SponsoredThis article contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission when you sign up through them, but our recommendations and editorial stance are not influenced by the partnerships.
Contents📖 ~10 min read
💸 Bottom line first: Luggage services for foreign tourists in Japan fall into two main categories — "delivery" (airport ⇄ hotel, courier) and "storage" (short-term, by the hour or day). For the classic "airport → hotel next-day" route so you can move around Tokyo unencumbered, Yamato Airport TA-Q-BIN (about ¥2,500-3,500) is the standard pick. For a few hours of same-day storage while you grab a coffee or sightsee, ecbo cloak (¥400-700/day) is the go-to. Sending one suitcase ahead for two hands-free days = roughly the price of one lunch, and it transforms how efficiently you travel. This guide compares 7 providers across 5 axes.
📰 2026 update: In July 2026, Sagawa Express opened a dedicated hands-free luggage counter at Narita Airport Terminal 1, with staff support in 10 languages including English, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), and Korean. You can reserve a check-in time slot via the official site, and a second counter at Terminal 2 is due to open in September. Some deliveries to hotels in central Tokyo now qualify for same-day delivery, not just next-day.
"You land at Narita or Haneda and immediately wrestle two suitcases onto a packed commuter train" — this is the scene most foreign tourists want to avoid. Japan has a rich ecosystem of delivery + storage services that let you travel "tebura" (empty-handed), but they differ widely in price, delivery time, language support, and booking method. This guide lines up 7 representative services side by side across 5 axes.
TL;DR — Quick Pick by Scenario
Scenario
Recommended
Why
Airport → hotel, next-day (standard)
Yamato Airport TA-Q-BIN
Largest network, English UI, covers all major airports
Airport → airport (departure)
JAL ABC / ANA Hands Free
Airline-affiliated, counters right at the terminal
Hotel → next city's hotel
Yamato TA-Q-BIN
Nationwide coverage, next-day or 2-day delivery
Store luggage for a few hours
ecbo cloak
App booking, ¥400-700/day, covers all 47 prefectures
A few hours of storage at the airport
Airport coin lockers or staffed left-luggage
Instant, English-friendly
Cheapest delivery option
Japan Post Yu-Pack
Lowest-tier pricing, nationwide
Booking from overseas in English
bounce / Stasher
English-native UI, used to international travelers
Axis 1: Service Categories & Characteristics
The cleanest way to think about luggage services in Japan is two systems:
System A: Delivery (airport ⇄ hotel ⇄ between cities)
"We carry your bag from one fixed location to another." Next-day or 2-day arrival is the norm.
Service
Operator
Main routes
Yamato Airport TA-Q-BIN
Yamato Transport
Airport ⇄ any address nationwide
Sagawa Hands-Free
Sagawa Express
Airport ⇄ hotel / tourist areas
Japan Post Yu-Pack
Japan Post
Any address ⇄ any address
JAL ABC
JAL group
Airport ⇄ home / hotel
ANA Hands Free Service
ANA group
Airport ⇄ home / hotel
System B: Storage (by the hour or day)
"Drop your bag for a few hours up to a day." Same-day pickup is the default.
Service
Operator
Main locations
ecbo cloak
ecbo (Japanese company)
1,000+ cafés, shops, and stations
bounce / Stasher
Overseas-based
Shops near major stations
Coin lockers
Each station
JR and private railway stations
Axis 2: Price Guide (as of June 2026)
⚠️ Important: Prices vary by bag size, destination, and seasonal campaigns. The numbers below are rough ranges — always confirm the exact fee on the official site or at the airport counter.
