Japan is notorious for it’s lack of elevators and abundance of stairs. Scrolling through TikTok, I aways chuckle when these kinds of videos show up on my FYP.
Although amusing, these shorts shed light on the reality of Japan. Traveling with luggage is a hassle. Especially if you have young children in your group, you may want to consider luggage forwarding in Japan.
As you can imagine, we get quite a few inquiries about luggage forwarding at the front desk. Airport to hotel, hotel to hotel, hotel to post office, hotel to unmanned Airbnb…there any many different scenarios which all affect how and when to ship your stuff.
To ensure your baggage doesn’t hold you back, I’d like to share some insights on luggage forwarding based on experience serving thousands of guests, so that you can make informed decisions from destination to destination during your trip in Japan.
Is luggage forwarding in Japan best for you?
Step one is figuring out if luggage forwarding is the best option for you. Below, I’ve provided examples from my experience working the front desk of when I would recommend luggage forwarding over luggage hauling.
When to forward your luggage
- Travelling with small children (ages 0~5)
Traveling domestically with small kids is a challenge—now let’s add two weeks worth of bags per person, strollers, jetlag, a foreign language, cultural differences, etc.
Especially if you’re taking trains, you’ll be the one hauling luggage up and down the metro steps as you maneuver between salary men on their way to work. Another option is to book a van taxi, which may be the cheaper option if you’re traveling within the city. - Traveling between cities via bullet train (shinkansen)
There is limited space on the trains. Less room is becoming available, especially between Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, due to the constant increase of international tourism every year.
If you take the bullet train, or shinkansen, then you may need to reserve space for you luggage in advance before hopping onboard (URL with details from JR Central below). My suggestion is to avoid the stress and hassle by just forwarding your bags in advance.
JR Central: Reservations for Seats with an Oversized Baggage Area - Travelling with more than 1 large suitcase per person
Once again, depending on how much luggage you have and if you’re traveling within the city, taking a van taxi may be the more affordable option. However, if you’re traveling between cities (e.g. Tokyo to Osaka or Kyoto) then you may want to ship your bags ahead of you.
If you’re also looking for the cheapest time to book a hotel in Japan, check out my insight here.
Which Service Is Best?
So, you’ve done the math and decided you need shipping services. Here are three of the most popular options in Japan.
Courier Service Options
- Yamato Transport (TA-Q-BIN)
Also known as kuro neko, or black cat, this is the most well-known shipping company in Japan. Many hotels offer this service from the hotel, so I recommend asking at check in for more information. - Sagawa
Although it isn’t typically offered at most hotels, Sagawa is a great alternative for shipping.
From my experience, we typically recommend Sagawa to guests as an alternative method if we are unable to accept a certain delivery. An example is international shipping. At my hotel chain, despite the fact that Yamato can handle international shipping, we are unable to provide it at the front desk. When guests inquire about it, we often direct them to Sagawa.
The only drawback to using Sagawa is the language barrier. An easy solution would be to use a translation app or nicely ask the front desk to translate your request for you. - Airporter
This is a great third party method to ship your luggage across Japan.
Their webpage is in multiple languages, and you arrange all the shipping details (including the payment) online without speaking to the hotel front desk. If a pick up or delivery is arranged, the hotel is notified and will accept your bags on the date and time you requested.
Keep in mind, Airporter is not provided by all hotels. Also, hotels merely act as a middle man by handing off and collecting your bags. If any problems arise during the delivery, you will be responsible for contacting Airporter directly to resolve the issue. From my experience, their mistakes are few and customer support team is great.
Airporter Homepage
How Luggage Forwarding is Priced
Shipping price is determined by size (total length in cm), weight, and transport distance.
Due to this, the front desk will be unable to provide you with any exact shipping costs until they have the packed luggage ready to go in front of them.
If you’d like a rough estimate for rates and delivery times, feel free to refer to the below URL from Yamato Transport (the most popular shipping company).
Yamato Transport: Shipping Rates
Where and how to ship
Alright, now you know that you need to ship and the service you’re going to use. The next questions are where and how. Since Yamato Transport (TA-Q-BIN) is the most common shipping service at hotels, I will only cover this service.
Where To Go To Send Your Bags
Below are locations where you can ship your luggage.
- Hotel front desk
- Airport
- Convenience store
- Directly at Transport Centers
Once at the courier counter, they will provide you with a shipping slip, known as a waybill. There are different types of waybills depending on the amount of luggage you send and other factors. You can ask at any of the above locations for the correct shipping slip(s).
Here’s an example of the most common Yamato shipping slip and a URL with information on how to fill it out.
Yamato Transport: Shipping Slip Guide
Careful before you send…
On a final note, there are many things to be careful of when shipping your luggage to a hotel. Here’s a list of common mistakes we encounter at the front desk when guests try to send their bags.
Common Luggage Forwarding Issues
- Confirm whether your destination (e.g. hotel, Airbnb, etc.) can accept your luggage before shipping
Many hotels are unmanned, such as Airbnb’s, and are unable to accept luggage. Make sure to contact your hotel before shipping any bags to check beforehand.
If you cannot forward your luggage directly to the hotel, there are normally pick up locations in any city which you can ship them to instead. You can always ask your hotel for assistance if you’re having trouble on your own. - Shipping slip and hotel reservation name match
This is the most common mistake I encounter. Guests will often send their luggage under the name of a friend or family member without contacting us in advance.
If we are unable to determine who the suitcases belong to, we cannot accept them. So, PLEASE write your booking name on the shipping slip. - Ensure the luggage is paid for in advance
If a package is pay on site, many hotels cannot accept it without you first covering the shipping costs. This leads to frustration for both the guest and hotel reception.
If there is no other way to send your luggage, consult the front desk before sending. - Shipping takes at least a day (except Okinawa, Hokkaido, and airports)
Throughout most of Japan, shipping within the country takes around a day. However, destinations further away from central Japan may take longer. Inclement weather can also delay shipping services.
Make sure you are staying somewhere for a few days before you send your bags if you are unable to use a same-day delivery service. If you will only be staying somewhere one night, I suggest forwarding non-essentials to the destination after your next one or directly to the airport.
Airports require you to send your luggage at least 2~3 days before your flight depending on the location. If you want to ship anything to the airport, be sure to do so as soon as possible to avoid missing the deadline. You can always speak with the front desk at your hotel to confirm the final deadline. - Prohibited items
Certain items, such as lithium batteries commonly found in smartphones and cameras, are prohibited by courier services in Japan. Here’s more information from Yamato Transport (TA-Q-BIN)’s official website.
Yamato Transport: Dangerous and Prohibited Items
Have any questions or insight requests about hotels in Japan? Feel free to contact me below:
