Hakone luggage forwarding and lockers: how to walk without your suitcase
Nobody enjoys a forest walk with a wheeled suitcase. Hakone has four good ways to make the bag disappear for the day, and they suit different plans. Here is each one in plain terms — what it costs, when it works, and which of our walks it fits.
The four choices at a glance
| Choice | Best when | Cost per bag | Key times (Japan time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Hotel → Hakone-Yumoto Station (official service) | You stay at a partner hotel and leave Hakone by train from Hakone-Yumoto in the afternoon | ¥1,500 (up to 140 cm total, 15 kg) · ¥2,500 (up to 200 cm, 30 kg) | Hand in at reception by 10:00. Collect at the station 13:30–18:30. |
| 2. Hakone-Yumoto Station → hotel (official service) | You arrive in the morning, want to walk first, and check in later at a partner hotel | Same fees | Drop at the station counter 08:30–12:00. Bag at the hotel from 15:00. |
| 3. Forwarding to your next hotel anywhere in Japan | Your next stop is Tokyo, Kyoto, the airport — and you do not want the bag today at all | Depends on size and distance; your hotel or we quote first | Ask us at least one day ahead. Delivery timing depends on the carrier and destination; airports require earlier dispatch. |
| 4. Coin lockers at the station | You start and finish at the same station the same day | Locker fee only | Subject to availability; large lockers go early on busy days. |
The official service is run by the Hakone transport group, not by us. Its fees changed on 1 April 2026; ignore older prices you see elsewhere. Official English page.
1. Hotel → Hakone-Yumoto Station: for your last day in Hakone
How it works: give the bag to your hotel reception by 10:00. It travels to the counter at Hakone-Yumoto Station. You collect it there between 13:30 and 18:30, show your receipt, and get on your train.
Good for: a morning walk, then an afternoon or evening train out of Hakone.
Watch out for:
- The bag is not available before 13:30. If your train leaves at noon, this does not work.
- The counter closes at 18:30. Our full-day Hachiri finishes around 16:00 in Mishima; the trip back to Hakone-Yumoto normally leaves enough time, but check your return train before relying on it.
- Only partner hotels and ryokan offer it. Ask reception the day before. Airbnb-style flats usually cannot.
- Bags over 200 cm or 30 kg are not accepted. No valuables, no power banks, no fragile items (the full list is on the official page). Heavy snow or the New Year traffic can delay bags.
- This direction cannot be booked online; reception does it.
2. Hakone-Yumoto Station → hotel: for your arrival day
How it works: bring the bag to the counter at Hakone-Yumoto Station between 08:30 and 12:00. It goes to your partner hotel and is waiting there from 15:00. You can book online the same day until 11:30, but the bag still has to be at the counter by noon.
Good for: arriving on the Romancecar in the morning, doing a walk, and checking in without the bag. Half-day Hachiri starts at Hakone-Yumoto Station, so this is the natural choice for it. The forest bathing walks at Moto-Hakone and Hakone-en also work: drop the bag, then take the bus.
Watch out for: the noon cut-off. If your train arrives after 11:30, use a locker instead and carry on.
3. Forwarding to your next hotel: for leaving the region
How it works: a delivery company (in Japan this is usually called takkyubin) collects the bag from your hotel and delivers it to your next hotel, usually the next day. Most hotels and ryokan arrange it at reception. Airport forwarding needs more lead time: Yamato Airport TA-Q-BIN requires dispatch at least two days before departure, or three days in some areas. Confirm the sending deadline and airport collection counter before handing over your bag.
Good for: Hakone → Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka or the airport, when you want to walk today and travel light tomorrow.
Cost: by bag size and distance. Hakone to Tokyo or Kyoto is typically a few thousand yen per bag. Your hotel tells you the exact price when you hand over the bag.
Watch out for: do not assume same-day delivery, or that every destination can be reached the next day. Confirm the delivery date with the carrier and pack enough essentials for the time without your bag. Ask us at least one day before you need the luggage arrangement; airport deliveries require earlier dispatch.
We can help. If you are booked on one of our walks and your hotel cannot arrange forwarding, tell us at least one day ahead: your current hotel, your next hotel, the date, and how many bags. We check the arrangement and quote before you confirm. We do not promise a fixed price or a delivery hour; the carrier sets those.