Service
One standard suitcase (rough)
Pricing unit
Yamato Airport TA-Q-BIN
¥2,500-3,500 + ¥660 airport handling fee (Narita)
Per bag
Sagawa Hands-Free
¥2,000-3,500 (depends on destination)
Per bag
Japan Post Yu-Pack
¥1,300-2,500 (60-80 size class)
Per bag
JAL ABC
¥2,500-3,500
Per bag
ANA Hands Free Service
¥2,500-3,500
Per bag
ecbo cloak
¥400-700 / day
Per bag
bounce / Stasher
¥500-800 / day
Per bag
Station coin lockers
¥400-1,000 / day
Per locker
💡 USD conversion note: ¥3,000 is about $19 at ¥158 = $1. That is less than half of a comparable FedEx-class courier in the US for equal or better service. Since left-luggage in New York runs $10-15 per bag as a baseline, Japan's services are strong value by global standards.
Axis 3: Pickup → Delivery Time
Service
Delivery timing
Notes
Yamato Airport TA-Q-BIN
Next-day (standard), same-day in some zones
Kanto → Kanto can arrive same day
Sagawa Hands-Free
Next-day to 2 days (standard) / Some central-Tokyo hotel deliveries from the new Narita counter can arrive same-day
Depends on distance and destination
Japan Post Yu-Pack
Next-day to 2 days
Reliable nationwide
JAL ABC
Next-day
Stable airline-grade operation
ANA Hands Free
Next-day
Same as above
ecbo cloak
Drop off and pick up same day (typical)
App booking is instant
bounce / Stasher
Drop off and pick up same day
Same as above
Coin lockers
Instant, usually 24-72h max
Watch the time limit
Note that "airport → hotel next-day" services will not make it in time for a morning departure flight the same day. The standard flow is drop off at the airport counter the night before (or earlier).
Axis 4: Language Support & Booking Methods
Service
English support
How to book
Yamato Airport TA-Q-BIN
✅ English website + English-speaking airport counter staff
Airport counter / online
Sagawa Hands-Free
🟡 Site is mostly Japanese / new Narita counter staff support 10 languages incl. English, Chinese, Korean
Counter / phone / Narita counter lets you reserve a check-in time online
Japan Post Yu-Pack
🟡 Varies by post office
Post office window / pickup request
JAL ABC
✅ Strong English
Airport counter / online
ANA Hands Free
✅ Strong English
Airport counter / online
ecbo cloak
✅ App supports English, Chinese, and Korean (4 languages)
All in-app on your phone
bounce / Stasher
✅ Overseas-style sites with English-native UI
App / web, fully self-serve
If it's your first Japan trip and you only speak English, Yamato or ecbo cloak are the safest bets. If you want everything done on your phone, ecbo cloak / bounce is the strongest combination.
Axis 5: Airport & City Coverage
Service
Airports covered
Cities covered
Yamato Airport TA-Q-BIN
Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, New Chitose, Fukuoka, and all major airports
All 47 prefectures
Sagawa Hands-Free
Mainly Narita and Haneda, expanding (new dedicated counter at Narita T1, July 2026; T2 counter due September)
Central Tokyo hotels and major tourist destinations; the new Narita counter also covers some same-day deliveries
Japan Post Yu-Pack
Branches at airports available
All 47 prefectures
JAL ABC
Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, etc.
Nationwide
ANA Hands Free
Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, etc.
Nationwide
ecbo cloak
Some airport locations
1,000+ locations across all 47 prefectures
bounce / Stasher
Limited
Mainly Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka
Bonus: 5 Practical Tips for Tourists
1. The "airport → hotel next-day" flow
Arrival day: Drop your bag at the airport counter (by early evening) → head into the city light.
Next day: Bag arrives at the hotel (morning to afternoon) → check in once you receive it.
Note: If the bag arrives before official check-in time, ask the hotel front desk in advance whether they will hold it for you — most will, but confirm.
2. If you really need "airport → hotel same day"
Next-day services won't work, so the realistic options are the airport limousine bus plus rolling your suitcase yourself, or a taxi straight to the hotel (Narita → central Tokyo runs around ¥25,000; Haneda → central Tokyo is roughly ¥6,000-10,000).
