Japan Luggage Forwarding: Hotels, Airports, Delivery Times

All Japan Getting around 11 min read Last checked: 2026-11-02

JGO! editorial team — WEBMARKS Inc. (Fujisawa, Kanagawa)

Contents

1How luggage forwarding works in Japan
2Same-day delivery from Narita Airport
3Same-day delivery from Haneda Airport
4Same-day delivery from stations and other cities
5Sending bags to the airport for your flight home
6Using Japan Post and convenience stores
7Step by step: sending your bag from the airport to your hotel
8What you cannot send
9Mistakes first-timers make
10FAQ
11Related guides

Yes, you can send your suitcase across Japan and travel with only a day bag. If you land at Narita or Haneda in the morning, you can often have your bag delivered to your Tokyo hotel the same evening. For your flight home, you can send bags to the airport ahead of time and pick them up on departure day.

Kiko

Quick answer

Three big carriers handle tourist luggage: Yamato Transport, Sagawa Express and Japan Post ⓘ all official pages.
Airport to hotel, same day: hand your bag in during the morning and it usually arrives from about 16:00 or 18:00 (Sagawa, Yamato).
Same-day cut-offs at Narita are as early as 09:50 or 10:30 for Yamato, and 14:00 for Sagawa and JAL ABC at some counters ⓘ Narita Airport.
Yamato does not offer same-day delivery to Narita Airport (Yamato).
To the airport: send bags at least 2 days before your flight with Yamato, or so they arrive the day before your flight with Japan Post (Yamato, Japan Post).
Sample price: about 2,180–3,390 yen per suitcase for common Sagawa services (Sagawa).
Same-day areas are limited, mostly central Tokyo and nearby cities. Check your hotel's address first.
Prices and times can change. Check the official site before you go.

1How luggage forwarding works in Japan

Japan calls this idea tebura kankō, or "hands-free travel." You leave your big bag at a counter at an airport, train station, hotel or shop. A courier then carries it to your next stop.

There are three main patterns:

Airport → hotel. Often same day, if you arrive early and your hotel is in the delivery area.
Hotel or town → airport. Usually takes one or more days, so plan ahead.
Hotel → hotel, or town → town. Usually next day or later, depending on distance.

In 2015, Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism started a shared "hands-free travel" logo to help visitors find approved counters (MLIT). At the start, 47 counters were approved. Of these, 23 offered delivery and storage, 20 offered delivery only, and 4 offered storage only (MLIT). Approved services are promoted on the Japan National Tourism Organization ⓘ JNTO website and in its brochures (MLIT). All baggage delivery counters at Narita Airport have this approval ⓘ Narita Airport. We could not confirm the current number of approved counters or the exact rules behind the logo, so look for the logo but also check each company's own page.

2Same-day delivery from Narita Airport

Narita has counters for Yamato, Sagawa and JAL ABC. Same-day hotel delivery is only possible at certain counters, and the cut-off times are early ⓘ Narita Airport.

Terminal and floor	Company	Same-day delivery reception
T1 North Wing, 1F (before security)	Yamato	06:30–10:30, limited delivery area
T1 North Wing, 1F	Sagawa	06:30–14:00, 10 Tokyo wards and some hotels in Urayasu
T1 North Wing, 1F	JAL ABC	No same-day delivery
T1 South Wing, 1F	JAL ABC	06:30–14:00
T2 Main Building, 1F	Yamato	06:30–10:30
T2 Main Building, 1F	Sagawa	06:30–14:00, 10 Tokyo wards and some hotels in Urayasu
T2 Main Building, 1F	JAL ABC	06:30–14:00
T3 Main Building, 1F	Yamato	06:30–09:50
T1 4F and T2 3F counters	Various	07:00–21:00, no same-day delivery listed

Source: Narita Airport.

The Yamato counter at T1 North Wing 1F is open 06:30–22:30 for regular delivery. If the last flight arrives after 22:30, it stays open until one hour after that flight ⓘ Narita Airport. The Sagawa counter in the same area is open from 06:30 until one hour after the last international arrival ⓘ Narita Airport.

Sagawa's same-day hotel delivery from Narita costs 3,390 yen per suitcase as a sample price (Sagawa). The Narita Airport page itself does not list prices.

3Same-day delivery from Haneda Airport

Haneda is closer to central Tokyo, and both Yamato and Sagawa offer same-day hotel delivery.

