Shinkansen oversized baggage rules
You are packing a big suitcase and worry it will not fit on the bullet train.
Food, etiquette and daily basics
Coin lockers or staffed luggage storage
You have a big suitcase, a few free hours before check-in and no idea where to leave it.
A coin locker is quick and cheap for small and mid-size bags, but a large suitcase may not fit and the biggest lockers fill first. Staffed storage takes large bags at a counter, and forwarding sends them ahead so you travel light. Match the option to your bag and your timing.
What is a coin locker?
A coin locker is a rented box in a station. You put your bag in, pay, and keep a key or a code. It suits day bags, backpacks and small suitcases.
Lockers come in several sizes. Read the label on the door, because size and price both go up together.
Will a 28-inch suitcase fit?
Often not in a standard locker. A suitcase of that size, with wheels and a handle, needs the largest size, and those lockers are fewer and fill first at big stations.
Measure your suitcase at home, wheels included. Compare with the label on the locker. If it does not fit, do not force it, since the door will not lock.
Where does full-locker trouble show up?
Full lockers appear at the biggest stations during the middle of the day, in holiday weeks and near tourist exits. Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka stations are the usual places.
Arrive early, check another bank of lockers in the same station and look for a staffed counter. Do not plan a tight schedule that depends on one locker.
When is staffed storage better?
It is better for large or awkward bags, for travellers who dislike coins and codes, and for anything you do not want to wedge into a box. You hand the bag over at a counter and collect it with a ticket.
Check the opening and closing times and the collection deadline before you leave the bag. A bag collected after closing time means a problem.
When should you forward the bag instead?
Forward the bag when you cross several cities, travel with elders or carry a large suitcase on stairs. A forwarding service sends it to the next hotel or the airport, usually for delivery the next day.
Keep a small overnight bag with you. See sending luggage between hotels, forwarding to the airport before a flight and takkyubin from the airport to your hotel.
What should you prepare?
Preparation is quick and saves stress.
- Measure your suitcase, including wheels and handle.
- Carry valuables, passports and medication in your day bag.
- Keep coins or an IC card ready for the locker.
- Read luggage storage after checkout for hotel options.
- For Shinkansen trains, read oversized baggage and reservations.
For lighter packing, see packing light for multi-city Japan. For the city, see Tokyo.
If you will cross several cities with large bags, send us your route and bag sizes. We tell you where a locker is realistic, where to use staffed storage and where to forward the bags.
Keep planning
Sending luggage to the airport before your flight
You land back at the airport tired and want to walk in with one light bag.
Packing light for a multi-city Japan trip
You are moving between cities, and every extra kilo has to be carried up a station staircase.
Sending luggage between hotels: what to check
You are tired of dragging suitcases across cities and want to know if sending them ahead is safe.
Coin locker, the station bag locker
You are dragging a suitcase between hotel checkout and your afternoon plans.
Where to leave bags after checkout
Checkout is at eleven, your flight home is in the evening, and you are holding every suitcase.
Questions travellers ask
Will a 28-inch suitcase fit in a coin locker?
Often not in a standard locker. Lockers come in several sizes, and the largest are fewer and fill first at big stations. Measure your suitcase including wheels, read the size label on the locker, and have a plan B. If the largest locker is full, staffed storage or forwarding is the answer.
What do I do when every locker is full?
Do not queue at one bank of lockers. Look for another bank in the same station, check the staffed counter, or use a storage shop nearby. At busy stations in the middle of the day, full lockers are common, so arrive early or plan the bag to go ahead of you.
Is staffed storage better than a locker?
It is better for large or awkward bags and for travellers who dislike coins and codes. You hand over the bag at a counter and collect it with a ticket. Hours are limited, so check opening and closing times and the collection deadline.
Can I send my bags to the next hotel instead?
Yes. Luggage forwarding by takkyubin sends your suitcase to the next hotel or the airport, usually for next-day delivery. Plan the timing, because you will not have the bag that night. Keep a small overnight bag with you.
What can I leave in a locker?
Clothes and souvenirs, but not valuables, passports or medication. Carry those in your day bag. Read the locker's rules about overnight use, because limits vary by operator and location.
Ready to shape your Japan trip?
Tell us your dates, who is travelling and what you hope to see. We will reply with ideas and a tailored quote.