Luggage Delivery in Japan: Hotel to Hotel, Airport Forwarding and Storage (2026 Prices)

Sending your luggage from hotel to hotel is the easiest way to move between cities in Japan. You hand your suitcase to the front desk the night before, and it is already waiting at your next hotel the following day, so you can ride the Shinkansen and sightsee empty-handed. This guide uses the October 2026 rates on the Yamato Transport (ヤマト運輸) website to cover luggage delivery prices, how to measure your bag, the counter steps, and how to send bags to the airport, use same-day delivery and store luggage.

How do you send luggage from hotel to hotel in Japan? 5 steps

The short answer: the day before, tell the front desk "Takkyubin de onegaishimasu" (宅急便でお願いします), fill in the waybill (送り状), pay, and collect the bag at your next hotel the following day.

"Takkyubin" (宅急便, also written Ta-Q-Bin) is Yamato Transport's parcel delivery brand, and the front desks of most hotels in Japan can accept it. The usual process is:

1. Go to the front desk before early evening the day before. Say you want to send luggage to your next hotel. Many hotels have a pickup cut-off time, and if you are too late the bag may not leave until the day after.
2. Fill in the waybill (送り状). Write the next hotel's name, address and phone number in the recipient field, and add your name in English (matching the booking) and your check-in date (for example "10/25 チェックイン") next to the recipient (お届け先).
3. Choose the size and pay. Staff will measure the bag. Most hotels take cash, and some accept cards.
4. Keep the receipt slip. It has the tracking number, which you can use to check delivery progress on the Yamato website.
5. Give your name when you check in. The next hotel normally receives the bag first and hands it over at check-in.

How much does Takkyubin cost? 2026 rate table

The short answer: Takkyubin is priced by the total of the three sides plus weight, and by the distance between sender and recipient. A size 160 bag from Kanto to Kansai costs 3,160 yen in cash.

According to the Yamato website, Takkyubin accepts sizes 60 to 200, with the three sides totaling up to 200 cm, weight up to 30 kg and the longest side up to 170 cm; rates were revised on October 1, 2025^[2]. The following are cash prices for parcels sent from Kanto (Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba and so on)^[1]:

Sending a size 160 bag from Kansai (for example Kyoto to Osaka) costs 3,020 yen, and Kyoto to Tokyo is 3,160 yen, the same as Tokyo to Kyoto^[1]. If you take the bag to a Yamato service center or convenience store yourself, you get 100 yen off per item^[2].

How do you measure a suitcase?

Add up the length, width and height of your suitcase, including wheels and handle, to get the Takkyubin size. Weight must fit too: a bag with sides totaling 150 cm that weighs 26 kg counts as size 180. Measure it with a tape at home before you leave to avoid a surprise at the counter.

Sending luggage to the airport: how to use Airport Takkyubin

The short answer: send your bag 2 days before departure to the airport you will fly from, and pick it up at the airport counter on the day you leave. The fare includes a 660 yen airport fee.

According to Yamato's Airport Takkyubin guide^[3]:

• When to send: before the cut-off time 2 days before departure (3 days in some areas). The cut-off time depends on where you hand the bag in.
• Delivery: the bag reaches major airports around Japan the day before you leave, and it goes to your departure airport, not your arrival airport.
• Pickup: collect it at the partner counter at the airport on the day of departure, then check in and drop it off with your airline.
• Cost: the regular Takkyubin fare plus a 660 yen airport fee.
• Limits: you cannot choose a time slot or use cash on delivery for airport shipments, and packages of 30 kg or more are not accepted.

If your last night is in central Tokyo and you fly home from Narita or Haneda the next afternoon, you can send the big bag to the airport three days before your flight and spend your last two days sightseeing with just a day bag. In the other direction, you can also send your bag to your hotel from the Yamato counter right after you land and go sightseeing first.

Same-day delivery: send in the morning, arrive by evening in Kyoto, Osaka and Haneda

The short answer: drop the bag at a designated counter in the morning and it reaches a hotel in the same city that day, which suits anyone who wants a full day out after checking out.

Yamato offers same-day delivery without a reservation at some airports and stations^[4]. Sample prices on its website: from Haneda Airport to Tokyo's 23 wards, 5,780 yen per size 160 bag; from the Kyoto Station service counter to central Kyoto, 3,470 yen per size 160 bag.

Yamato service centers in Kyoto (such as Kyoto Station Center and Shimogyo Center) have their own price list for same-day delivery and next-day delivery to Kansai Airport. If you complete the procedure before 10:00 a.m., the bag arrives the same day in designated areas of Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe, or at Kansai Airport by 7 a.m. the next morning^[5]:

Same-day delivery only goes to hotels with a front desk that can accept luggage. In Kyoto it is limited to Shimogyo, Nakagyo, Minami and Higashiyama wards, and in Osaka to areas such as Kita, Chuo and Naniwa wards, and delivery times vary by area^[5]. When planning, see where to stay in Kyoto; staying in an area covered by same-day delivery is the most convenient.

Luggage storage in Japan: station counters and coin lockers

The short answer: if you want a half day of sightseeing after checkout, use a Yamato storage counter at the station or a coin locker, and look for a staffed counter for large suitcases.

• Staffed storage counters: Yamato has storage counters at stations and in shopping districts. No reservation is needed, you collect the bag during the same day's opening hours, and the number of days you can leave it depends on the counter^[5]. Storage at the Kyoto service centers costs 1,000 yen per item per day.
• Coin lockers: stations have many, but large sizes are few and are often full before noon on weekends. Prices vary by station and size, so check the sign on site; many accept transit IC cards.
• Hands-Free Travel counters: in 2015 the Japan Tourism Agency introduced a common "Hands-Free Travel" (手ぶら観光) logo. Counters displaying it offer luggage storage or delivery with support in foreign languages^[6].

Common mistakes and pre-trip reminders

• Do not send power banks or lithium batteries. They are not suitable for parcel delivery and can only go in carry-on bags on flights, so always carry them yourself.
• Keep your passport, cash and medicine in your day bag. Takkyubin's liability limit is 300,000 yen per item^[2], so it is safest to carry valuables yourself.
• Expect delays at year-end and during holidays. Parcel volumes are high around New Year and Japanese holiday periods and delivery can take longer. If you are traveling over New Year, see the Japan New Year guide and allow an extra day.
• Check guesthouse acceptance first. An unstaffed guesthouse may not be able to accept parcels, so it is more reliable to send the bag to a nearby Yamato service center and pick it up there.
• Travel light from Taiwan. For travelers flying from Taiwan (Taoyuan, Songshan, Taichung or Kaohsiung), the checked baggage allowance on direct flights to Japan depends on the airline and fare class. If you plan to shop a lot, you can gather your purchases into one box and send it to the airport before you fly home.

An example of how to put it together: for 3 nights in Tokyo, 2 in Kyoto and 2 in Osaka, you can send your big bag to your Kyoto hotel on your last night in Tokyo, use same-day delivery on the morning you check out in Kyoto to send it to your Osaka hotel, and use Airport Takkyubin two days before you fly home to send it to Kansai Airport, so you hardly drag a bag at all. For where to stay in each city, see where to stay in Tokyo and the 5-day Osaka itinerary, and for the rest of your preparation see the Japan trip checklist.