Send your suitcase to the hotel
Japan's stations were not built for suitcases. Escalators are narrow, lifts are hidden, and rush hour is unforgiving. The locals' answer is to not carry the bag at all.
Skip this and your first two hours in Japan are a 25 kg suitcase, a stairwell, and a crowd behind you. The counter only exists inside the airport — once you're on the train, the option is gone.
What to do
Find the delivery counter in arrivals
Look for Yamato (a black cat carrying a kitten) or JAL ABC in the arrivals hall. They're past customs, before the train platforms — you cannot come back for them later.
Have your hotel details ready
They need the hotel name, full address, phone number and your check-in date. Screenshot your booking now — you may not have data yet.
Keep tonight out of the bag
It arrives tomorrow, not tonight. Medication, charger, toothbrush and one change of clothes go in your day bag before you hand the suitcase over.
Pay and keep the receipt
You get a slip with a tracking number. Keep it — it's how the hotel matches the bag to you if it arrives before you do.
Say this
ホテルに送りたいです
hoteru ni okuritai desu
I’d like to send this to my hotel.
Watch out for
Same-day is a morning-only trick
Same-day delivery exists but only for early arrivals, and not from every counter. If you land after lunch, assume tomorrow.
Tell the hotel it’s coming
Some hotels won’t accept a parcel that arrives before your check-in date. A one-line message to the hotel avoids a bag stuck at a depot.
Narita adds a counter fee
A ¥660 counter usage fee applies at Narita on top of the delivery price (since 1 June 2025).
There is a size ceiling
Roughly 200 cm total (length+width+height) and 30 kg per item. A normal large suitcase is well inside this.
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-07-29. Price shown is the usual range for airport → Tokyo 23 wards and varies by size and destination. Check the official table for your exact bag.