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Coin locker complete guide 2026 — where do inbound tourists stash their bags?
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Yen Finder Editorial (nando LLC) · Last updated: 2026-05-19 · Editorial policy: on-site data & primary sources only
📖5 min read
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Yen Finder Editorial
Tokyo-based · operated by nando LLC•Last verified: May 19, 2026
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Contents📖 ~6 min read
  • The three types of coin locker
  • Type A: old-style, ¥100 coins only
  • Type B: new-style, IC card compatible
  • Type C: app-reservation (ecbo cloak / SmartShop)
  • Price by size (1 day = until end of the calendar day)
  • Locker locations and counts at major stations
  • Tokyo Station
  • Shinjuku Station
  • Shibuya Station
  • Kyoto Station
  • Osaka Station
  • Airports (for reference)
  • What to do when they're full (important)
  • 1. ecbo cloak — bag drop at stations, shops, and cafes
  • 2. JR station-staff service (separate from "Lost & Found")
  • 3. A nearby hotel
  • 4. Tourist information centers / VICs
  • Troubleshooting
  • Lost the key
  • More than 24 hours have passed
  • Not enough ¥100 coins (for old-style lockers)
  • Tips for using coin lockers
  • Morning strategy
  • For a big roller bag, aim straight for "extra-large"
  • IC-card payment gotchas
  • Itinerary tips
  • Daily cash budget (lockers included)
  • FAQ
  • Q: Is it OK to put my passport in the locker?
  • Q: Are the lockers safe?
  • Q: What if I want to extend past 24 hours?
  • Q: What if my overseas IC card (Octopus etc.) doesn't work?
  • Q: What if I have two suitcases?
  • Related articles

Coin locker complete guide 2026 — where do inbound tourists stash their bags?

⚡ 30-Second Answer: Coin lockers: ¥400-800 (small) / ¥500-1,000 (medium) / ¥700-1,000 (large), at stations/sights/airports. ¥100 coins + Suica/PASMO accepted increasingly, max 3 days (72h) with overflow at ¥300-500/day. When full, ecbo cloak (luggage drop service) ¥500-1,000/day is the backup. Big suitcases: large station lockers or use takkyubin delivery.

Quick Reference Value
Small (bag) ¥400-800
Medium ¥500-1,000
Large (suitcase) ¥700-1,000
Max storage 3 days (72h)
Alternative ecbo cloak ¥500-1,000/day
Last verified June 2026

Japan's coin lockers are a tourist's strongest ally. For ¥400-¥1,000 you can drop a roller suitcase for half a day to a full day and walk hands-free. Except there are landmines: you need ¥100 coins, the newer ones take Suica and other IC cards, and every locker at Tokyo Station gets cleaned out in peak season. This guide breaks it down differently for solo travelers, couples, and family groups.

The three types of coin locker

Type A: old-style, ¥100 coins only

  • Pays only in ¥100 coins (some models also take ¥500)
  • Key type (physical key) — lose it and the re-issue fee is ¥500-1,000
  • Becoming a minority, still hanging on at regional stations and inside buildings

Type B: new-style, IC card compatible

  • Tap to pay with Suica / Pasmo / ICOCA / PiTaPa
  • Issues a 4-digit PIN — open with the same card or the PIN
  • Receipts available
  • All the major stations in Tokyo and Osaka are this type

Type C: app-reservation (ecbo cloak / SmartShop)

  • Reservation required outside stations and at convenience stores (book in the app)
  • Handles large and oversize roller bags
  • Dedicated staff take it in, hold it, hand it back
  • ¥600-1,000/day, no size cap

Price by size (1 day = until end of the calendar day)

Size Height What fits Price
Small ~30cm Handbag, tablet ¥400-500
Medium ~60cm Backpack, large Boston bag ¥500-700
Large ~90cm Roller bag (around 30L) ¥700-1,000
Extra-large ~110cm Large roller bag (50L+) ¥1,000-1,500

Prices vary by station and facility. Shinkansen stations and airports run higher.

Locker locations and counts at major stations

Tokyo Station

  • About 3,000 lockers inside the station (the biggest in Japan)
  • High fill rate: large lockers are 80% taken by 10 a.m.
  • The easiest to find space in: the Keiyo underground passage lockers (below the Yaesu basement)
  • When everything's full: ask JR East's service manager for options

Shinjuku Station

  • About 3,500 lockers inside (rivals Tokyo Station)
  • Scattered across the West, East, and South exits. Concentrated in Ecute Shinjuku.
  • Last resort: lockers at Keio Shinjuku or Odakyu Shinjuku

Shibuya Station

  • About 1,200. Many at the Hachiko exit and the JR connecting passage.
  • Shibuya Scramble Square basement also has a good supply.

