Luggage forwarding/delivery – what am I missing?

41 comments

1. Some places are not same day delivery – you have to check with the hotel, as depending on the service may arrive between 1-2 days. Some hotels require it to be sent 3pm day before.

   For example, if going for a short 2 day or overnight trip to endoshima or Hiroshima, some tourists don’t want to take all their luggage with them. So they will pack a smaller overnight essential day pack that will cover the 1-2 days.

   After the short overnight trip, the luggage will be waiting for them at their next hotel destination, or the airport depending on your itinerary

2. Having even one suitcase on a crowded train or bus is uncomfortable and embarrassing. You don’t *have* to do it, but I think it’s part of the experience of traveling in Japan. Hands-free travel. Awesome.

   Some people use potrters at airports, bellhops at hotels. I never have, but whatever.

3. My experience so far is that delivery luggages service is a must. I usually send them the day before my leave and only take a small hand luggage with the clothes i need for the next two days. For two luggages of 25kg you will spend around 4500 yen, but you will travel hand free. So for me yes, use the service but you need to plan a little first

4. When I use a luggage forwarding service I pack accordingly – so if I’m using it at the airport on arrival, it’s because 1 suitcase is either largely empty (because of what I’m going to put in it on the return) or it’s for work things which I won’t need for 48 hours.

   When I’m travelling between cities, again, it’s the same – 1 suitcase will be something I’m using whilst travelling and won’t send, the other is stuff I don’t need in the next 48 hours.

   If I’m travelling with one suitcase, and things are manageable, then I will definitely not use a luggage forwarder.

   In October I’m meeting my parents at Haneda – they’re flying in from Australia, I’m flying in from China. We arrive in Haneda, spend one night in Tokyo, then the next day to Osaka for 48 hours. Given we have another 8 days after that, we will just pack small backpacks on the first night, send everything else the following day, to be at the 2nd hotel we are staying at on our return to Tokyo. Then we don’t need to worry about booking luggage space on the shinkansen, and also no need to lug up and down. We can just have a small backpack each with clothes + bathroom stuff.

5. Even for a straight trip it might be more convenient when you factor in that you might not want to go directly to your hotel. Especially if your hotel is more than 5min away from the train station and you arrive earlier than check in time, so you really can’t do more than drop off your baggage. So you’d end up looking for luggage storage which is limited for large luggage. And if you are traveling late enough to be able to check in and call it a day then you will face the storage problem (or make an additional trip to your old hotel-problem) before you leave.

   For airport to hotel transfer the reasoning is similar I’d say. If you have an early flight and your hotel is not close to where you want to start your traveling for the day, then it’s more convenient to forward it.

   Sure, some of this might not be an issue if you plan accordingly. But that might restrict you in other ways. So that’s why it’s popular even in “simple” transfers.

6. Im honestly in the same boat as OP… If it’s not allowed to bring a large bag on the train, then no problem, I will do the luggage forwarding but if it’s just not customary I still don’t understand why it’s so ‘embarrassing’.

7. I get your point, but if you can afford the $15-20, I say why not? I guess people are paying for a service which affords them the convenience of hands free travel.

   It’s like people getting valet parking, you can just drive to the carpark yourself and walk, but if you can afford to hop off right in front of the hotel/restaurant, why not?

8. I don’t think there’s a need to do this during every transition. For instance, I went from Narita airport to my hotel in Shinjuku with all my luggage. However, I’d also intentionally chosen a hotel close to a station that I knew the Narita Express would stop at. When going from Kyoto to Nagoya, I had all my luggage with me because I chose a hotel connected to Nagoya station so knew I only had to wheel the suitcase off the train and to an escalator. Plus I took a cab from my hotel to Kyoto station.

   However, I did luggage forwarding from Tokyo to Kyoto because I knew my hotel in Kyoto would require a train transfer from Kyoto station and then possibly another one and also a bit of a walk. Plus just leaving Tokyo would require two trains. I didn’t want to deal with my suitcase on all those transfers. So I sent it ahead the day before I left Tokyo and just kept some overnight stuff in a backpack. When I got to my hotel in Kyoto the next day, our suitcases were already in our room waiting for us.