4. Coin lockers: for same-day, same-station plans
Hakone-Yumoto Station has coin lockers in several sizes and a staffed luggage counter (station guide). Odawara Station, the Shinkansen stop, also has lockers. Payment options depend on the locker; check whether it accepts coins or an IC card such as Suica/PASMO.
Good for: half-day Hachiri (starts at Hakone-Yumoto; the bus back from Lake Ashi takes 35–40 minutes) and for the Temple walk (starts at Odawara Station and finishes at Daiyuzan Station, 20 minutes away by local train).
Watch out for:
- Big lockers run out on weekend and autumn mornings. Arrive early or have choice 2 as the fallback.
- Lockers are a detour for the Moto-Hakone and Hakone-en forest bathing walks: you would ride 35–65 minutes each way just to fetch the bag. Use choice 1, 2 or 3 instead, or leave the bag at your hotel.
- Check the access hours posted on the lockers; they are not all open 24 hours.
Which choice for which walk
| Walk | Starts → finishes | Sensible choice |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory forest bathing | Moto-Hakone Port → Moto-Hakone Port | Leave the bag at your hotel, or choice 1 (last day) / 2 (arrival day). Staying in Sengokuhara? We can give you a free lift after the walk, subject to space in the car; ask early so we can confirm. |
| Lakeshore forest bathing | Hakone-en → Hakone-en | Same as Introductory. Hakone-en is far from the station; do not plan a locker. |
| Half-day Hachiri | Hakone-Yumoto Station → Lake Ashi | Choice 2 on arrival day, choice 4 if you return to Hakone-Yumoto, choice 1 if leaving by afternoon train. |
| Full-day Hachiri | Hakone-Yumoto Station → Mishima Station, about 16:00 | Choice 3 if you continue to Kyoto/Osaka from Mishima. Choice 1 if you return to Hakone-Yumoto; the 18:30 collection deadline normally fits. |
| Temple walk and onsen | Odawara Station → Daiyuzan Station | Lockers at Odawara (choice 4) — you pass back through it. |
| Valley walk | Hakone-Yumoto Station → Hakone-Yumoto | Lockers at Hakone-Yumoto (choice 4). Easiest of all. |
A worked example: full-day Hachiri, then back to a Hakone hotel
Finish in Mishima about 16:00 and take a suitable Shinkansen to Odawara. Some hotels, such as Hotel Indigo Hakone Gora, offer a free shuttle from Odawara for their staying guests. Confirm the current pick-up times, availability and arrangements with your hotel.
This is simplest when your luggage is already at the hotel. If you must collect a bag at Hakone-Yumoto, allow for the train from Odawara to Hakone-Yumoto, collection, and the return train to Odawara, plus waiting and walking time. Collecting before the 18:30 luggage deadline does not guarantee you can catch your hotel shuttle. Check the whole connection or arrange onward transport separately. Train fares are separate.
Questions
Can I do this on a Sunday or holiday? The official station service runs daily, but weather and the New Year period can suspend it. Check the official page on the day.
Can I send my bag from Hakone-Yumoto to a hotel in Tokyo? Not with the official station service — that only goes to partner hotels inside Hakone. Use choice 3 through your hotel, or ask us.
Is same-day delivery to another city possible? Do not assume it is available. Delivery timing depends on the carrier, destination and dispatch time; confirm the arrival date before booking your travel.
What goes in my day bag? Water, a warm layer, a rain jacket, one night’s essentials if the suitcase travels ahead, and cash for the Temple walk (about ¥6,000 for the train, lunch and onsen).
Do your walks include luggage transport? No. Luggage transport is paid separately to the carrier; we can help arrange it. This is separate from the free, space-limited lift to Sengokuhara offered after Introductory or Lakeshore.
What if the lockers are full? Hakone-Yumoto’s staffed counter is the fallback, then choice 2 if before noon. On the morning of a walk, message Aki on WhatsApp (+81 80 1014 2559) and he will tell you the quickest fix.
Plan the day with us
Tell us your arrival, hotel and departure and we will say which walk and which luggage choice fit. See also Getting to Hakone and a half-day walk around your ryokan stay.
Choose the walk after arranging your luggage
Use the walk-around-your-ryokan guide to compare meeting areas and timing. Aki’s half-day Old Tokaido hike and Breathe Hakone’s two gentle Lake Ashi experiences suit different aims. Confirm your chosen route’s finish point rather than assuming it returns to the start.