Yamato from Haneda. The cut-off for hotel delivery is 11:00 in the morning, and you receive the bag from 18:00 the same day (Yamato). The Yamato page also shows an 18:30 time for Terminals 2 and 3. We could not confirm how this relates to the 11:00 cut-off, so ask at the counter. The delivery area covers (Yamato):

All 23 wards of Tokyo
Urayasu, Ichikawa, Funabashi and Narashino
Kawasaki
Parts of Yokohama: Nishi, Naka, Tsurumi, Kanagawa, Hodogaya, Minami and Konan wards
Parts of Chiba City

Yamato's Haneda-to-hotel prices (tax included), first for Tokyo's 23 wards, then for other covered areas (Yamato):

Size (3 sides total)	Weight up to	Tokyo 23 wards	Other covered areas
60	2 kg	2,450 yen	2,600 yen
80	5 kg	2,750 yen	2,890 yen
100	10 kg	3,070 yen	3,190 yen
120	15 kg	4,490 yen	4,800 yen
140	20 kg	4,850 yen	5,390 yen
160	25 kg	5,170 yen	5,780 yen
180	30 kg	6,890 yen	7,540 yen
200	30 kg	7,550 yen	8,330 yen

Yamato's general same-day page gives a slightly different example: 5,180 yen for a 160-size bag from Haneda to a 23-ward hotel (Yamato). Small differences like this are a good reason to confirm the price at the counter.

Sagawa from Haneda. The Terminal 1 counter on the first floor is open 7:00–20:00 (Sagawa). Same-day hotel delivery covers 10 Tokyo wards and Urayasu. If you hand in your bag by 13:00, it should arrive from 16:00 (Sagawa). Prices run from 910 yen (up to 60 cm, 2 kg) to 2,440 yen (up to 160 cm, 30 kg). A 140 cm, 20 kg suitcase costs 2,180 yen (Sagawa). You book online, get a QR code by email and show it at the counter (Sagawa).

4Same-day delivery from stations and other cities

Yamato's same-day service also runs between some train stations and hotels. No reservation is needed (Yamato). Bags up to 200 cm (three sides combined) are accepted. The page does not list a weight limit (Yamato).

For example, Yamato's Kyoto Station-front office sends a 160-size bag to a hotel in Kyoto City for 2,870 yen (Yamato). Each office has its own delivery area, delivery times and cut-off, and Yamato does not publish one full list (Yamato). Ask at the office, or check the official page for the office you plan to use.

Sagawa's hands-free service has 65 locations in 21 prefectures (Sagawa, as of November 2026). These include stations, airports, hotels and partner shops in town. As a general guide, bags handed in by 11:00 arrive from 16:00, but this depends on the place and the season (Sagawa). Sagawa's sample price for regular ground delivery within Tokyo is 2,180 yen per suitcase (Sagawa).

We did not check counter hours or prices at Kansai Airport, Kyoto Station or Osaka for this guide. Please check each company's site for those.

5Sending bags to the airport for your flight home

This is the most useful service on your last days in Japan. But it is not same day in most cases, so plan ahead.

Yamato Airport TA-Q-BIN. Send your bag at least 2 days before your flight (3 days from some areas). It reaches the airport by the day before your flight, and you collect it at a partner counter on departure day (Yamato). Key rules (Yamato):

An airport fee of 660 yen (tax included) per bag is added to the normal fare.
Sizes from 60 to 200. Bags over 30 kg are not accepted.
You cannot choose a delivery time slot, and you cannot pay on delivery.
Liability is limited to 300,000 yen per bag.
For round-trip deliveries to Kansai Airport, the return airport fee was removed for items sent from 1 November 2026. Before that, the fee was 1,320 yen for the round trip.

Yamato same day to Haneda. From some Tokyo offices, you can drop your bag by 11:00 and collect it at Haneda the same day between 17:00 and 23:00 (21:00 for domestic flights). You can pick it up from 3 hours before departure (Yamato). Yamato does not offer same-day delivery to Narita (Yamato).

