 Poster: A snowHead
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I am already planning my 2026 trip to Japan. I will need to bring a lot of ski equipment / luggage (20kg/45lbs bag, 15kg/35lb 185cm long ski bag, and a very heavy airline sized carryon bag). Is it even possible? Any tips/suggestions? Can you "check-in" this luggage or do you carry it on the train yourself? Any special seat location that has extra storage?
Any help would be highly appreciated.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@skimachine,
Absolutely—it’s possible to travel around Japan with that much luggage (including skis), but it takes a bit of planning. Here’s how to manage it smoothly, especially if you’re taking the Shinkansen or other trains:
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1. Shinkansen & JR Trains – Luggage Rules
Japan Rail (JR) allows large luggage on Shinkansen, but you must reserve a special seat if your bag is oversized:
• “Oversized baggage” = any item over 160 cm in combined dimensions (L+W+H).
• Your 185 cm ski bag definitely qualifies.
• You must book a seat with an “Oversized Baggage Area” reservation (無料/free but must be reserved) for your ski bag.
• Your 20kg suitcase is borderline – also reserve the oversized area just to be safe.
Where to reserve: When booking tickets (online or in person), choose a seat marked with “荷物スペース付き” (with luggage space).
⸻
2. Onboard Storage Tips
• Oversized Baggage Area: These are behind the last row of certain carriages (often Car 11, 12, or 13 depending on the train).
• Carry-on bag: You’ll keep this with you overhead or under the seat—Japanese trains have decent overhead racks, but not big enough for a full-sized carry-on if it’s stuffed.
⸻
3. Alternate Strategy: Luggage Delivery Service (Takkyubin)
Consider using Yamato Transport (Kuroneko) or Japan Post’s Luggage Delivery:
• Send ski bag or suitcase ahead to your hotel or ski lodge.
• Inexpensive: Typically around ¥2,000–¥3,000 per item (~$15–25).
• Reliable and convenient: Next-day delivery in most cases.
Great for: Ski resorts like Hakuba, Niseko, or Nozawa Onsen.
⸻
4. When You’re in Stations
• Use elevators (escalators are rare and staircases are frequent).
• Arrive early to navigate calmly.
• Many stations (especially in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagano, etc.) have wide ticket gates and porters at major hubs.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Takkyubin every time
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@skimachine, you can take large luggage but only with an advanced reservation. It would still be a hassle (train stations ars busy) so takkyubin is the best solution indeed.
Will be using takkyubin for small luggage for the upcoming October Nakasendo trip. Very convenient.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Takkyubin also because there are muppets/tourist using oversize luggage space without reservation. Saw this type of situation on Tokyo-Kanazawa line, confusion and trying to locate the “offenders” who then were trawling with their mega sized suitcases (coffins???)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The advice from BobinCH matches my experience this year. I had similar luggage to your planned kit and travelled quite a bit by bus, coach, local train and Shinkansen. While it was occasionally a bit of a pain squeezing onto busy local trains, the hardest part was getting in and out of the stations with too many stairs.
As long as you can safely move around while carrying all your luggage you should be fine. The luggage storage on board varied by train but was broadly the same as UK trains. Shinkansen was pretty straightforward with oversized luggage as mentioned above.
The seat61 website has loads of helpful info on train travel in Japan.
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| skimachine wrote: |
I am already planning my 2026 trip to Japan. I will need to bring a lot of ski equipment / luggage (20kg/45lbs bag, 15kg/35lb 185cm long ski bag, and a very heavy airline sized carryon bag). Is it even possible? Any tips/suggestions? Can you "check-in" this luggage or do you carry it on the train yourself? Any special seat location that has extra storage?
Any help would be highly appreciated. |
Good luck with your trip.
But 50kg of luggage... Wow!  Skis and boots plus another 30-odd kilos...
I am really intrigued by what you are planning to take, given that 2 of us went to Japan last season and checked in only a (shared) double ski bag (18kg); and also took 2 hand luggages (of less than 10kg each).
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Takkyubin. Drop off at airport & travel light.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| BobinCH wrote: |
@skimachine,
Absolutely—it’s possible to travel around Japan with that much luggage (including skis), but it takes a bit of planning. Here’s how to manage it smoothly, especially if you’re taking the Shinkansen or other trains:
⸻
1. Shinkansen & JR Trains – Luggage Rules
Japan Rail (JR) allows large luggage on Shinkansen, but you must reserve a special seat if your bag is oversized:
• “Oversized baggage” = any item over 160 cm in combined dimensions (L+W+H).
