Coin Lockers vs Luggage Storage Apps vs Luggage Delivery in Japan: Which Should You Use?
In Japan you have three ways to deal with luggage between check-out and your next stop. Station coin lockers are the most convenient: large lockers cost about ¥600–¥1,000 a day, but you can generally use them for up to 3 days, they fill up at busy stations, and a 28-inch suitcase usually needs an extra-large locker. Luggage storage apps such as ecbo cloak need booking and charge ¥500–¥800 per bag per day. Luggage delivery takes your bags straight to your next hotel or the airport, so you never have to go back for them.
Key takeaways
- On Tokyu Railways, a large coin locker costs ¥600 per use and an extra-large one ¥900; L-size lockers at JR Tokyo Station cost ¥900–¥1,000, and lockers can generally be used for up to 3 days.
- Large lockers are about 50–57 cm high and 58–66 cm deep inside, so a 28-inch suitcase usually won't fit; you need one of the few extra-large lockers.
- ecbo cloak charges ¥500 a day for bags under 45 cm on the longest side and ¥800 for suitcases, or a flat ¥1,000 at JR station locations; each bag can weigh up to 20 kg and you can book up to 3 months ahead.
- With lockers and storage apps you have to go back for your bags; luggage delivery takes them to your next stop.
- If you are changing cities or heading to the airport after check-out, delivery saves the most time; for half a day in the same city, a locker or storage app is enough.
Coin lockers vs luggage storage apps vs luggage delivery: what's the difference?
The biggest difference is whether your bags move: lockers and storage apps just hold your luggage until you come back for it, while luggage delivery takes it to your next hotel or the airport. Here's how they compare on timing, handover, size limits, booking and who they suit:
| Item | Station coin locker | Luggage storage app | Luggage delivery (LuggAgent) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timing | Access any time the station is open; generally up to 3 days | Shop opening hours; charged per day | Hand over in the morning; delivered to your next hotel by 18:00 or 21:00 the same day |
| Handover | Lock it yourself with coins or a card | Show a QR code at the shop and hand bags to staff | Leave bags at the hotel front desk, or hand them over in person at the airport meeting point |
| Size limit | Depends on the locker; few extra-large lockers | ecbo cloak: no size limit, up to 20 kg per bag | Standard bags 180 cm, 32 kg; oversized items 250 cm, 25 kg |
| Booking | No booking; first come, first served | Book in the app or online | Book online; most services at least 24–72 hours ahead (exact cutoff on the booking page) |
| Best for | Coming back to the same station the same day, for a few hours | Guaranteeing a space without hunting for lockers | Changing cities or flying out after check-out without going back for bags |
Locker and storage-app prices are in the sections below; luggage delivery is priced per route, and live prices appear on the route cards further down.
How much do coin lockers cost in Japan, and will a large suitcase fit?
Japanese station coin lockers cost about ¥300–¥1,000 per use, with large lockers at about ¥600–¥1,000, but a large locker usually fits only a carry-on or medium suitcase. These are the sizes and prices published by Tokyu Railways:
| Size | Inside dimensions (H × W × D, approx.) | Price per use |
|---|---|---|
| Slim | 33 × 14 × 64–68 cm | ¥300 |
| Small | 32 × 35 × 58–66 cm | ¥500 |
| Large | 50–57 × 35 × 58–66 cm | ¥600 |
| Extra-large | 84–114 × 35 × 58–66 cm | ¥900 |
Since August 1, 2026, some Tokyu lockers use seasonal variable pricing, so go by the amount on the touch panel. JR East lists Tokyo Station lockers at SS ¥300, S ¥500, M ¥700–¥800 and L ¥900–¥1,000, with ¥100–¥200 added to some M and L lockers in peak periods (JR East); prices differ by station and operator.
How long can you leave luggage in a coin locker? Can you leave it overnight?
Yes, overnight is fine, but generally for no more than 3 days. On Tokyu, another charge is added once the clock passes 2:00 a.m.; bags left beyond the limit are moved to the locker management centre and kept for up to a month, and you pay for every day of storage to get them back.
New-style coin lockers at Osaka Station (June 2026), paid for and opened at the central pay station. Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Public domain
What to do when the coin lockers are full
Large lockers at popular stations are often full by mid-morning in peak season, so try a staffed baggage room, book a nearby shop through a storage app, or simply send your bags on to your next stop. Practical options:
- Look near quieter exits, in underground malls or at a neighbouring private-railway station; large lockers are usually spread across several spots.
- Big stations usually have a staffed baggage room (tenimotsu azukarijo) that takes large bags, but opening hours are limited, so collect early in the evening.
- Book a shop near the station in a storage app and drop your bags off as soon as you arrive, instead of trusting to luck.
- If your next stop is another hotel or the airport, have your luggage delivered and skip the trip back to collect it.
