Multi-stop routes

Classic route: Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka

The ideal route for a first trip to Japan. We carry your luggage between Tokyo and the Kansai (Kyoto, Osaka) across 3 trips, so you travel light between the capital and the historic heart of the country. Drop your suitcases off, board the Shinkansen hands-free, and find them again at your accommodation.

from: 160 €
trips: 3
Cities served: 3

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Why this route

This is the most travelled itinerary in the country, and the one where the weight of suitcases is felt most. Tokyo and the Kansai are linked by the Shinkansen on the Tokaido line: two and a quarter hours of travel, but vast multi-level stations where connections mean stairs and crowded platforms.

One constraint is specific to that line: on the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen, luggage whose combined dimensions exceed 160 cm requires a specific reservation with the operator, failing which a surcharge is billed on board. Sending your large suitcase settles the question before it arises.

The third trip is the one people forget to plan: the return to Tokyo, often the day before the flight, with suitcases heavier from shopping. It is included in the route.

Itinerary

1
Tokyo → Osaka / Kyoto
First shipment, usually on the morning you leave Tokyo: your luggage waits for you in Kyoto or Osaka the next day.
Next day
2
Osaka / Kyoto → Osaka / Kyoto
An internal Kansai leg, between Osaka and Kyoto. The two cities are close, but a hotel change with suitcases still costs half a day.
Next day
3
Osaka / Kyoto → Tokyo
Return to Tokyo for the end of the stay, ahead of the flight home.
Next day

Which cities does this route serve?

Tokyo

The starting point of most trips. Your luggage is collected from your hotel or accommodation, whichever district you are staying in.

Kyoto

An essential Kansai stop. Ideal for sending your suitcases ahead before a long day of temples, entirely on foot.

Osaka

Next door to Kyoto and often used as a base for exploring western Japan.

Hotels, ryokan, rental apartments and private homes are all served. At a hotel, reception takes delivery for you; in an apartment, you must be there during the chosen slot.

What the price covers

from 160 €

Starting price for one bag across the whole route, VAT included. Each additional bag is priced within the same booking, with no handling fee.

Shipments travel on the Japanese takuhaibin network — the takkyubin service run by Yamato Transport is its best known form. Everything is settled online in euros at booking: not a single yen changes hands at the drop-off counter.

Collection at the drop-off point indicated for each leg of the route.
Carriage to the next delivery address, at every change of city.
Your choice of delivery date and time slot for each shipment.
A tracking link sent as soon as the luggage is collected.
Customer service reachable in English, French and Japanese.

When should you drop your luggage off at each stop?

The rule holds at every leg: a bag dropped off one day is delivered the next. So it has to go out the day before you change city, or on the morning itself for next-day arrival.

When should you drop your luggage off at each stop?
Itinerary	Delivery time	Drop off no later than
1. Tokyo → Osaka / Kyoto	Next day	The day before you arrive
2. Osaka / Kyoto → Osaka / Kyoto	Next day	The day before you arrive
3. Osaka / Kyoto → Tokyo	Next day	The day before you arrive

Who this route suits

A first trip to Japan built on two bases, Tokyo then the Kansai.
An eight to twelve day stay, out and back from Tokyo.
Days of temple visits in Kyoto, entirely on foot, where you would rather not depend on a station locker.

Tips for this route

1
Send your luggage the day before you leave for Kyoto: you board the Shinkansen with a single bag and collect the suitcase at the hotel that same evening.
2
Kyoto station lockers are saturated in high season, and the largest ones go first. Do not count on them during cherry blossom or autumn foliage.
3
If your Kansai accommodation is an apartment, pick a wide delivery window: you have to be there in person.

Frequently asked questions about this route

Does this route serve Kobe or Nara?

The route covers Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. For Kobe, Nara or another Kansai city, a single trip to the Kansai region is easily added.

Can I reverse the direction of the route?

Yes. The itinerary describes the most common line, but the stops are entered freely at booking.

How long does each leg take?

One day. Every bag dropped off is delivered the following day, including on the internal Kansai leg.

Does €160 cover two suitcases?

It is a starting price for one bag across the three trips. A second suitcase is priced as an extra within the same booking.

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If this itinerary is not quite yours, the two other routes cover different lines.

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Compare the three circuits, or get a quote for a single trip if your itinerary leaves the beaten track.

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