   This was my 6th time to Japan (used to live there) and the first time I used luggage forwarding. So you can absolutely get by without using it if you don’t mind hauling your stuff. If you’re familiar with Japan already then you can decide for yourself. But if you’re not familiar I think it’s important to understand that in the big cities like Tokyo, a train station like Shinjuku for instance and its underground areas could have over 20 different exits spanning several blocks. Now imagine if only 4 of those exits have an elevator or escalator. So you are changing levels to get on and off trains and possibly do transfers and then finding the exit your hotel recommends which might not be one that is near an escalator or elevator and just looks like an endless staircase. If it’s hot and crowded and the trains are full, having your luggage is extra annoying, too. Doable? Totally. But for me personally it was easy enough during check in to ask at the front desk if they did luggage forwarding and how to do it (like what time do they need it by etc.). I would use it again but only for transitions that aren’t straightforward.

   And just to be clear, once you’re on a train it’s fine. It’s the getting to the train and getting from the train to the hotel where things get challenging with suitcases. Sometimes.

9. I did it the day I was leaving so I didn’t need to drag two large suitcases on my own or use lockers. Left it at reception at 9am and it was at the airport waiting for me by 5pm. But that was Shinjuku to Haneda airport, worth the money

10. * You can avoid going to hotel and go straight to doing things for the day.
    * If you plan in advance, there’s no re-packing. You’ve already set aside a packing cube
    * Japan is full of tenji burokku, lovely for accessibility reasons for horrible for rolling suitcases. Trains and streets can be crowded.
    * It opens up a lot more complex trip possibilities. I was able to depart Osaka with only the things that I wanted to carry while biking the Shimanami Kaido.

11. Check-in luggage=bane of enjoyable travel

    IMHO

    Big backpacks, limited needs=freedom

12. I think there are a few good use cases, but it varies a lot on the person. For people who bring massive amounts of luggage, it probably is the best option.

    For myself, its rarely necessary. I usually travel with a single ~20kg suitcase plus a small daypack. Even when I was avoiding stairs because of bad knees, I never had to drag my suitcase up more than a handful of stairs — I got very good at spotting the lift routes.

    However:

    **Shinkansen**: I’m tall enough and strong enough that on the shinkansen I can easily get that 20kg over my head and onto to the luggage rack. So that makes unbooked seats entirely reasonable. But if you were shorter or less strong or your bag weighed more, the forwarding seems like a small price to pay; and easier than booking ahead to get luggage spaces.

    **Local buses, crowded commuter trains**: if your route neccessarily involves either of these, and you have a large suitcase, it makes everyone’s life easier.

    **Side trips**: you can send your main bag on to a destination you will be at in a couple of days, and pack a light bag for a one or two day trip. No hunting for big lockers at every stop!

    **Early arrival**: if you arrive in a place early in the day and want to do stuff there until going to a hotel at night, you either have to find a luggage locker for your big suitcase, or go to the hotel first and ask them to hold it. Or just get it sent on and carry an overnight bag.

    **Children:** if you are already wrangling a horde of cats and eels onto the train, not having to worry about big suitcases is a dream.

    But I agree that some people overblow it into a “necessity”, rather than “a useful option”.

13. I shipped from Hiroshima to Niseko and have literally no regrets. USD equivalent of <$25 

14. So I was/am worried about this as well. However a co-worker of mine just came back from her trip and told me that the Luggage Forwarding was invaluable.

    To be fair, she traveled to multiple cities, and I will be doing so as well. Are you just staying in Tokyo? From everything I have seen, Train Travel has no room for luggage, and even the carry-on size is a hassle to lug around.

    My co-worker said it was so convenient that she wishes we had something comparable in the States.

15. Earlier this year I forwarded a suitcase because I didn’t want to drag it…roughly 50 meters from the hotel to the bus stop.

    Granted, it was also through the snow up a hill and a pretty treacherous walk without a suitcase.  I had slipped when I was bringing my suitcase down to check in.

    It also helps when you’re doing a stopover.  It’s much easier to find a small locker than a larger one.   On that same trip, we had a “layover” in Nagano.  Finding places to store larger luggage was extremely difficult versus the five minutes or so it takes me to send a bag.  If you factor in the cost of lockers, the idea of sending luggage ahead is even more attractive.

