Shinkansen luggage rules
 

Could someone help me out with interpreting the luggage rule on bringing luggage on train? I am traveling with family and will have mid-sized, airline checked-in luggage. I don't think they will fit the overhead compartment.

JR seems to say that passengers who want to bring travel size luggage need to purchase reserved tickets, which costs more. But here is the issue. Train carts seem to be separated into reserved and non-reserved. Which means, even though I only have 2 luggage, in order to seat with my family. I need to buy reserved ticket for each family members. Unlike airlines which I just pay for the luggage. Is my understanding correct?

The rules depend on which Shinkansen route you are taking. The usual route is between Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka and you will book with JR Central and they have a specific guide (https://global.jr-central.co.jp/en/i...sized-baggage/) you can follow. Basically behind the last row seats of each car in the direction of train travel are for the oversized luggages (oversized luggage area). There are also oversized luggage compartments reserved for another two seats in the same car. Hope that helps.

IIRC, the size threshold for "oversize luggage" that requires placement behind the end row and thus a luggage reservation is the same as for airline checked baggage. That is, if you can check a bag with an airline and not pay an oversize fee, then you can bring it on the Shinkansen without extra fee.

I felt so stupid! I convert the 160cm into inches and realize my luggage are not oversized.

That said. Should I purchase assigned seat on Shinkansen? They cost a little more. Does non-reserved ticket still mean I can get on the train and I will have a seat somewhere?

(However, I have another 28" luggage that is actually close to 65" combined, so it is going to be over 160cm. I am not sure how strict Shinkansenis. I don't want to find out. I will stick to my smaller 28")

It means you can board the train and hope for an empty seat in the non-reserved cars. If there is no empty seat, you can stand until you reach your destination.

Great option if:

• You entered the station just moments before the train departs and you don't have time to reserve a seat
• The reserved cars are sold out and you have no choice
• You're only going a short distance and you don't mind standing in the space between the cars
• You're boarding at the first station, and you're willing to get in line earlier than other people with the same idea **
• You're sure that there are few people traveling and there's bound to be an empty seat

The last two items in the list require more than a visitor's sense of how things play out in Japan, Since the price of a reserved seat is not a significant saving, a lot of people reflexively purchase reserved-seat tickets.

** Be aware that the other people with the same idea are willing to get in line earlier than you.

What if you purchase the Japan Rail Pass...You get a voucher mailed to you in the States. You have to present at a Japan Rail Center to get your JR Pass...then you can only reserve seats after that? So how do I reserve seats (and luggage) on the day I am flying in? Trying to go HND to Kyoto. We are a family of 4 and will have 4 pieces of luggage that are mid to large size.

For future reference, the seat reservation for a seat with oversized baggage on the Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen came for free with my JR Kyushu rail pass. And the station attendant was very pleased that I bothered to ask for one (apparently many people don't). In the event, my bag fit into the regular baggage racks on the Shinkansen as well as the other JR Kyushu trains without problems.

IIRC, if you're suitcase is not oversized and you're not sitting seats meant to use the reserved baggage area (usually last row), you are supposed to place them in the overhead rack near your seat. If you're bag is large or heavy enough that you're not comfortable doing that, then you should plan on reserving one of the oversized baggage seats.

Maybe pack less and do laundry and use luggage forwarding and relax.

Most Japanese don’t travel with anything bigger than an airline carryon. If they need to take more then they are typically shipping their luggage with takkyubin. As a result trains and stations aren’t typically well adapted to those with big luggage. If it won’t fit in the overhead rack, ship it or book the last row.

Shipping is very economical and you’ll enjoy your train journey much more not having to schlep luggage through a busy Japanese station.

exactly and with the volume of information these days, can't see why people don't know.

Hi,

I used the luggage delivery service from the Hilton Hiroshima to the Hilton Nagasaki in May ( Would have left it in the hilton as I was returning to Hiroshima in 3 days but due to heavy rain my trousers were soaked so decided to take send it in a larger bag and get it laundered in Nagasaki. It was Y1750 outbound ( Y2000 inbound as the case expanded) for next day delivery . Only had my airline carryon and small back pack ( for DSLR) with me and it was nice and easy to manage ( did have to change trains twice inc a 20min wait from Hiroshima to Nagasaki) with little luggage .Did see some people struggling with larger cases.
At the Hilton the luggage was in my room when I arrived the next day.

Regards

TBS

Although my luggage is not oversized I can’t lift it to put on the luggage rack so on my recent trip booked oversized luggage seats on some Shinkansen trains. Reserved seats do not cost extra with a JR Pass but sometimes I had to travel on a later train than planned to secure an oversized luggage seat.

I also used the luggage delivery service to forward my main luggage from Kyoto to Nagoya while I went on a side trip with my backpack only. I could have used a delayed delivery option for no extra charge but the Hilton Nagoya was happy to hold it for several days until my arrival so I used the standard (next day delivery) service. I have an AirTag in my luggage and it was nice to be able to check it arrived at the Hilton Nagoya the following day.

Thank you, definitely the oversized area is useful even though the bag does not exceed the 160cm. Checked luggage is probably at least 10kg-15kg at least… lifting that to overhead with people underneath is not an exercise I want to do…

I used the delayed delivery service on my nostril text trip (5/5 to 5/20). We would send our luggage forward and take a side trip to another city, carrying clothes for just two days (since that was our stay) and sending the luggage forward. Worked great, though at each stop, they wanted to confirm the days of our stay so that the luggage arrival matched up with the stay.