Luggage Storage in Japan: Coin Lockers, Shinkansen Rules and Forwarding

Prices last checked: October 2026

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Japan is easy to travel around, but big suitcases are not. Stations have long corridors and stairs, trains get crowded, and check-in is often not until 3pm. There are good fixes for this: coin lockers, staffed storage counters, booking apps, and Japan's excellent luggage forwarding services. Here's how each one works and when to use it.

Coin lockers: sizes, prices and payment

Almost every train station, and many shopping centres and tourist sites, has coin lockers. They come in roughly three sizes.

Prices vary by operator and station and are usually charged per calendar day, not per 24 hours. Busy tourist stations tend to cost more, so check the price on the locker.

How to use them

• IC card lockers: newer lockers have a touch screen and accept Suica, PASMO, ICOCA or other IC cards. You tap your card to lock the door and tap the same card again to open it, so you don't need a key or receipt. Some also accept cash and give you a printed PIN code.
• Older key lockers take ¥100 coins only. Carry change, or break a note at a convenience store.
• Time limits: most station lockers allow storage for a few days, often up to about three. After that, staff remove the contents, and getting them back takes paperwork and a fee.
• Note the location. Big stations have dozens of locker banks. Photograph the locker number and the nearest exit sign.

The availability problem

The weak spot is large lockers at major hubs such as Tokyo, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Kyoto and Osaka. There are relatively few of them, and on weekends and in peak seasons they're often all taken by late morning. Some major stations have screens or online maps showing which locker banks have space, but you can't reserve a locker in advance. If you arrive with a full-size suitcase at a busy time, don't count on finding a locker.

Staffed storage counters

Many big stations, airports and department stores have staffed luggage counters, often run by delivery companies or tourist information centres. Look for "Baggage Storage" or "Hands-Free Travel" signs. They usually take large and odd-shaped items that don't fit in lockers. Many can also send your bag on to your hotel or the airport. The downsides are limited opening hours, often closing in the early evening, and the fact that bags usually have to be collected the same day. Check the hours before you drop off.

Your hotel is the other free option. Most hotels in Japan will hold luggage before check-in and after check-out at no charge, even if your room isn't ready.

Luggage storage apps and booking services

Storage booking services let you reserve space at partner shops, cafés, hotels and lockers near stations and sights. Because you book in advance, you're not gambling on a free locker. These spots also take suitcases of any size.

Radical Storage (opens in a new tab) lists hundreds of spots in Tokyo and dozens in Osaka and Kyoto. Its listed prices start at around a few hundred yen per bag per day, plus a per-bag service fee. Radical Storage says the fee includes a damage, theft and loss guarantee (check the current coverage limit and terms when you book). Bookings can usually be cancelled free of charge before the drop-off time. The total often costs more than a small locker, but it's comparable to or cheaper than a large one, and it's guaranteed. Check the current price for your location.

• Pros: you can reserve ahead, there's no size limit, there are many locations near stations, and English booking is available.
• Cons: each spot keeps its host's opening hours, so a shop may close before a late train. Prices vary a lot by location.

Japanese services such as ecbo cloak work in a similar way, so compare a couple if you need a specific spot.

Compare luggage storage spots near your station on Radical Storage (opens in a new tab)

Big suitcases on the Shinkansen

This rule catches many visitors. On the Tokaido, Sanyo, Kyushu and Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen (Tokyo to Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Kagoshima and Nagasaki), bags are grouped by their total dimensions (length + width + height).

• The reserved seats are in the back row of each car, with space behind the seats for your bag. You can book them online on the official JR sites, at ticket machines, or at ticket counters, including with a JR Pass.
• Since July 2025, JR Central and JR West have been trialling the deck-area oversized baggage compartments (cars 3, 5, 7, 9, 13 and 15 on 16-car trains) as storage you can use without a reservation, locked with an IC card. Space is limited and the trial terms can change, so the safest option for a large suitcase is still to reserve an oversized baggage seat.
• Strollers, sports equipment and musical instruments are exempt from the rule.
• Other Shinkansen lines run by JR East (Tohoku, Hokuriku, Joetsu and others) don't currently have the same mandatory reservation system, but luggage space is still first come, first served. Check JR's site before you travel, as rules change.

Measure your suitcase, including the wheels and handle. A typical 28–30 inch suitcase is usually over 160 cm in total.

Takkyubin: send your luggage ahead

Many travellers think this is the best part of Japanese logistics. Delivery companies, mainly Yamato Transport (TA-Q-BIN) and Sagawa, pick up suitcases from hotels, convenience stores and airport counters. They deliver them to your next hotel or the airport, usually the next day. You travel light on the train with a daypack.

Based on Yamato Transport's published standard TA-Q-BIN rates in October 2026; cashless payment is slightly cheaper. Size is the total of length, width and height, and most 28–30 inch suitcases fall in the 180 or 200 band. Ask at the counter for the exact rate.

• Hotel to hotel: ask the front desk the morning you check out. Most hotels handle the form and pickup. Make sure your next hotel knows a bag is coming, and send it so it arrives by the time you check in.
• To the airport: send it at least about two days before your flight, or more from remote areas. You collect it at the courier's counter in the departure hall. Keep your passport and anything you need overnight with you.
• From the airport: counters in the arrivals halls at Narita, Haneda, Kansai and other big airports will deliver to your hotel, usually the next day. Pack a small overnight bag.
• Same-day delivery is available in some cities and from some stations if you drop off in the morning.

If you prefer to book everything in English before you go, airport-to-hotel delivery services can be booked online. These include Tokyo hotel and airport luggage delivery on Klook (opens in a new tab). Compare the price with the counter rate, as booking ahead usually costs more.

Which option should you use?

• Arriving before check-in: leave your bag at your hotel. That's free. See also getting from Narita or Haneda into Tokyo.
• Day trip between hotels, for example stopping in Kamakura or Nara on the way: a locker if you're travelling light, or a reserved storage spot for a big suitcase.
• Tokyo to Kyoto with large suitcases: forward them by takkyubin, or reserve an oversized baggage seat.
• Last day before an evening flight: send your bags to the airport two days earlier, or store them near your final station.

FAQ

Can I pay for coin lockers with a card?

Many newer lockers accept IC cards such as Suica or PASMO. Few accept credit cards directly, and older lockers take only ¥100 coins. See cash or card in Japan.

Do I need to reserve a seat for my suitcase on the Shinkansen?

Only on the Tokaido, Sanyo, Kyushu and Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen, and only for bags with total dimensions of 161–250 cm. Smaller bags need no reservation.

How long can I leave a bag in a coin locker?

Usually up to a few days, depending on the operator. After that, the contents are removed and held, and you have to pay the overdue fees to get them back.

Is luggage forwarding safe and reliable?

Takkyubin is widely used by Japanese travellers and is generally very reliable. Avoid packing valuables, medicine or fragile items, and keep your receipt.

Bottom line

For short stops, use a coin locker. If you have a big suitcase in a busy city, reserve a storage spot rather than hunting for a free locker. For moving between cities, takkyubin is the easiest way to travel. Riding the Tokaido, Sanyo or Kyushu Shinkansen with a big suitcase? Book the oversized baggage seat when you buy your ticket.

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