You can send your suitcase from Tokyo to Kyoto on the Shinkansen for same-day delivery… but it’ll cost you

This autumn, sending your suitcase from Tokyo to Kyoto on the Shinkansen has become easier thanks to a new luggage delivery service called Luggage Express. Launched by JTB in November last year, the service uses the Tokaido Shinkansen to transport bags between the three major cities. Unlike other road-based forwarding services, Luggage Express can deliver your bags on the same day, making the luggage forwarding process more stress-free and time-efficient.

Previously, Luggage Express was only available at hotels, airports, and three train stations in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, and required online booking. However, a new partnership with Bounce, a global luggage-storage platform, is set to open up the service to a wider range of tourists, including those staying at private accommodations like Airbnbs. With Bounce, same-day delivery is now available at thousands of convenient locations throughout Japan.

Travellers can arrange their luggage forwarding through the multilingual Bounce app, selecting their desired dropoff location, delivery date, destination, and number of bags. Payment is completed through the app as well. For the Tokyo–Kyoto route, the regular service is priced at 13,200 yen (US$83), while the express service is priced at 16,500 yen per item.

This cost may seem steep compared to a regular-season reserved-seat Nozomi Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to Kyoto, which costs around 14,170 yen. However, with Bounce handling the handoff and JTB managing the delivery infrastructure and Shinkansen-based transport, the cost covers the behind-the-scenes logistics, resulting in one of the fastest delivery services in the country.