How to use a Japanese coin locker
Coin lockers are the cheapest way to put a bag down for a few hours in Japan, and they are everywhere — but only if your bag is small enough, and only if you get there before the ones that take a suitcase are taken.
The sizes
There is no national standard — each operator buys its own cabinets — but the shapes converge. Width is almost always 34 to 36 cm and depth 57 to 66 cm; what changes between classes is the height. Small is about 32 cm tall, medium 50 cm, large 84 cm and the extra-large cabinets 113 cm.
That geometry is why a cabin suitcase often will not go into a small locker even though it looks like it should. A 55 × 40 × 25 cm case laid on its back needs 40 cm of height, and a small cabinet has 32 cm. It needs a medium.
Depth is the quiet constraint for big cases. A 28-inch suitcase is around 29 cm deep, but a hard case with protruding wheels and a soft cover can pass 34 cm, and then it will not go into a large locker whatever its height.
Prices
Roughly ¥300 to ¥400 for the smallest cabinets, ¥400 to ¥600 for small, ¥500 to ¥800 for medium, ¥700 to ¥1,000 for large and ¥800 to ¥1,200 for extra-large. Central Tokyo, Kyoto and the airports sit at the top of each range.
The price is per day, not per 24 hours — and the day ends at midnight or at the first train, depending on the operator. A bag put in at 22:00 and collected at 09:00 the next morning has usually been there two days as far as the machine is concerned.
How the modern lockers work
Most banks now have a touchscreen at the end rather than a coin slot on each door. Choose an empty locker on the screen, put your bag in, close the door, then pay at the screen — coins, notes, or an IC card such as Suica, PASMO or ICOCA.
If you pay with an IC card, that card is your key: touch it to the panel to open the door again. Do not top the card up to zero and hand it back at the airport before collecting your bag, which is a mistake people genuinely make.
If you pay in cash you get a printed slip with a QR code or a numeric code on it. Photograph the slip, and photograph the locker number and the bank — the machines look identical and stations are large.
The time limit
Three days is the usual maximum, after which staff remove the contents and store them separately; the terms of the larger operators set this out and charge storage on top. It is not a place to leave a bag while you travel for a week.
For anything longer, use a staffed baggage room or a storage service, which are set up for multi-day storage and will hold a case for as long as you pay.
When they are all full
They will be, at Tokyo, Kyoto and Shinjuku in the middle of the day. Three things work: walk to a bank away from the main concourse (the ones by the ticket gates fill first, the ones on an outer level rarely do), use a staffed baggage room, or use a storage service such as ecbo cloak, which books space in shops and cafes by the day and can be reserved on your phone before you arrive.
At the airports, the baggage check rooms and companies such as JAL ABC take cases of any size and hold them for weeks, which is the right answer for a case you do not need until you fly home.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pay for a coin locker with Suica or PASMO?
At most modern banks, yes, and the card then acts as the key — touch it to the panel to reopen the door. Older single-door lockers still take ¥100 coins only, so keep a few.
How long can I leave a bag in a coin locker?
Three days is the usual maximum. After that staff remove the contents and hold them separately, with a storage charge. For longer, use a staffed baggage room or a storage service.
Why will my cabin suitcase not fit a small locker?
Because small cabinets are only about 32 cm tall, and a 55 × 40 × 25 cm case laid flat needs 40 cm. The width and depth are fine; it is the height that fails. A medium locker takes it.
What do I do if the lockers are all full?
Try a bank away from the ticket gates, then a staffed baggage room, then a storage service such as ecbo cloak, which you can reserve on your phone before you arrive at the station.
Check your own bag
All guides
Sources
- JR East Smart Logistics — Multi Ecube coin locker sizes and fees (Last checked 2026-09-09)
- Keio Chika — Published coin locker internal dimensions and prices (Last checked 2026-09-09)
- Keio Chika — Coin locker terms: three-day limit and abandoned property (Last checked 2026-09-09)
- Narita International Airport — Coin lockers: sizes, prices and limits (Last checked 2026-09-09)
- Haneda Airport — Baggage check room rates (Last checked 2026-09-09)
- JR Hakata City — Coin locker list by building (Last checked 2026-09-09)
- Tokyu Corporation — Shibuya station coin lockers (Last checked 2026-09-09)
- JR East (JRE Media) — Station coin locker guides for Tokyo area stations (Last checked 2026-09-09)
- ecbo cloak — Luggage storage pricing (Last checked 2026-09-09)
- JAL ABC — Airport baggage storage counter rates (Last checked 2026-09-09)
Last checked: 2026-09-09 — Rules and prices change. Coin locker dimensions in particular vary from station to station, so treat the sizes here as a guide and check the official page before you travel.