If you’re used to landing, collecting your bags, and dragging them onto a train or into a taxi, Japan offers a different routine. Counters in the arrivals area will take your suitcase and deliver it to your hotel front desk, usually the next day or later. You get on the train with a carry-on and a coffee. The catch is that “next day” is the earliest standard date, so this works for some itineraries and fails for others.
How the service works
JAL ABC covers Narita (T1 and T2), Haneda (T2 and T3), Kansai, and Chubu, with the counter “located in the arrivals lobby.” You fill in the delivery details at the counter, and the bag goes by truck.
For a hotel, you give the postal code, the address, a phone number, and the recipient’s name. The phone field reads “Telephone number of delivery location (telephone number within Japan)”. That means the hotel’s number, not yours, so a US phone plan doesn’t get in the way. The bag is received at the destination, which for a hotel means the front desk, and the front desk will ask for your check-in date. If you reach the hotel before check-in, Arriving Before Check-In in Japan covers holding bags at the front desk, early check-in fees and station lockers.
As of October 2026, from JAL ABC (English): from-the-airport page.
Look at the second item. You can choose the receiving date and time, but the earliest is the next day or later, and JAL ABC says your request may not always be met. The third item is tracking, and it comes with a delay: the bag can be checked only after a few hours.
What it costs
The charge depends on the size and weight of each bag. In JAL ABC’s size table, Size 140 means 140 cm (about 55 inches) or less in the sum of three sides and up to 25 kg (about 55 lb). Size 160 allows 30 kg (about 66 lb). From Size 180 up, the limit is 50 kg (about 110 lb).
These are the Kanto rows, for Narita or Haneda to an address in the Kanto region (Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Yamanashi). Prices are in yen, per bag.
| Size class | Narita or Haneda to Kanto |
|---|---|
| 140 | ¥2,430 |
| 160 | ¥2,820 |
| 180 | ¥4,240 |
| 240 | ¥7,000 |
A large checked suitcase often lands in the 160 class or near it, but measure yours. Add the three sides in centimeters. A bag 75 cm tall, 50 cm wide, and 30 cm deep comes to 155 cm, which is Size 160.
The notes set the maximum for one piece at 240 cm in total dimensions and 50 kg. Golf bags, skis, and snowboards are priced at the 160 rate. If you ask for a specific delivery company from Narita or Haneda, JAL ABC adds ¥500 (tax included) per piece to the normal fee. Most travelers have no reason to pay it.
Dates and tracking
The earliest delivery date is the next day or later, so the question to ask is when you need the bag, not when you land. Arrive Tuesday and check in Tuesday, and the bag reaches the front desk Wednesday at the earliest. That suits a stay of several nights and does nothing for tonight’s dinner. Keep a day of clothes and any medication in your carry-on.
JAL ABC also has a separate Hotel Luggage Delivery Service page, which advertises “delivery on the same day”. It states a 14:00 deadline for sending to a hotel and lists Haneda to Bay Area hotels and Kansai to Osaka and Kyoto city hotels. But it says “This service will resume at some hotels on February 1, 2022”, and a page that old doesn’t tell you the service is running now. If same-day delivery matters to your plan, confirm with JAL ABC first.
As of October 2026, from JAL ABC (English): Hotel Luggage Delivery Service page.
What they won’t take
The list on the page includes fragile items, perishables, hazardous materials, bags containing liquids, precision instruments, badly packed bags, musical instruments, and paintings. Because bags sometimes travel by air, anything restricted on aircraft is excluded too.
Sending bags to the airport
The other direction needs a reservation. A reservation by telephone or on the Internet is required in advance, and the phone line is staffed 10:00 to 17:00, so don’t wait for the last evening. A driver collects the bag on the date and time you choose and hands you a delivery slip. At the airport you show a copy of that slip and pick the bag up. The bag arrives at the airport on your specified pick-up date. Narita Terminal 2’s counter is open 7:00 to 21:00.
This direction has its own price table, and the figures are not the same as the airport-to-hotel ones. For the Kanto region, going to Narita or Haneda, the rows are ¥2,700 for 120 cm, ¥3,580 for 160 cm, and ¥5,130 for 200 cm. Compare the 160 rows: ¥2,820 from the airport and ¥3,580 to it, so a round trip is not the same price twice. Size classes are also listed separately for each direction, so check your bag’s class on the right page.
As of October 2026, from JAL ABC (English): to-the-airport page.
Credit card perks
Card perks can cut the price a lot, and they depend on who issued your card.
Cards issued in Japan
My card is the ANA VISA Platinum Premium card, a Japan-issued card. As I understand it, it is issued only to people who live in Japan, though SMBC lists only age and income conditions.
I’ve used the card perk for deliveries to hotels as well as home. It has cost nothing or about ¥500, depending on the trip. The card pages below say “home” or “home or similar” and don’t say whether a hotel front desk is accepted, so confirm that with your card company.
The ¥500 matches the price table on Visa Japan’s Visa Platinum Airport Delivery (return) page. You show your Visa Platinum card on the return leg, which for a visitor to Japan means the airport delivery to your accommodation or home. The table reads 500 yen for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd bags, then “3個目以降” at 20% off the standard rate. The column headings make the third bag hard to read, so check the original. Other terms from that page:
- The benefit period is April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, counted by the date you hand the bag over at the airport counter.
- It covers Narita, Haneda Terminal 2 (international), Haneda Terminal 3, Chubu, and Kansai.