3. Efficient routing across multiple cities
For a circuit like Tokyo → Kyoto → Osaka, send the bag hotel-to-hotel with a courier. Then ride the Shinkansen unencumbered → pick up the bag at the next hotel the next day. Hopping three cities without ever lugging a suitcase is a huge stress reduction.
4. Choosing the right storage option
If you just need to stash your bag for a day of sightseeing, ecbo cloak (¥400-700/day) + app booking is the most efficient combo. Station coin lockers fill up fast, so ecbo cloak is often the more reliable choice.
5. The few hours after hotel checkout
If you want to sightsee for a few hours between checkout and your flight:
Leave it at the hotel front desk: ✅ Usually free at most hotels — but you have to come back the same day.
ecbo cloak: ¥400-700 with peace of mind.
Station coin lockers: if you can find an empty one.
3 Common Mistakes Tourists Make
Sending "airport → hotel" on the morning of an early outbound flight: Next-day delivery will absolutely not catch a morning flight. You have to hand it in at the counter the night before.
Getting stranded by full coin lockers: Tokyo Station, Kyoto Station, and Shinjuku Station often have every locker full during Golden Week, summer break, and New Year's. Pre-booking ecbo cloak avoids this.
Blowing past locker time limits: Many coin lockers forcibly remove luggage after 24-72 hours. For anything multi-day, always use a delivery service instead.
Recommended Flow (3-City, 8-Day Itinerary)
Day
Movement
Luggage flow
Day 1 (arrive Tokyo)
Send bag from Narita with Yamato → head to Tokyo hotel
Airport → hotel next day (¥2,500)
Day 2 (receive + sightsee)
Receive bag at hotel → check in → sightsee in Tokyo
No storage needed
Day 3 (Tokyo sightseeing)
Full day sightseeing, ship bag to Kyoto from hotel in evening
Tokyo → Kyoto next day (¥2,000)
Day 4 (arrive Kyoto)
Shinkansen to Kyoto, pick up bag at hotel
Receive
Day 5-6 (Kyoto sightseeing)
Sightseeing; on Day 6 ship bag from hotel to Osaka
Kyoto → Osaka (¥1,800)
Day 7 (arrive Osaka + sightsee)
Shinkansen to Osaka, pick up bag at hotel
Receive
Day 8 (Kansai → fly home)
Check bag at airport counter or use JAL ABC for airport-to-airport delivery
Airport drop-off
Total delivery cost: about ¥6,300 (one standard suitcase × 4 segments) = three cities by Shinkansen, all hands-free.
A: The delivery providers (Yamato, Sagawa, JAL ABC, ANA) all accept credit cards. ecbo cloak charges in-app via Visa / Mastercard / JCB / Amex. Coin lockers are mostly cash or IC card. Wise and Revolut debit cards work fine.
Q: What if I'm sending multiple suitcases?
A: Each bag is priced separately. Two bags typically run ¥5,000-7,000. For families sending several bags at once, Yamato or Japan Post tends to give the best value.
Q: Do foreign-issued cards work?
A: All five delivery services accept foreign credit cards. The ecbo cloak app also accepts foreign cards. bounce / Stasher are overseas-based, so they're built around international cards by default.
Q: What about loss or theft insurance?
A: Delivery services carry the same insurance as standard couriers (generally up to ¥300,000). ecbo cloak covers up to ¥100,000. Coin lockers offer no compensation in principle. Always keep valuables on your person.
Q: What if I don't speak English well — or at all?
A: Yamato, JAL ABC, and ANA keep English-capable staff at airport counters. ecbo cloak is fully self-serve in the app (English, Chinese, Korean). The best strategy is "translation app + in-app booking" as a combo.
Editorial info: Yen Finder Editorial / shot in 2026 / last verified 2026-06-03. Prices and operating details are rough guides based on each provider's official site. Fee structures and campaigns can change without notice, so always confirm the final amount at the counter or on the official site.
