Where to leave a bag when the lockers are full
A locker is the cheapest option and the first to run out. Knowing the three things that replace it — and which of them you can book from your phone on the train — is what stops a full locker bank from costing you an afternoon.
Staffed baggage rooms
Most large stations have a counter that holds bags by the day, usually near the main concourse or in the station building. They take any size, including cases that no locker fits, and they are staffed, so nothing is at risk of being cleared out after three days.
They cost more than a locker — commonly ¥600 to ¥1,000 a piece a day — and they close, typically in the evening. Check the closing time before you leave the bag, because a counter that shuts at 20:00 is no use if your train gets back at 21:30.
Storage services
ecbo cloak books space in shops, cafes and hotels near the station and works entirely through an app: reserve a slot, walk in, show the code, hand the bag over. Prices are published per bag per day and are close to locker rates.
The advantage is not the price but the certainty. You can reserve while you are still on the train, so you arrive knowing where the bag goes, which is worth a great deal at Kyoto Station on a holiday weekend.
Opening hours are the host shop's hours, so read them when you book — a cafe that closes at 18:00 is a hard deadline.
Airport baggage rooms
Narita, Haneda and Kansai all have baggage check rooms in the terminals, and companies such as JAL ABC run counters that hold luggage by the day with no size limit.
This is the right answer for a case you will not need until you fly home: leave it at the airport on arrival, travel with a small bag, and pick it up on the way out. It costs a few hundred yen a day more than a locker but removes the problem entirely.
The option people forget: send it forward
If you are moving on to another city, takkyubin from the hotel you are leaving to the hotel you are going to is often cheaper than storing the bag and carrying it on the train, and it removes the Shinkansen oversized baggage question at the same time.
Hand it in at the hotel front desk in the morning and it is at the next hotel the following day. Two nights in the same city makes this awkward; three or more makes it obvious.
Frequently asked questions
Can I book luggage storage in advance in Japan?
With a storage service such as ecbo cloak, yes — you reserve a slot in a nearby shop from the app before you arrive. Coin lockers and most station baggage rooms are first come, first served.
What does a station baggage room cost?
Commonly ¥600 to ¥1,000 per piece per day, more than a locker but with no size limit and no three-day cut-off. Check the closing time before you leave the bag.
Where can I leave a suitcase for a week?
An airport baggage check room or a handling company such as JAL ABC. Coin lockers are cleared after three days, so they are not an option for a long stay.
Is it cheaper to store a bag or to send it ahead?
If you are changing cities, sending it ahead by takkyubin is often cheaper than storage plus the train, and it also removes the need for a Shinkansen oversized baggage reservation.
Check your own bag
All guides
Sources
- ecbo cloak — Luggage storage pricing (Last checked 2026-09-09)
- JAL ABC — Airport baggage storage counter rates (Last checked 2026-09-09)
- Haneda Airport — Baggage check room rates (Last checked 2026-09-09)
- Narita International Airport — Coin lockers: sizes, prices and limits (Last checked 2026-09-09)
- Keio Chika — Coin locker terms: three-day limit and abandoned property (Last checked 2026-09-09)
- Yamato Transport — Takkyubin size and weight table (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.