    I typically travel with a suitcase and backpack while in Japan and have them packed so I can go a day or two out of the backpack.  The suitcase has larger equipment like a helmet or hiking poles that I don’t need for the entire trip.  My luggage is already arranged to accommodate when I plan to forward things- on one trip, I shared a pair of suitcases with my mom and we alternated them as we switched cities daily.

    In the case you described, if I was going directly to the hotel, then I’d just take the bag with me, but I like to book near the Shinkansen station.  Otherwise forwarding saves time during valuable hours of the day or frees me up to stop at an interim destination.  (I’m more likely to take my luggage with me if I’m transiting during the very early morning or at night.)

    That said, I don’t send my luggage to or from the airport- my arrival times don’t usually make it worth it.

16. Frankly I think it’s the combo of many steps and many tourists lugged wheeled luggage around . I always use a backpack and can’t see any benefit unless I’d for some reason down a whole lot of shopping then I might forward a box straight to the airport

17. I think some people will just have a day backpack or small carryon when they don’t have the big luggage.

    If it doesn’t fit your situation or traveling preferences then skip it.

    I haven’t used the forwarding in the many trips there.

18. Dunno tbh, it was really easy for us. We packed necessary things into our backpacks and just forwarded our luggage from the airport, they arrived the next day. It just takes some easy pre-planning. I guess it’s not that bad if you land on Haneda, we arrived at Narita and we were so relieved that we didn’t have to drag our luggage with us.

19. I forward it 4 days ahead and travel light to the next location before catching up with it. My wife gets back pain and this works out fine. Last trip I used limousine bus directly to and from hotels / airports, the bus stop was the hotel. Hardly had to deal with suitcases outside of hotel and airports.

    Found Shinjuku station to be a nightmare before getting used to it. Appreciated not manoeuvring a suitcase through it to my last hotel stay. I’m on holliday and like how it makes life easier.

    I once shared your view but have been brought around. You don’t get a medal for doing it yourself.

20. It’s not universal. Most of the time I find it inconvenient (repacking, lack of my things for a day) and waste of time and money. It’s not an option for me. I may use it to forward my moms luggage next year due to her age and health.

    I have medium suitcase with 4 wheels so traveling with it is not a big problem, even for a few km. Seat distance in trains in Japan is huge so they fit everywhere or there are designated luggage spaces. Like you I simply leave the luggage in the hotel before or after check in and out.

21. I used it once, I was staying in Osaka and going to spend the next 2 nights on a biking route, before returning to Tokyo. So I packed a smaller bag and sent my main bag from Osaka to Tokyo.

    I agree I would generally carry my bag myself on direct routes.

    Though I see the appeal in this Summer heat of just having it shipped. I was sweating bullets on the 10 minute walk from limo bus to my accommodation when I arrived (I use a backpack, not a roller bag, thats why). Sure I could use a taxi too, but at that point might aswell just ship the thing.

22. I’ve only now been hearing about this very useful service.

    I am currently planning a month long trip spanning Hokkaido, Honshu and Kyushu so I definitely am considering using these services.

    Would it be safe to assume that it takes 1-2 days for the luggage to arrive at my next destination, therefore, a minimum of 2 nights at each hotel is relatively safe knowing I’ll receive it at the next place?

    What about the availability of these services? Are they commonplace even in the more ‘remote’ areas of the country?

23. Americans are just lazy and I think people get scared and overwhelmed at navigating a place like Japan with big suitcases. It’s honestly not hard to wheel your suitcase through a station and onto a Shinkansen, there’s lifts everywhere, good pedestrian access, it’s not hard. I’ve never once had luggage forwarded and honestly don’t feel the need too. As you say it’s an inconvenience not having your suitcase for a day and an inconvenience organising it. The only benefit I see is in a side quest somewhere remote where it could be a hike to get too, like an Onsen town or something and it makes sense to forward your luggage when you are just staying one night and only taking a backpack. I did this in Hiroshima when staying on Miyajima but I just kept my hotel room for another night in Hiroshima as to leave my bags there, economically dumb but super convenient.