Japan Post Airport Yu-Pack. Your bag must reach the airport by the day before departure. You collect it at the airport counter on your flight day. Bring your sender's receipt and photo ID (Japan Post). The price is the normal Yu-Pack fare plus 880 yen. You can get up to 360 yen off if you bring the parcel to a post office or use the service both ways (Japan Post). It is for travel bags, ski gear and golf gear. The length limit is 150 cm (210 cm for skis). Chilled items, cash on delivery and pay-on-delivery are not available (Japan Post).

If you have a very early flight and want your bag at around 6:00, contact the company directly first ⓘ Narita Airport.

6Using Japan Post and convenience stores

Japan Post's Yu-Pack works in three ways: airport to hotel, nearest post office to hotel, and nearest post office to airport (Japan Post). You can send from about 24,000 post offices and from convenience stores across Japan (Japan Post).

The steps at a post office are simple. Get a Yu-Pack label at the counter, write your hotel details, hand over the bag and pay (Japan Post). Delivery from a post office to a hotel is normally the next day or later. If your bag holds items that cannot fly, it can take 1 to 4 extra days (Japan Post).

The Japan Post page we checked does not list Yu-Pack prices or size and weight limits. Ask at the counter.

Post office hours at the airports (Japan Post):

Haneda Airport Post Office (Terminal 1): weekdays only, 9:00–17:00
Narita Terminal 1 (4F) and Terminal 2 (3F): 8:30–20:00

7Step by step: sending your bag from the airport to your hotel

Check your hotel's address before you fly. Make sure it is inside the same-day area (for example, Tokyo's 23 wards for Yamato from Haneda, or 10 Tokyo wards for Sagawa).
Tell your hotel a bag is coming. Most hotels accept parcels for guests, but it helps to let them know.
Book if needed. Sagawa at Haneda uses online booking with a QR code (Sagawa). Yamato's same-day service needs no booking (Yamato).
Go to the counter early. At Narita, cut-offs can be 09:50, 10:30 or 14:00 depending on terminal and company ⓘ Narita Airport.
Fill in the form and pay. Write your name, hotel name, address and phone number. Pay the fee.
Keep your receipt. It has your tracking number.
Travel light. Your bag should arrive from about 16:00 (Sagawa) or 18:00 (Yamato from Haneda).

8What you cannot send

Sagawa does not accept animals, valuables, or dangerous items such as explosives (Sagawa). Rules at other companies may differ, so check their pages. As a simple rule, keep your passport, cash, medicine, electronics and anything you need tonight in your day bag.

Sagawa also offers short-term storage. You can book from the same day up to one month ahead, and the booking pages are in Japanese and English (Sagawa). At Haneda Terminal 1, storage costs per bag per day (tax included): 800 yen up to 100 cm, 1,000 yen for 101–160 cm, and 2,000 yen for 161 cm and over (Sagawa).

9Mistakes first-timers make

Arriving after the cut-off and expecting same-day delivery. Look up the cut-off for your terminal. At Narita T3, Yamato's same-day window closes at 09:50 ⓘ Narita Airport.
Assuming the whole city is covered. Same-day areas are limited. Check that your hotel's ward or city is on the list.
Sending bags to Narita on departure day. Yamato does not offer same-day delivery to Narita (Yamato). Send at least 2 days ahead instead.
Packing your passport or medicine in the forwarded bag. Keep anything important or needed tonight with you.
Forgetting ID for Airport Yu-Pack pickup. Bring your receipt and photo ID (Japan Post).

10FAQ

How long does luggage forwarding take in Japan? Airport to hotel can be same day if you drop off in the morning. Hotel or post office to hotel is usually next day or later (Japan Post). To the airport, allow at least 2 days with Yamato (Yamato).

How much does it cost to send a suitcase? It depends on size, weight and route. Sample prices: 2,180 yen within Tokyo or 3,390 yen same day from Narita with Sagawa (Sagawa). Yamato from Haneda costs 2,450–8,330 yen (Yamato).

Do I need a reservation? Not for Yamato's same-day service (Yamato). Sagawa at Haneda uses online booking with a QR code (Sagawa).

Can I send my bag to the airport on the day I fly? To Haneda, yes, from some Tokyo Yamato offices if you drop it by 11:00 (Yamato). To Narita, Yamato does not offer this (Yamato).

Can I pay when the bag arrives? Not for airport deliveries with Yamato or Japan Post (Yamato, Japan Post).

Is there a weight limit? Yamato airport deliveries do not accept bags over 30 kg (Yamato). Limits for other services vary, so check the official site.