At a glance
- Japan’s luggage delivery services (takuhaibin), let you travel light by sending luggage to and from the airport or between hotels, accommodating easy and burden-free exploration.
- Luggage shipping is cost-effective, with fees based on size, weight, and distance. Using a delivery service may even save money over paying fees to carry bags aboard buses and trains.
- Points of service for takuhaibin are available at airports, most hotels, and many convenience stores, making sending luggage accessible and easy.
- If using a takuhaibin service to send your bags to your departing airport, we recommend leaving some buffer time to pick up your bags.
- If you’re staying at an Airbnb (or similar), be sure to verify with your host that they can receive your bags. Otherwise, send your bags to a nearby convenience store instead.
Why use a luggage delivery service (takuhaibin)?
Takuhaibin (Japanese luggage delivery services) are a convenient way to offload the stress of carrying around luggage between different destinations.
While hauling your bags by taxi from the airport to your hotel is doable enough, using a luggage service is handy to avoid cramming unwieldy suitcases aboard crowded public transport. Even shinkansen (bullet trains) have limited luggage space and some cars require you to pay extra for large bag storage!
How long does luggage delivery take?
How long does luggage delivery take?Generally, if you send luggage via a takuhaibin service, it’ll arrive the next day.
For short distances, same-day service is common. For example, Yamato Transport offers same-day delivery from Haneda and Narita Airport if you drop off your bags before a cutoff time (typically in the late-morning).
If you want to punt your bags a longer distance, like from Osaka to Hokkaido, two-day delivery is the norm.
How much does luggage shipping cost?
With average prices between ¥2,400 and ¥3,000, sending your luggage through these services won’t break the bank. That’s a small price to pay for the opportunity to travel light and carefree!
For instance, a suitcase weighing less than 25 kg will cost approximately ¥2,500 for shipping within the Greater Tokyo area and approximately ¥2,600 from Tokyo to the Kansai region.
Longer routes from Tokyo to Okinawa, for instance, will be more expensive than shorter ones like Tokyo to Osaka. Also, the average cost for next-day delivery from Tokyo to Osaka is roughly ¥1,900, and within the Greater Tokyo area, it’s around ¥1,500 for a regular parcel less than 10 kg.
Common luggage delivery services
Takuhaibin (TA Q BIN) is a trademark of Yamato Transport, the oldest and original courier to offer door-to-door parcel and luggage delivery, but the term is now synonymous with the service in general. Other couriers include LuggAgent, Sagawa Express, Japan Post, and JAL ABC.
For travelers to Tokyo, you can easily book luggage delivery service on Klook to ship your bags to/from hotels, the airport, or Tokyo station.
Points of service for luggage forwarding
Airports
At major airports like Narita, Haneda, and Kansai International, you can visit JAL ABC or Yamato Transport TA Q BIN counters to provide destination details and pay for the service.
These counters can be found in most terminals and the staff usually speak some English. From a service counter, you can have your luggage sent to a hotel or to another airport. Do note, however, that an additional airport fee of ¥660 is usually applicable when sending luggage to another airport.
Likewise, you can have your bags delivered to a takuhaibin counter in an airport terminal. If you’re going this route, pay careful attention to the delivery timeframe. In addition, make sure to indicate which terminal you want to retrieve your items from. It’s a good idea to arrive at the airport early on the day of your flight so that you have ample time to retrieve your bags.
Hotels
Most hotels and ryokan (traditional inns) in Japan offer luggage forwarding service, partnering with companies like Yamato Transport to facilitate luggage transfer for guests.
To forward luggage to your next hotel or other destination, ask the hotel reception to help you fill out a waybill with the destination address.
When sending bags to your next hotel, check the receiving hotel’s policies ahead of time. It’s common for large hotels to accept luggage deliveries, but smaller hotels may be tight on storage space. Once your luggage arrives at the destination hotel, it is either kept at the reception for you to claim upon arrival or delivered to your hotel room.
Convenience stores
Major convenience store chains like 7-Eleven and FamilyMart offer Yamato Transport (or equivalent) services for luggage delivery, with next-day delivery service available if dropped off by late-morning or early-afternoon. Convenience stores can be used to send and receive luggage.
Airbnb
If you’re staying at an Airbnb or similar accommodation, be sure to check with your host if you intend to use a luggage delivery service.
Luggage delivery services require a recipient to be present to receive the delivery. Plan to be around to receive your luggage yourself or, if your host is willing, make arrangements with him or her to receive your items. Alternatively, you can have your bags delivered to a nearby convenience store to minimize waiting.
The most reliable strategy to forward luggage from an Airbnb is to drop them off at a nearby convenience store. If your host is generous, you can ask him or her to help complete the paperwork to request a pickup directly from the Airbnb.
Tracking luggage
Upon booking, a tracking number is provided for monitoring the journey of your luggage. You can use this tracking number on the courier’s website, such as Yamato Transport’s tracking page.
It can take up to 24 hours for tracking information to appear, and a “held by Yamato” status, for example, indicates waiting for the scheduled delivery time. Tracking information includes detailed location and status updates of your luggage and is accessible for roughly 90 days post-shipping.
Tips and tricks
Aside from checking ahead that luggage delivery services are offered at the airports and hotels that you’re using, it’s important to pack accordingly. If your bags aren’t arriving in advance, consider keeping toiletries and other essentials with you (for example, in a backpack or light carry-on bag).
If you’re counting on same-day delivery, it’s good to remember that the reception deadline for same-day luggage delivery services can vary by service counter. Look up the cutoff ahead of time and double-check at the time of booking.
Always verify the delivery details when filling out a waybill. This is crucial if you want to send your luggage to your departing airport. We recommend budgeting ample time for luggage pickup, especially in case your flight gets moved to a different gate in a different terminal.
