🧳Luggage Delivery (Takkyubin) Guide
Hands-free hotel shipping, airport luggage counters, delivery times, and costs.
Travel Light in Japan
Japanese bullet trains (Shinkansen) have limited oversized luggage compartments, and dragging heavy suitcases through crowded subway stairwells is exhausting. Using Takkyubin (luggage forwarding) lets you ship bags directly between hotels or airports for under $20 a bag.
How Luggage Delivery Works
1. Fill Out the Shipping Waybill
Ask your hotel front desk, airport counter, or convenience store clerk for a Takkyubin waybill (Denpyo). You'll need the destination hotel's address in Japanese or English, your phone number, and delivery date preference.
2. Measure and Pay
Staff will measure your bag's total dimensions (Length + Width + Height) and weight. Fares typically range from ¥2,000 to ¥3,500 depending on size and destination distance. Cash, IC Cards, and Credit Cards are accepted.
3. Travel Hands-Free
Leave your luggage with the clerk. You'll receive a tracking receipt slip. Go travel, ride trains, and explore without dragging heavy suitcases. Your bags will wait for you at the next hotel's front desk.
Recommended Luggage Providers
Yamato Transport (Black Cat)
Market LeaderJapan's largest shipping network, immediately recognizable by its black cat logo. They have service counters at all major airports, hotels, and local convenience stores (7-Eleven, FamilyMart).
Luggagent
Same-Day Airport PickupSpecialized tourist luggage forwarding service. Offers direct same-day shipping between Tokyo/Kansai airports and hotels. Perfect if you land early and want to explore immediately.
Sagawa Express
Widespread NetworkAnother major logistics provider with service desks located inside tourist hubs and main railway hubs (Tokyo Station, Kyoto Station). Supports hotel-to-hotel forwarding.