Practical Travel
How to Send Suitcases Between Hotels in Japan? Delivery Fees, Duration, and How to Receive Them
Updated 9 November 2026By Dynamic Japan Travel editorsEditorial policy
Contents
On travel days when you want to make a stop along the way, consider sending your suitcase to the next hotel in advance. This way, you can travel with just a small bag on the day.
Yamato Transport's "Takkyubin" is a service that delivers packages to specified addresses within Japan. When using it between hotels, first confirm whether the next hotel can receive your luggage and if it will arrive by the required date.
Key Points of This Article
- For those who
- want to explore Japan without carrying large luggage on hotel transfer days.
- Can it be sent
- find out if the hotel can receive it and the deadline for sending it.
- Cost
- learn how to measure your suitcase and check shipping costs to the destination.
- How to drop off and receive
- a guide from requesting at the front desk to receiving at the next hotel.
Check if the following hotel can receive luggage.
Before deciding on shipping, ask the next hotel you will stay at, "Can you hold suitcases that arrive before check-in?"
- Information to provide
- Check-in date and number of bags.
- Things to confirm
- From what date they can hold your luggage, if there is a storage fee, and the name, address, and phone number to write on the shipping label.
If there are multiple hotels in the same chain, it's reassuring to compare the branch name and address with the reservation screen.
If the accommodation cannot receive your luggage, consider sending it to another place that can or keeping it with you while traveling.
Determine the shipping date by counting back from the day of your stay.
When sending to the next hotel via Yamato Transport, ship it so that it arrives by the day before check-in. Aim to ship by two days before check-in, or three days in advance depending on the distance. If checking in on Wednesday, calculate backwards as follows:
- Regions requiring shipment two days in advance: Ship by Monday's deadline.
- Regions requiring shipment three days in advance: Ship by Sunday's deadline.
Ask the current hotel's front desk if they can handle courier services, and confirm a delivery option that arrives by the day before based on the sender's and recipient's postal codes and the next hotel's check-in date. Also, inquire about the same-day acceptance deadline and payment methods for peace of mind. If no delivery option is available by the day before, keep your suitcase with you when traveling.
Shipping costs are determined by the distance and suitcase size.
Measure the height, width, and depth of your suitcase and weigh it when packed. Match the total of the three dimensions and the weight to the size categories, and check the shipping cost based on the larger category. With Yamato Transport, suitcases can be shipped if the total of the three dimensions is within 200cm and the weight is within 30kg. For large items, confirm if they can be handled at the shipping counter.
If the total of the three sides is 155cm and the weight is 25kg or less, it is a 160 size. When sending one 160 size parcel from Tokyo to Kyoto, Yamato Transport's basic cash payment fee is 3,160 yen (including tax, before discounts). Check the actual payment amount at the front desk when shipping from a hotel.
On the English rate search page, select the origin and destination, and check the one-way rate for each size under the "General Parcels" section.
Place items needed for the next accommodation in your carry-on bag.
When considering how to spend your time until your luggage arrives, it becomes easier to decide what to keep with you.
- Items that cannot be shipped
- Passport, cash, credit cards, and cash cards should be kept in your personal bag.
- Items to keep until arrival
- Regular medications, chargers, and a change of clothes to use before arrival.
- Items to confirm at the counter
- For items like spray cans or devices containing batteries, please inform and confirm the item names before shipping.
List of items that cannot be sent by Yamato Transport (English)
How to
How to Send a Suitcase from the Hotel Front Desk
Prepare to show the hotel reservation screen and the address provided by the hotel on your smartphone.
Tell them you want to be sent to the next hotel. "I would like to send this suitcase to the next hotel. I will check in on [Month] [Day]." Confirm the number of items and the expected arrival date.
Write the recipient and contents on the shipping label. A shipping label is a form used for sending packages, where you fill in the destination and contents. Show the hotel staff the specified recipient name, postal code, address, phone number, reservation name, and stay dates. Follow the counter instructions for the sender's section, and specify the contents as "clothing," "shoes," etc.
Pay the shipping fee and note the tracking number. Shipping costs for sending luggage to guests are paid at the time of dispatch. Some hotels may only accept cash payments. It's useful to keep a copy of the shipping label with the tracking number and take a photo of it to show at the next hotel.
Receive the delivered package at the next hotel.
Enter the reference number into Yamato Transport's package tracking (English). When it shows "Delivered," provide the check-in date, reservation full name, and tracking number at the next hotel's front desk. Upon receipt, check the number of items and their external condition.
Q&A
Q&A for Shipping and Receiving Issues
- What if you can't ship from your current hotel?
- Check if you can drop it off at a nearby Yamato Transport office, and confirm their business hours and same-day shipping cutoff. Provide the delivery destination's postal code and verify if it will arrive in time for your next stay.
- What if it doesn't arrive by the expected delivery date?
- First, ask the hotel front desk if they have received it. If not found, provide the tracking number and delivery address to Yamato Transport to check the delivery status. If your next travel date is approaching, also inform them of your checkout date to facilitate discussing how to receive it afterward.