• Your 185 cm ski bag definitely qualifies.
• You must book a seat with an “Oversized Baggage Area” reservation (無料/free but must be reserved) for your ski bag.
• Your 20kg suitcase is borderline – also reserve the oversized area just to be safe.
Where to reserve: When booking tickets (online or in person), choose a seat marked with “荷物スペース付き” (with luggage space).
⸻
2. Onboard Storage Tips
• Oversized Baggage Area: These are behind the last row of certain carriages (often Car 11, 12, or 13 depending on the train).
• Carry-on bag: You’ll keep this with you overhead or under the seat—Japanese trains have decent overhead racks, but not big enough for a full-sized carry-on if it’s stuffed.
⸻
3. Alternate Strategy: Luggage Delivery Service (Takkyubin)
Consider using Yamato Transport (Kuroneko) or Japan Post’s Luggage Delivery:
• Send ski bag or suitcase ahead to your hotel or ski lodge.
• Inexpensive: Typically around ¥2,000–¥3,000 per item (~$15–25).
• Reliable and convenient: Next-day delivery in most cases.
Great for: Ski resorts like Hakuba, Niseko, or Nozawa Onsen.
⸻
4. When You’re in Stations
• Use elevators (escalators are rare and staircases are frequent).
• Arrive early to navigate calmly.
• Many stations (especially in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagano, etc.) have wide ticket gates and porters at major hubs. |
Thank you so much. Exactly what I needed. I am planning to use luggage delivery, but this last leg will be too tight to use it since I plan to go straight from to Haneda. I love the porter idea. Carrying all this stuff is always hard and a sweaty event. Unfortunately, when I ski I wear enough stuff for 3 people since I get cold so easily, but you have to do what you got to do.
I will be going to Hokkaido and Iwate Prefecture.
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| Bergmeister wrote: |
| skimachine wrote: |
I am already planning my 2026 trip to Japan. I will need to bring a lot of ski equipment / luggage (20kg/45lbs bag, 15kg/35lb 185cm long ski bag, and a very heavy airline sized carryon bag). Is it even possible? Any tips/suggestions? Can you "check-in" this luggage or do you carry it on the train yourself? Any special seat location that has extra storage?
Any help would be highly appreciated. |
Good luck with your trip.
But 50kg of luggage... Wow! Skis and boots plus another 30-odd kilos...
I am really intrigued by what you are planning to take, given that 2 of us went to Japan last season and checked in only a (shared) double ski bag (18kg); and also took 2 hand luggages (of less than 10kg each). |
I will be traveling for a month. I also wear about 3 people's worth of cloths on the mountain since I get cold really easily. I plan to have nothing in my double ski bag other than skis and poles. Carry on boots, helmet, boot heaters/batteries....medical condition, avi beacon, goggles, assorted general small travel crap such as phone, chargers, trip documents, gloves, ski socks, backup perscription glasses and perscription sun glasses since I am blind as a bat.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Critical_Al wrote: |
The advice from BobinCH matches my experience this year. I had similar luggage to your planned kit and travelled quite a bit by bus, coach, local train and Shinkansen. While it was occasionally a bit of a pain squeezing onto busy local trains, the hardest part was getting in and out of the stations with too many stairs.
As long as you can safely move around while carrying all your luggage you should be fine. The luggage storage on board varied by train but was broadly the same as UK trains. Shinkansen was pretty straightforward with oversized luggage as mentioned above.
The seat61 website has loads of helpful info on train travel in Japan. |
Thank you for your reply and the website hint. Luckily Japan is a very safe country. Moving around with all the gear is a challenge, but it can be done over a very short distances to bridge transportation gaps.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Critical_Al wrote: |
The advice from BobinCH matches my experience this year. I had similar luggage to your planned kit and travelled quite a bit by bus, coach, local train and Shinkansen. While it was occasionally a bit of a pain squeezing onto busy local trains, the hardest part was getting in and out of the stations with too many stairs.
As long as you can safely move around while carrying all your luggage you should be fine. The luggage storage on board varied by train but was broadly the same as UK trains. Shinkansen was pretty straightforward with oversized luggage as mentioned above.
The seat61 website has loads of helpful info on train travel in Japan. |
“As long as you can safely move around” in combination with “a bit of pain squeezing onto busy local trains” is why you should use luggage forward service. When in Rome, etc, etc
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