Kyoto Station

  • About 2,000 on the Hachijo exit side
  • The Central Gate side sells out to inbound tourists by 9 a.m.
  • The play: the Hachijo side still has space in the afternoon

Osaka Station

  • About 2,500
  • Spread across the central concourse and the north-south passage

Airports (for reference)

  • Haneda International: ~500 on the arrivals floor
  • Haneda Domestic: ~300 each at T1 and T2
  • Narita: 500+ each at T1 and T2
  • Kansai: ~600 at T1
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What to do when they're full (important)

1. ecbo cloak — bag drop at stations, shops, and cafes

  • Reserve in the app, drop at a partner location
  • Inside stations, at convenience stores, cafes, hotels
  • Roller bag ~¥800/day, backpack ~¥500/day
  • Multilingual (English, Chinese, Korean)

2. JR station-staff service (separate from "Lost & Found")

  • At big stations, ask the service manager or info desk about "baggage hold"
  • Not an official service, but they'll sometimes hold a bag on an empty platform shelf or in the station office

3. A nearby hotel

  • Many will hold bags before or after check-in
  • Sometimes possible even if you're not staying (especially nicer hotels)

4. Tourist information centers / VICs

  • Large TICs (Tokyo Station Marunouchi, Kyoto Station, Asakusa, etc.) take bag drops
  • About ¥500-700 per bag

Troubleshooting

Lost the key

  • Old-style locker (key type): tell a station attendant — they'll open and re-issue for ¥500-1,000
  • IC card type: if you remember the PIN, you're fine. Forgot the PIN and lost the card too? A station attendant will open it after ID check.

More than 24 hours have passed

  • Most lockers reset their charge at midnight every day
  • Day 1 ¥500 → at midnight a Day 2 ¥500 charge is added
  • After 3 consecutive days they clear the locker into the station office (contact: station master's office, retrieval fee ¥500-1,000)

Not enough ¥100 coins (for old-style lockers)

  • Break a bill at the station kiosk or konbini
  • Withdraw ¥1,000 at a Seven Bank ATM, buy something at the kiosk, get coins back
  • Details: How to stop accumulating too much loose change

Tips for using coin lockers

Morning strategy

  • If you're using Tokyo or Shinjuku, lock in a locker before sightseeing starts (8-9 a.m.)
  • After 11 a.m. the "everything's full" risk spikes

For a big roller bag, aim straight for "extra-large"

  • ¥1,000 buys you a lot of peace of mind
  • Cramming a big bag into a "medium" risks breaking the wheels or zip

IC-card payment gotchas

  • The same card is the rule for retrieval
  • If you lose the card, remembering the PIN saves you
  • A receipt is printed, but some lockers also need it again at retrieval

Itinerary tips

  • Kyoto → Osaka day trip: lock the bag at Kyoto Station, retrieve in the evening
  • Mt. Fuji day trip: lock at Kawaguchiko or Mt. Fuji Station
  • Outlet malls: the in-mall lockers or the station lockers both work for a round trip

Daily cash budget (lockers included)

Item Estimate
Coin locker (extra-large) ¥1,000
¥100 coin reserves (for old-style) ¥500-1,000
One meal ¥1,500
Transit (day pass) ¥800
Souvenirs ¥3,000
Subtotal ¥7,000-¥8,000

FAQ

Q: Is it OK to put my passport in the locker?

A: Don't. Keep it on you at all times. Theft risk is low, but recovery is brutal if the locker malfunctions or you lose the access.

Q: Are the lockers safe?

A: Theft is basically zero in Japan. As a precaution, split valuables across your backpack's inner pockets.

Q: What if I want to extend past 24 hours?

A: A fresh fee auto-applies at midnight on Day 1 (old-style lockers require you to re-insert coins). Watch out past Day 3.

Q: What if my overseas IC card (Octopus etc.) doesn't work?

A: Only Japanese Suica / Pasmo / ICOCA work. For issuing Suica via Apple Pay or Google Pay, see #74 How to add Suica to your iPhone.

Q: What if I have two suitcases?

A: Two mediums totals ¥1,400 in some cases, but one extra-large at ¥1,000 is usually the better deal. ecbo cloak also has unlimited-volume plans.

Related articles

  • #37 Tokyo Station money guide
  • #34 Day-one cash from Haneda to the hotel
  • #84 How to deal with too much loose change
  • #86 Japan's cash culture

Last verified: 2026-05-19. Locker counts and prices shift when rail operators renovate. Confirm on the signage at each station before you use them.

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Last verified: 2026-05-19