A large station locker in Japan costs about ¥900–1,000 a day at JR East stations in Tokyo and Shinjuku, and ¥600 per 3 hours up to ¥1,800 per 24 hours at Kyoto Station. The catch that surprises people: many lockers bill by calendar day, not by 24 hours. Store a bag at 6pm and collect it at 9am the next morning and you pay for two days, because the day changes overnight, not at the hour you put it in. Newer smart lockers bill by the hour instead.
The billing rule decides most storage questions. For a same-day gap, lockers are cheapest and simplest. For anything crossing midnight, hotel storage is usually free and delivery is often better value than paying twice.
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In this guide
- Locker sizes and what fits
- How billing works, and the day limit
- Paying for a locker, and getting the bag back
- When the lockers are full
- The four main luggage options
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Locker sizes and what fits
- JR East stations in Tokyo and Shinjuku: SS 300 yen, S 500 yen, M 700–800 yen, L 900–1,000 yen per day. In busy periods, M and L at multi-function lockers (Multi-Cube) can cost 100–200 yen more. Source: JR East station guides, updated 20 Oct 2025 (Tokyo) and 24 Sep 2025 (Shinjuku).
- Kyoto Station (JR West, smart lockers): the first 60 minutes are free, then small 300 yen, medium 400 yen and large 600 yen per 3 hours, capped at 900, 1,200 and 1,800 yen per 24 hours. Osaka Metro smart lockers at Hommachi and Nipponbashi use the same rates, with the first hour free. Sources: JR West and SPACER release, 14 Jan 2026; Osaka Metro, 11 Apr 2025.
- Large lockers are narrow. Multi-Cube large is 34 cm wide, 65 cm deep and 86 cm high (LW is 56 cm wide). Kyoto Station smart lockers fit 33 × 64.5 × 80.7 cm. An expanded or very thick suitcase may not fit, so measure it before you go (Multi-Cube FAQ; JR West release).
- Small and medium sizes differ by operator. Multi-Cube medium is 50 cm high and small is 33 cm. Small and medium are enough for daypacks, shopping bags and cabin bags.
- Other operators and stations price differently, and the locker bank displays the current rate.
How billing works, and the day limit
Two billing systems exist. Traditional lockers and Multi-Cube charge per calendar day. At Tokyo Metro station lockers, run by Metro Commerce, a day is added at 2am after the last train, and the start day and the end day each count as a full day however short the stay (Metro Commerce terms, 20 Nov 2024). Multi-Cube also adds a day at 2am (JR East Smart Logistics terms). An overnight stay therefore costs two days. Smart lockers at Kyoto Station and some Osaka Metro stations charge every 3 hours, with a 24-hour maximum. Check which kind you are using before you choose a locker over free hotel storage.
The day limit depends on the operator. Metro Commerce lockers allow up to 4 days including the start day. Multi-Cube allows up to 3 days including the start day, and SPACER smart lockers allow 96 hours (4 days). Hankyu states 3 days on its FAQ. Terms change, so read the notice on the locker. Airport lockers such as Narita and Centrair can hold bags for longer, up to 8 days according to JNTO. After the limit at a Metro Commerce locker, the operator opens it, moves the bag to a holding place for 30 days and charges the daily rate. At Metro Commerce lockers, you collect it with photo ID and the IC card you paid with. Do not use a locker as multi-day storage while you take a side trip.
Access usually follows station hours, first train to last train. Some smart lockers run all day, for example SPACER lockers at the Hankyu Osaka-Umeda bus terminal and at Osaka Metro Shin-Osaka station, which list 24 hours. Narita and Haneda airport lockers run 24 hours. A late flight out of a city station can leave you unable to retrieve a bag you stored that morning.
Paying for a locker, and getting the bag back
Two kinds of locker bank exist side by side, and they are retrieved in completely different ways. Older banks are mechanical: feed in ¥100 coins, turn the key, take the key with you. No key, no bag, and a lost key means contacting the operator.
Newer banks are electronic, operated from a touchscreen at the end of the row, and this is where people get caught out. If you pay by tapping a Suica, Pasmo or other IC card, that same card becomes the key. You must return with the physical card you tapped — a card in a phone wallet works only if you tap the same phone. If you lose the card or the receipt, station staff cannot open the locker at Metro Commerce lockers. Call the number printed on the locker. The line is open 9:00–20:00 and after hours the operator usually answers on the next business day, and an unlocking fee applies. Paying by cash at the screen instead gives you a printed slip with a QR code or PIN, which is safer if several people are sharing bags.
Screens at newer banks usually offer English. Coin-only banks have no language to speak of, which makes them easier rather than harder.
When the lockers are full
Large lockers at major stations fill by mid-morning, and during holiday periods they fill earlier. Assume this rather than discovering it with a train to catch.
Electronic banks show availability on the screen, and at large stations that screen often covers every bank in the building, which is faster than walking the corridors. Failing that, the usable fallbacks are a paid storage counter in the station or a nearby shop, hotel storage if you have not checked out yet, or a storage service booked in advance near where you actually want to be.
Lockers cluster at every exit of a large station, not only the main one. A full bank at the central exit does not mean the station is full.