24. Planning my 9th trip to Japan and only did luggage forwarding TWICE – once when I went up to Koyasan and once in Shirahama (inefficient public transport so easier to send luggage to hotel first) . Like OP, I travel fairly light and dislike parting with my luggage. I tend to travel to more remote areas (eg Tohoku) where the luggage forwarding takes 2-3 days. I tend to stay right next to the train stations so no issue dragging my luggage.

    Reason why it’s popular:
    1. it’s unique to Japan so it’s considered part of the “Japan” experience (similar to taking a Shinkansen, eating an ekiben). In a way it’s a subtle kind of flex.
    2. families with multiple luggages and kids might find it time consuming and exhausting to drag luggage
    3. People who have a lot of shopping might rather pay for luggage forwarding to the airport instead of booking a taxi
    4. People who are travelling along cities on the golden route which can support same or next day delivery.
    5. People who don’t pack light – eg people who pack multiple outfits or equipment (skiing/hiking) and don’t need everything all the time
    6. People with late afternoon flights so that they can send their luggage in the morning. My flight out of Japan is at 9am so kinda useless for me.

    For what’s worth, I DO want to utilise luggage forwarding more, but since I pack light and I really need most of my luggage (as I’m down to essentials) with me, I see v limited use for it.

25. I do not want to haul my luggage through Tokyo and Kyoto stations, or worry about reserving the very limited Shinkansen seats with oversized luggage storage. Simple as that. Why wouldn’t I bring a change or two of clothes in my carry-on bag, that I have to haul around with me anyway, and get my luggage delivered the next day when it’s pretty cheap?

26. We used it for day trips. Send luggage from Kyoto to Tokyo but we stopped in Hakone on the way to check out the volcano.

27. Personally? I take the bus from the airport to my first hotel and just deal with having my luggage for the two or three blocks I am walking.

    But also? It is good practice to be able to function out of your smaller bag when flying. Because you never know when things will go completely pear shaped and you’ll need to gate check your larger bag (less likely on an international flight but…). So I always have one packing cube with a day or two worth of clothing in my backpack and that is what I keep on my person when I forward my luggage. So if I really didn’t want to deal with a roller for the hour and a half until I get to my hotel… there wouldn’t be a re-packing at the airport.

    But as for why you would forward between hotels? Because it makes that travel day so much simpler. Hotels do checkout around 11. They do checkin around 15. Personally? I don’t like having to time my checkout and then time my trip to the Shinkansen station and so forth all to still get to my destination and hope they can give me an early checkin. Also, if you happen to be on the train on a busy day you get the mess of needing to put your luggage in the designated luggage storage area and it just makes for a more chaotic trip than having your backpack with you at your seat or by your legs while standing.

    Versus just having the packing cube I mentioned above. I MAYBE put an extra one in my backpack and forward my bag the day before I checkout. When I arrive at my hotel the next day, it is waiting for me at the front desk and I am good.

28. It’s definitely a convenience thing.

    I used it on my trip when I had to switch hotels from Tokyo to Kyoto and from Kyoto to Kansai Airport.

    But I also have 3 kids, and one of the purpose of the trip was shopping…we had lots of stuff.

    We just carried day bags with a day worth or stuff that we need into our backpack when we switched hotels, and we sent our 4 heavier luggage ahead of time to the airport (2 days ahead as we had a morning flight).

    If we are strictly there for sightseeing and didn’t need to look after our kids, we definitely wouldn’t have the need for luggage forwarding.

29. We use it in the following situations:

    1. Have a late departure but want to spend time in Tokyo and not have to go back to the hotel for luggage.

    2. When the kids were young and moving around with strollers and luggage was a hassle.

    3. Needing to travel during rush hour.

    4. Wanting to do something right away at our destination.

30. We used the services when we were going to a different town, but wanted to stop somewhere for sightseeing or an event along the way. There are lockers at most train stations, but we didn’t always return to the train station to further our travels. The forwarding service eliminates having to wheel around a carryon bag as well as a backpack or shoulder bag.

31. Think really depends on how many days you are staying and how big your party is. For example if you are staying 10+ days with a family of 4 you will have much more luggage than a couple here for a shorter time period. If the kids can carry their own luggage or any luggage that makes a big difference.