- Bags can be up to 160 cm in total dimensions and 30 kg, or 25 kg at Haneda Terminal 2 (international), which Yamato handles.
- From November 1, arrival delivery from Narita and Haneda Terminal 3 ships by Sagawa or Japan Post. If you name Yamato, JAL ABC adds 500 yen per bag (tax included).
- Fragile items, perishables, valuables, hazardous items, liquids (including alcohol and seasonings), precision instruments, and badly packed bags are refused.
- You tell the JAL ABC arrival counter you’re using the Visa Platinum Airport Delivery benefit, show the card, and pay with it. Booking online on JAL ABC’s website isn’t covered, and the offer can’t be combined with other perks or coupons.
SMBC also lists “international baggage delivery”: up to two bags per direction at ¥500 each (tax included) and a 20% discount from the third bag, but it is labeled for Mastercard members.
Sumitomo Mitsui Card’s own airport delivery page is a separate offer. It states “通常料金より15％OFF”, 15% off the standard rate. It splits members by brand. Visa Infinite, Visa Platinum, Platinum Preferred, and Gold members are pointed to the service that Visa Worldwide provides, which SMBC says has a higher discount rate. Mastercard Platinum and Gold members go to Mastercard’s service. SMBC also says that from April 1, 2026, arrival and round-trip deliveries at Haneda Terminal 2 International carry a counter fee of ¥500 (tax included) per bag.
As of October 2026, from SMBC and Visa Japan (in Japanese): SMBC basic information page, Visa Platinum Airport Delivery (return), Sumitomo Mitsui Card airport delivery page.
American Express Japan describes free delivery of a suitcase or golf bag between your home and the airport at departure and return, one piece. It lists Narita, Haneda, Kansai, and Chubu, with a limit of 160 cm in total dimensions and 30 kg. The outbound leg needs a reservation 7 days before departure through a domestic toll-free number (0120-989-509, 9:00 to 17:00), which may not work from abroad. The return leg needs no reservation. You must present the physical card in your own name. American Express Japan says the Green Card stopped getting the benefit on February 28, 2023.
JAL ABC’s explainer on card perks, updated January 30, 2024, describes Amex Japan’s ANA and Delta SkyMiles cards as arrival delivery only, one piece, at Narita, Chubu, and Kansai, excluding Haneda. The Amex Japan page names Haneda and covers both directions. Follow your card company’s page.
TRUST CLUB gives one departure bag and one arrival bag, but you choose two of three services (departure delivery, arrival delivery, or coat storage), and non-member companions aren’t covered.
As of October 2026, from American Express Japan, JAL ABC and TRUST CLUB (in Japanese): Amex Japan delivery page, JAL ABC card explainer, TRUST CLUB Platinum Visa page.
Cards issued in the US
Visa Japan’s terms for the Visa Platinum offer say, in the original, “本特典は、日本国内で発行されたVisa クラシックカード、Visaゴールドカード、Visaプラチナカード、Visa Infiniteカードが対象です。” That translates as “This benefit applies to Visa Classic, Gold, Platinum, and Infinite cards issued in Japan.” It also covers the member and family card members. A US-issued Visa Platinum isn’t covered by that offer.
That is one offer. The benefits pages for The Platinum Card from American Express, Chase Sapphire Reserve, and Capital One Venture X don’t list luggage delivery. Chase lists lost luggage reimbursement (up to $3,000 per traveler) and baggage delay insurance, which pay after a problem and don’t move a bag. Amex’s UK site has a Luggage Free benefit for UK Platinum members, with 15% off door-to-door worldwide shipping. Amex UK doesn’t mention airports in Japan. These pages can’t tell you about other cards, so ask your issuer in writing and keep the reply.
As of October 2026, from American Express, Chase, Capital One and Amex UK.
A discount for any visitor
MATCHA, a travel site, lists a JAL ABC coupon for ¥200 off per bag at the Narita, Haneda, Chubu, and Kansai counters. On arrival you show the coupon or give code 4047 at the arrival counter. MATCHA says it can’t be combined with other campaigns or coupons and shows an expiry of March 31, 2027. JAL ABC’s own English homepage doesn’t list the coupon, so it’s a third-party listing. If you plan to use it, ask at the counter.
As of October 2026, from MATCHA (English): coupon page.
Yamato’s airport service
Yamato’s Airport TA-Q-BIN is a service for sending heavy suitcases and other bulky luggage to airports in Japan. It works both ways: to an airport, or from an airport counter to your home or hotel. Yamato lists a handling fee of ¥660 (tax included) at Kansai, Narita, and Haneda. It also lists a separate counter-use fee of ¥660 that takes effect at Narita on June 1, 2025 and at Haneda on July 1, 2025. Those are two fees. Yamato doesn’t give sizes or the full delivery price. It says cash on delivery isn’t available when sending to hotels, and that a round trip can’t start from an airport.
As of October 2026, from Yamato Transport (English): Airport TA-Q-BIN FAQ.
Price both services for your bag’s size and route.
The short version
JAL ABC will deliver a bag from a Japanese airport to your hotel, next day at the earliest, and will carry bags back to the airport if you reserve ahead. Measure the bag, because the price steps up after the 160 class. Don’t ship liquids or anything you need on arrival night. Visa’s Platinum offer is limited to cards issued in Japan, so ask your US card issuer before you count on a perk.
Cover photo: Tokyo-International-Airport T2 Baggage-claim by MaedaAkihiko, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. It shows a different terminal from the ones discussed here.