See staffed luggage storage on Radical Storage (affiliate link)
The four main luggage options
- Hotel storage: usually free, before check-in and after checkout, and the best answer for anything crossing midnight. Rules and staffed hours vary.
- Station lockers: cheapest for a same-day gap. Large sizes fill first at major stations and around big events.
- Luggage delivery: better than storage when you are moving between cities. Roughly ¥2,000–2,700 for a large case, next day.
- Paid storage counters and services: useful when lockers are full, your stay has no staffed desk, or you want to drop bags near an attraction rather than at the station.
When luggage storage services make sense
A service such as Radical Storage can be useful when your hotel is far from your sightseeing area, when you have a late flight, or when station lockers are a poor fit. It can also help on days when you want to visit a museum, workshop, food area, or attraction before moving to the next hotel.
As with any third-party service, check current opening hours, exact location, bag rules, price, cancellation, and how pickup works before relying on it.
See staffed luggage storage on Radical Storage (affiliate link)
What to check before choosing storage
- Opening hours and final pickup time.
- Exact address and whether the location is easy to find with bags.
- Large suitcase acceptance and number of bags allowed.
- Security process, receipt, and what happens if pickup is late.
- Distance from your station exit, attraction, or hotel.
- Whether luggage delivery would be better than temporary storage.
Common planning mistakes
- Assuming every station has large lockers available.
- Returning to the wrong station exit after storing bags.
- Planning a day trip with luggage because storage seems like a small detail.
- Leaving too little time to pick up bags before a train, flight, or hotel transfer.
- Forgetting that some small stays or apartment-style properties may not have staffed storage.
Matching the option to the day
- Arrival day, hotel not ready: hotel storage, free. Drop bags, collect at check-in.
- Checkout day with an evening train: hotel storage again, free, and most will hold until the front desk closes.
- Day trip returning to the same city: a large station locker, about ¥900–1,000 a day at JR East Tokyo and Shinjuku and up to ¥1,800 per 24 hours at Kyoto Station, as long as you are back before the station closes.
- Theme park or attraction day: lockers on site, or a paid counter near the entrance rather than back at the station.
- Moving to a different city: delivery, roughly ¥2,000–2,700, sent the day before you need it.
Sources
Rules and availability can change. Use official sources for final confirmation.
Common questions
FAQ
How much do coin lockers cost in Japan?
At JR East stations in Tokyo and Shinjuku, a small locker costs 500 yen, a medium 700–800 yen and a large 900–1,000 yen a day, and the smallest (SS) costs 300 yen (JR East station guides, updated Sep–Oct 2025). At Kyoto Station smart lockers, a large locker costs 600 yen per 3 hours up to 1,800 yen per 24 hours (JR West, Jan 2026). Prices differ by operator and station.
Are Japanese coin lockers charged per 24 hours?
It depends on the locker. Traditional lockers and Multi-Cube bill per calendar day, so a bag left from 6pm to 9am the next morning counts as two days. At Tokyo Metro lockers the day changes at 2am after the last train. Smart lockers at Kyoto Station and some Osaka Metro stations bill every 3 hours with a 24-hour maximum. For anything crossing midnight, free hotel storage is usually the better choice.
How long can I leave luggage in a Japanese coin locker?
It depends on the operator. Tokyo Metro station lockers (Metro Commerce) allow up to 4 days including the start day, Multi-Cube allows 3 days including the start day, and SPACER smart lockers allow 96 hours. After the limit at a Metro Commerce locker, the bag is moved to a holding place for 30 days, and you collect it with photo ID and the IC card you paid with. Most lockers are only accessible during station hours, though Narita and Haneda airport lockers run 24 hours.
Will a suitcase fit in a Japanese coin locker?
Often yes, but check the thickness. A large locker is about 33–34 cm wide, 65 cm deep and 81–86 cm high at Multi-Cube and Kyoto Station (operator figures), so a slim large suitcase fits and an expanded one may not. Large lockers are the first to fill at major stations, so have hotel storage or a paid counter as a backup.
How do you pay for a coin locker in Japan?
Older banks take ¥100 coins and give you a physical key. Newer electronic banks are operated from a touchscreen and take IC cards such as Suica and Pasmo, or cash. If you pay with an IC card, that card is the key and you must return with the same physical card. Paying cash at the screen gives you a slip with a code instead, which is easier if someone else may collect the bag.
What if all the coin lockers are full?
Large lockers at major stations fill by mid-morning. Electronic banks show availability on screen, often for the whole station rather than one row, and lockers are spread across every exit rather than concentrated at the main one. If the station is genuinely full, use a paid storage counter, your hotel if you have not checked out, or a storage service booked in advance.
Should I use luggage storage or luggage delivery in Japan?
Storage when you need the bag back the same day in the same city. Delivery when you are moving to a different city, since roughly ¥2,000–2,700 for next-day delivery compares well against two days of large-locker fees plus carrying the bag through transfers.
Can hotels in Japan store luggage before check-in?
Many hotels can, but not all. Small stays, apartment-style properties, and unstaffed accommodations may have limited storage. Confirm hours, rules, and whether large suitcases are accepted.
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