    We were in Tokyo for 3 days then off to Kyoto and Osaka for 4 days and then back to Tokyo for 3 more days. Before leaving for Kyoto, we just dropped off some bags at the second hotel we were staying at on our return to Tokyo.

    Thought silly but actually makes moving around a lot easier. Japan isn’t set up like the US so lots of stairs and in super hot so pain to deal with luggage.

32. Family of 4 traveling Tokyo-Kyoto and exiting via Kansai airport to go to manila. Each one of us were wheeling 2 rolling luggage plus 1 backpack plus I had my cpap machine. We were spending a month in asia so we needed clothes, also gifts to family in the philippines plus my 3 companions went nuts at the anime store and myself at Donki. Anyway lugging then all throughout the country was going to be difficult. We wouldn’t even be able to fit in a cab. We were able to forward our probably more than half of the luggage to Osaka and only brought what we needed for 3 nights in Kyoto. Actually so glad we did it because we were stuck in kyoto station for a day because the shinkansen was halted because of a storm. We were supposed to get to kyoto at 11am and it ended up at 11pm. Having so much luggage would have been a nightmare. So I am a huge fan of the luggage forwarding service.

33. Question: my husband and I are going from Kyoto to 2 nights in Nikko, then final 2 nights in Tokyo. The morning we leave Kyoto could we ship our luggage to our Tokyo hotel and skip Nikko? It would get there one day ahead of us. Will the hotel hold it for 24 hours before we arrive ? We are not staying in a luxury hotel.

34. Honestly the real solution is for people to stop packing so much. The amount of clothes people bring for a 2 week trip is astounding. A carry on will do and gives you so much more freedom.

35. We used it for when we did a temple stay, for a night between Kyoto and Osaka, and when we went to a ryokan in Hakone after Osaka on the way to Tokyo. That way we didn’t have to worry about our big luggage on the delicate tatami(and troubling the monks) and for the various smaller transfers. Outside of that I don’t think any other time it would have made sense for us.

    The next time we go to Japan we will have a 1 year old and will definitely be using the service more often so we are not juggling baby things + our things.

    When my parents who are older and their health is beginning to flag went a few months ago they used it for almost every transfer because my mom cannot carry her own luggage and my dad is beginning to struggle carrying both of their bags.

36. In my case I had a checked luggaged, a carry on and a backpack for a couple of my trips. I would send my checked luggage from tokyo to osaka set to arrive in 5 days. In the mean time I have enough stuff in my carry on and backpack while I enjoy toyama, takayama, kanazawa. When I get to osaka 5 days later, its just there. If I need to move stuff between my carry on and check luggage I do that. Souvenirs, dirty clothes etc.

    Sending from the airport to your hotel, or your hotel from the morning to your hotel tonight for a few days is legit for a similar reason – I don’t need my luggage for a few days so if it comes tomorrow instead of tonight, who cares. Its just convenient in those cases.

    If you MUST have your luggage at all times or between the time it takes for your luggage to get from point a to b, then by all means don’t use it.

37. also thought the same as you. only had to drag my luggage from the locker and then on the train. i think having just a carry on and a small bag make it easier. If i had bigger suitcases i’d send it. Thou i didn’t know how to ask for the service as i didn’t see it being offered to all the accomodations i went to, just 1 offered.

38. I haven’t used it before because I didn’t knew about the service. I have a hip impingement and the last time I visited Japan I suffered a lot, the 30+ hrs travel + lots and lots of walking + carrying a heavy luggage was a painful experience.

    This year I am visiting on my own and I am planning a lot more places I can visit just because this service exists.

39. I used it when we were a party of 5 and had four heavy luggages between us. I was also with my parents who had mobility issues. Lastly, buses in Kyoto heavily discourage big luggages and that would mean 2-3 taxis between the five us. Cost wise, luggage forwarding just made sense.

40. I don’t typically use it if I’m going straight from one place to another, but it is brilliant for travelling light if you want to make a diversion somewhere. Send luggage from one hotel to another, travel to some remote place that takes four train connections to get to with just a backpack, stay overnight, and then travel to your next hotel and the luggage is waiting for you.

41. Currently in Japan. Considered using the service when we arrived in Tokyo; however, we found taking a cab with our luggage to actually be cheaper. And it arrived with us.