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How to Fly Round-Trip to Japan in Business Class for ~$100: Part 7 – Shipping and Storing Luggage in Japan

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    Ever dreamed of visiting Japan?  Credit card rewards can help get you there for a fraction of the price!

    Using miles & points, I recently flew round-trip from Austin, Texas, to Japan for ~$110 in Business Class.  The retail cost was ~$11,000! And for 3 weeks of lodging (including some fancy hotels), I spent ~$450!

    Japan is a beautiful country, filled with a lot to see and do.  You’ll find everything from high-rise skyscrapers to old temples and hot springs.  I loved Tokyo’s energetic neighborhoods, shopping, and delicious restaurants.  And Kyoto is a fantastic place to ride bicycles, and to explore the bamboo forest and monkey park.

    Participating in a cooking class and meeting new friends was the highlight of Osaka.  And a day trip to feed the deer in Nara was unforgettable!  Plus, Okinawa is known for its beautiful beaches and scuba diving.

    If You’re Looking for an Affordable Way to Store Your Luggage for a Few Days, Consider the Storage Lockers at the Airport or Train Stations

    Wherever you go, you’re sure to have an amazing time!

    In this part of the series, I’ll share more about why I decided to ship my luggage within Japan.  And in future posts, I’ll tell you more about my flights home, and how you can plan your own trip to Japan, too!

    How to Fly to Japan for ~$100 Trip Report Index:

    Shipping Luggage Within Japan

    If you plan on visiting several cities in Japan and accumulate gifts and souvenirs during your trip, it could be worth storing your luggage or shipping it to your final destination.

    My first stop in mainland Japan was Tokyo.  And from there, we went to 3 more cities.

    Because our departing flight was out of Osaka, I thought it would be convenient to send some luggage to Osaka.  I applaud people who can travel with just a backpack, but I know I’m not one of them!

    What Did We Ship?

    We knew we wouldn’t need about half of our luggage until we returned to the States, so we wanted to ship it from the Grand Hyatt in Tokyo to the Hyatt Regency in Osaka.

    Although it cost ~$130, it saved us the hassle of lugging around a suitcase of stuff we weren’t using all over Japan!

    If You’re Moving Around a Lot, It Could Be Worth Shipping Any Items You Don’t Need to Your Final Destination

    Check with your hotel to see if they can arrange a transfer.  The shipping services have other locations, as well.

    For our shipment, I went down to the Hyatt business center and filled out a form with my information and the arrival hotel.

    Shipping Our Bags Between Hyatt Hotels Was Simple

    After we checked into our hotel in Osaka, our luggage was brought to our rooms in less than 10 minutes!

    Store Luggage at Your Hotel

    If you need to store your luggage, the best place to do it is at your hotel.  See if they can hold it for you for the duration of your travels.

    One time, I had an overnight stay at a Hilton in London and asked if I could keep some of my luggage there while I went to Paris for 5 nights.

    This is where having hotel status can really help, too.  At first, they were hesitant, but then they saw my status level and said it would be fine.   But it never hurts to ask!

    Store Luggage at Airports and Major Train Stations

    In Japan (and many other countries too!), you can also store your luggage at the airport and at train stations,  But space can be limited, and some have strict maximum times (3 days).

    Read the Terms of Use Closely…Corpses Can NOT Be Stored in Lockers!

    In major train stations, there were several large storage units.  And the bigger lockers were large enough to fit a piece of large luggage and still have space left over.

    Renting a Locker Is Inexpensive! So It Might Even Make Sense for a Long Layover
    Most lockers in Japan cost ~$3 to ~$5 per day, depending on the size.  So it’s an affordable way to stash your luggage if you need to.  But don’t forget there is a 3-day maximum! 

    Bottom Line

    Shipping luggage in Japan was extremely convenient, and for me, worth the cost.  I LOVED not having to cart around my heavy bags.

    To the people who can travel with only a backpack, cheers!  I just can’t do it.

    Plus, it’s nice to have options, including storage lockers at airports and train stations, especially when you’re moving around a lot.

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)