A typical row of station coin lockers in Japan; large lockers make up only a few of them. Photo: Crispin Semmens / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0
How do luggage storage apps work? ecbo cloak vs Bounce vs Radical Storage
Luggage storage apps let you leave bags at partner cafés, shops or hotels: pick a shop and date in the app or on the website, pay, then show the QR code to staff when you drop off. Here's how three services commonly used in Japan compare (official sites checked October 2026):
| Item | ecbo cloak | Bounce | Radical Storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Bags (longest side under 45 cm) ¥500 a day, suitcases ¥800; ¥1,000 at JR station locations | From ¥275 per bag per day, varies by shop | From ¥270 per bag, varies by shop |
| Size and weight | No size limit; up to 20 kg per bag | No size limit, per its site | No standard size or weight limit, per its site |
| Booking | App or website, up to 3 months ahead | App or website | App or website |
| Loss or damage cover | Up to ¥100,000 per bag (depreciation applied) | See its terms | See its terms |
ecbo cloak charges per business day rather than per hour, so dropping off in the evening and collecting the next morning counts as 2 days (ecbo cloak help). Bounce and Radical Storage prices and cover depend on the shop and their terms, so check what Bounce and Radical Storage show when you book.
When should you choose luggage delivery instead of storage?
Choose luggage delivery whenever your bags need to end up somewhere other than where you left them: changing cities after check-out, going from the hotel to the airport, or heading out sightseeing straight from the airport. By situation:
| Situation | Best option |
|---|---|
| Half a day in the same city after check-out, then back to the station | Coin locker or storage app |
| Taking the Shinkansen to another city after check-out, sightseeing first | Luggage delivery to your next hotel |
| Evening flight home | Luggage delivery to the airport, or leave bags at the hotel |
| Sightseeing straight from the airport on arrival | Delivery from the airport to your hotel |
| A 28-inch-plus suitcase or several bags | Book a storage app, or use luggage delivery |
For more ways to handle bags after check-out, see Where to leave luggage after hotel check-out in Japan.
Don't want to go back for your bags after check-out? Send them to your next stop
Lockers and storage apps share one catch: wherever you leave your bags, you have to go back there. Check out at 11:00, leave your bags at the station, come back in the evening, then drag them onto a train to your next stop or the airport; and if the lockers are full, you're wandering the station looking for one.
LuggAgent takes your luggage straight from your hotel to your next hotel or the airport. Leave your bags at the hotel front desk by the pickup time you chose (between 09:00 and 11:00); there's no need to wait for the driver. Hotel deliveries are left at the front desk by 18:00 or 21:00 the same day (depending on the option you book), airport deliveries are handed back to you in person at the meeting point, and bags are photographed at pickup and delivery. Most services need to be booked at least 24–72 hours in advance, and the exact cutoff is shown on the booking page; see Tokyo luggage delivery and Kyoto luggage delivery for details.
The Shinkansen Hachijo Entrance gates at Kyoto Station. Send your bags ahead and you won't need to hunt for a locker here. Photo: MaedaAkihiko / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Flying home from Tokyo? Send your bags from your hotel straight to Haneda and pick them up there before you check in:
Leaving from Kyoto? Send your bags to Kansai Airport at check-out and spend your last day in Kyoto hands-free:
FAQ
Will a 28-inch suitcase fit in a Japanese coin locker?
Usually not in a large locker; you need an extra-large one. On Tokyu Railways, large lockers are about 50–57 cm high and 58–66 cm deep inside, which a 28-inch suitcase generally exceeds; extra-large lockers are about 84–114 cm high and cost ¥900, but each station has only a few and they fill up fast in peak season.
How many days can you use a coin locker in Japan?
Generally up to 3 days. Overnight is fine, but you pay again for each extra day (Tokyu's cut-over is 2:00 a.m.). Bags left past the limit are moved to a management centre and kept for up to a month, and you pay for the storage period to collect them, under each operator's rules.
How much is ecbo cloak, and do I need to book?
ecbo cloak charges ¥500 a day for bags under 45 cm on the longest side and ¥800 a day for suitcases, or a flat ¥1,000 at JR station locations, billed per business day. You must book in the app or online, up to 3 months ahead; each bag can weigh up to 20 kg.
What should I do if all the station coin lockers are full?
Check quieter exits and underground malls, use the station's staffed baggage room, or book a nearby shop through a storage app. If you're heading to another hotel or the airport next, having your bags delivered saves the most time and means you don't have to go back for them.
Where can luggage delivery pick up my bags?
Luggage delivery services usually collect from hotel front desks, homestays or airports and deliver to another hotel, homestay or airport. With LuggAgent, for hotel pickups you just leave your bags at the front desk, and at the airport you hand them over in person at the meeting point in your confirmation; available locations and routes are shown on the booking page.
Cover photo: mrhayata from Tokyo, Japan / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0
This article offers general travel tips for reference only. For actual services and conditions, please rely on the booking page and the latest official announcements.
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