports.
Most convenience stores in Japan can handle luggage shipping.
Yamoto truck outside a convenience store © Ned Snowman/Shutterstock.com
The staff can usually help fill out the forms. Just try to avoid busy times, since the process can take a few minutes.
How Much Does Luggage Shipping Cost?
Takkyubin pricing depends on:
- bag size,
- weight,
- distance.
As a rough guide, sending a standard suitcase between Tokyo and Kyoto usually costs around ¥3,200 (about US$20). Compared with the stress and inconvenience of dragging heavy bags through Japan, most travelers find this extremely good value.
Luggage shipping receipt © Chris Rowthorn.
You can compare the in-person cost to booking a luggage delivery service online.
How to Pack for Luggage Shipping in Japan
In order to make the best use of luggage shipping services, you need one main suitcase/bag for your heavier and bulkier items, like clothes, etc. And, you need one small day bag (knapsack, shoulder bag, etc) to carry your travel documents, toiletries, a change or undergarments or clothes, your phone and chargers. Here’s the setup that I use when traveling to Japan (note, I took this pic at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport Hotel before flying to Tokyo):
Bag combo © Chris Rowthorn.
Here’s what I keep in my day bag (this is for a warm-weather trip):
- travel documents (passport, etc),
- laptop,
- toiletries and meds,
- glasses,
- pair of socks,
- pair of underwear,
- T-shirt,
- black long-sleeved top,
- earphones,
- folder with some maps, etc,
- book.
Day bag and contents © Chris Rowthorn.
Note that the bag I used for my day bag is a Kingsons anti-theft bag. It’s an awesome bag and it has an incredibly handy smartphone holder on the front shoulder strap that makes it very easy to grab your phone at any time. It’s a mystery how they can sell these great bags for such a cheap price: they only US$68 on Amazon.com. I highly recommend this bag – not just for travel, but for every day use.
Kingsons anti-theft bag
Here’s what I keep in my main, bigger bag. Note that even this isn’t too big because I travel light (and this is for a warm season trip).
- light jacket,
- a change of pants,
- a few pairs of socks,
- a few pairs of underwear,
- two long-sleeved black tops,
- two short-sleeved shirts,
- chargers,
- one pair shorts,
- belt.
Main bag and contents © Chris Rowthorn.
The bag is a “rollie” bag that can convert into a backpack. It was made by the Australian outdoor company Kathmandu. I bought it in Melbourne back in my Lonely Planet days. It’s the best travel pack I ever owned. Unfortunately, they no longer make this model. I wish I had bought three of them!
Other Useful Information
- Book Japan luggage delivery services online via Klook.
- Packing List for Japan.
- Japan Rail Pass Guide.
- How To Buy Shinkansen Bullet Train Tickets.
- How To Make Japan Train Reservations.
- Tokyo Hotels.
- Kyoto Hotels.
Tokyo Vacation Checklist
- ESSENTIALS – For all the essentials in a brief overview, see my First Time In Tokyo guide
- HOTELS – Check Tokyo accommodation availability and pricing on Booking.com and Agoda.com - often you can book with no upfront payment and free cancellation
- WHERE TO STAY – Need tips on where to stay? See my one page guide Where To Stay In Tokyo
- BULLET TRAIN – You can buy shinkansen (bullet train) tickets online from Klook - popular routes include Tokyo to Kyoto, Tokyo to Osaka and Tokyo to Hiroshima
- SIM CARDS – You can buy an eSim to activate in Japan or buy a Japan SIM card online for collection on arrival at Tokyo Narita or Haneda airports. Or rent an unlimited data pocket wifi router
- PACKING LIST – See my comprehensive Packing List For Japan
- FLIGHTS – Compare airline flight prices and timings for the best Japan flight deals. Check my guides to arriving at Narita Airport and at Haneda Airport.
- JAPAN RAIL PASS – If you're visiting more than one city, you might save money with a Japan Rail Pass – see if it's worth it for you
- TRAVEL INSURANCE – World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world
- WANT HELP? – Do you want help planning your trip? Chris Rowthorn and his team of Japan experts at Japan Travel Consulting can help
