Luggage Shipping, Japanese Ports and Ramen Noodles

[SimplyMarvie]

Bottom Line Up-front: I hear that there is amazing luggage delivery services in Japan and I should just send our bags from our hotel in Tokyo ahead to the port, where we can meet them after we've consumed our weight in noodles at the Ramen museum. This sounds fantastic, but I can't find any been there, done that advice on where I retrieve my bags at the port or how all of this works. Can anyone help?

 

Details for the curious: We're on the Diamond Princess sailing in late July from Yokohama port. We'll be in Tokyo for a couple of days before-hand to get our bearings and sleep off the worst of the jet-lag, but didn't add in any time for exploring Yokohama prior to the sailing. Alas, one of the teenagers in the family has found the Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum and has decided (sensibly) that his entire trip and perhaps life will be ruined if we don't and eat at least 6 out of the 8 different tasting bowls before we get on the cruise. (I'd say he's spoiling his appetite for cruise food, but at age 15 he's really not.) Sadly, the museum doesn't allow baggage, there's no left luggage and we weren't planning on a driver, so I'm trying to find a way for us to have our noodles and eat them too, metaphorically speaking.

 

 

[BruceMuzz]

The luggage forwarding service you are looking for is called “Takkyubin” in Japanese.

Most good hotels in Japan offer it.

If your hotel does not offer it, virtually every “Kombini” (Convenience Store) in Japan does offer it.

Kombini are 7-11, Family Mart, and a few others. I can guarantee that there will be a Kombini near your hotel.

Fees are based in the size of the bag. Average cost is about 2,000 yen per bag.

Delivery is guaranteed overnight.

[ARandomTraveler]

This seems like such a great service! I've looked at a couple websites that explain the service and how to use it, but it doesn't look like there's a place at the Yokohama cruise port where you can walk off the ship and send your bags to a hotel or 7-11 in Tokyo. 
 

I wonder if we were to just bring a big bike lock and tied our luggage up at a bike rack or something, if that would work to go to the Ramen museum before heading to Tokyo. Are bike racks common out there?

[BruceMuzz]

26 minutes ago, ARandomTraveler said:

This seems like such a great service! I've looked at a couple websites that explain the service and how to use it, but it doesn't look like there's a place at the Yokohama cruise port where you can walk off the ship and send your bags to a hotel or 7-11 in Tokyo. 
 

I wonder if we were to just bring a big bike lock and tied our luggage up at a bike rack or something, if that would work to go to the Ramen museum before heading to Tokyo. Are bike racks common out there?

Osanbashi Cruise Terminal in Yokohama has a Takkyubin desk inside the terminal, near the main entrance.

There are also Kombini and Hotels within a block or two of the terminal, where you could also send your bags to your hotel.

Japan has enormous bike parking lots all over the country - not bike racks.

If you tried to lock your bags there, the police would remove them.

Edited June 14, 2023 by BruceMuzz

[skipsaur]

On 6/13/2023 at 5:09 AM, SimplyMarvie said:

Sadly, the museum doesn't allow baggage, there's no left luggage and we weren't planning on a driver, so I'm trying to find a way for us to have our noodles and eat them too, metaphorically speaking.

 

 

Are you just looking for a place to store your luggage for a few hours while you visit the museum? 

 

All major train stations have banks and banks of luggage lockers. Clean, nice and simple to use. They vary in size from small ones that'll fit a backpack to large ones that fit a big suitcase, with the smaller ones being cheaper. Usually the big suitcase lockers are around 800yen for a day. If you commute to the museum by train, you'll definitely be able to find a place for your luggage. Sometimes tourist information centers also operate luggage storage services.

 

I wouldn't try the bike lock idea. Bike parking is often paid or validated and bikes often have individual spots, so just leaving your luggage at one won't work. Even if you offered to pay for it as if it were a bike, you'd probably be met with confusion or told that's not possible since it's not a bike.

[skipsaur]

(Also, I have no idea if swaying your 15 year old is possible, but there's some interesting ramen venues in Tokyo as well. Would any of these fit your itinerary better and interest him?)

 

Tokyo Station has a Ramen Street area in the station with some very famous shops. Lots of souvenir shops with character goods and snacks from all over Japan in one place at Tokyo station too.

 

Odaiba, Tokyo also has a ramen "museum" area in the Aqua City mall. Lots to see in the Odaiba malls, I think teenagers might be interested in the giant Gundam statue, Gundam Base store, big arcades, etc and there are often events happening nearby.

 

https://www.aquacity.jp/trk_mai/index.html

[SimplyMarvie]

That's an excellent idea about leaving the bags at the train station, and probably more sensible since we don't have a lot of luggage and would otherwise carry it with us. We'll do that. 🙂 

 

(And no, definitely not down with locking things with bike locks. Maybe I'm too American for my own good, but I can already see having to explain myself to the bomb squad...)

[skipsaur]

On 6/24/2023 at 9:33 PM, SimplyMarvie said:

That's an excellent idea about leaving the bags at the train station, and probably more sensible since we don't have a lot of luggage and would otherwise carry it with us. We'll do that. 🙂 

 

(And no, definitely not down with locking things with bike locks. Maybe I'm too American for my own good, but I can already see having to explain myself to the bomb squad...)

The lockers sound perfect for your needs then, they're very convenient!

 

No worries about a bomb squad, Japan is very safe and can be a bit of a culture shock to Americans. You won't see large bike locks and it's common to see parked bikes with the key left in the lock. Full size bottles are fine to bring on domestic flights, backpacks are allowed in stadiums, and people will leave their phones or wallets on their table in food courts or cafes when they go to the bathroom. Occasionally you'll even see kids left in bike seats outside a store if a parent needs to pop inside.

[rapister]

On 6/24/2023 at 8:33 PM, SimplyMarvie said:

That's an excellent idea about leaving the bags at the train station, and probably more sensible since we don't have a lot of luggage and would otherwise carry it with us. We'll do that. 🙂 

 

(And no, definitely not down with locking things with bike locks. Maybe I'm too American for my own good, but I can already see having to explain myself to the bomb squad...)

 

yes that should be your best option, assuming you dont have giant luggage bags.

 

just make sure you have plenty of 100 YEN coins for the coin lockers

 

i assume you probably want to stow them at the lockers at Shin-Yokohama train station, which is the closest station to the museum. 

 

https://www.yokohamastation.com/lockers-and-baggage-storage-at-shin-yokohama-station/

 

But take note, Ramen museum opens at 11am (1030 on Sat and Sun), so be quick about it.

 

All the best!

Edited June 29, 2023 by rapister