One of the kindest things you can tell arriving visitors is this: you do not have to drag your suitcases across Tokyo. Japan has a superb luggage forwarding network, and once your guests understand it, their first day gets a lot easier. Instead of wrestling heavy bags onto a crowded train or paying for a taxi from the airport, they can hand everything to a counter and travel to your place with nothing but a day bag.
The service is usually called takkyubin or takuhaibin (宅配便), and the most common provider is Yamato Transport, whose black-cat logo you will see at every major airport. Its luggage service is often branded Hands-Free Travel. Sagawa and the post office offer similar services, but Yamato is the one your visitors will find most easily.
Why it is great for visitors
The core idea is simple: send the suitcase, carry yourself. There are two situations where this really shines.
- Airport to your home. Guests land, drop their bags at the airport counter, and arrive at your door light and relaxed. This pairs naturally with the route advice on getting from the airport to your place.
- Hotel to hotel. If your visitors are doing a multi-city trip, they can forward bags between accommodations and spend the transit day sightseeing rather than babysitting luggage.
Rough costs
Pricing depends on the size of the bag (measured as the total of length plus width plus height) and the distance. As a guide for a normal suitcase going from a Tokyo-area airport to a home in the region:
- A mid-size suitcase runs roughly 2,000 yen, and a large one closer to 3,700 yen.
- At the airport counter there is usually an added handling fee of around 660 yen per item.
- Longer distances (for example airport to a different prefecture) cost more.
These are estimates checked on 2026-09-07 and can change, so treat them as a ballpark rather than a quote. The counter will tell your guests the exact price before they pay.
Timing: same day or next day
Delivery speed is the detail visitors most often get wrong. As a rule of thumb, if a bag is dropped off before about 11:00, same-day delivery within the same city area is often possible. Drop it later and it typically arrives the next day. Airport-to-home shipments across a longer distance are usually next-day regardless.
Tell your guests to assume next day unless the counter confirms otherwise, and to pack a small carry-on with one change of clothes, medication, chargers, and toiletries. That way an overnight wait for the suitcase is a non-event. This is worth flagging on your arrival checklist.
How to use the airport counter
The process is straightforward and staff are used to helping travelers who speak no Japanese.
- Find the delivery counter in the arrivals hall (look for the Yamato black-cat sign).
- Fill in a short form with the destination address, your guest's name, and a phone number. Give visitors your full address in advance so they can copy it exactly, ideally with the postal code.
- Choose a delivery date and time window if offered.
- Pay at the counter and keep the tracking slip.
Having your address written out clearly, in Japanese if possible, removes almost all the friction here.
What not to send
Forwarding is for ordinary luggage, not valuables. Advise guests to keep the following with them and never put them in a forwarded bag:
- Passports, cash, and bank or credit cards.
- Laptops, phones, and other fragile electronics.
- Medication they may need that day.
- Anything irreplaceable or perishable.
Luggage forwarding is one of those small systems that makes Japan feel effortless once you know it exists. Mention it before your visitors arrive, and remind them again for the trip out, since the same service works in reverse to the airport on departure day.