Lockers at Odawara
Apr 18th, 2016, 10:29 AM
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Lockers at Odawara
This is a bit esoteric, but we're trying to scrape together an itinerary (will be in November) and part of that may be spending a day at or near Hakone en route from Tokyo to Kyoto.
We have two small versions of my wife who call us weird names like "mom" and "dad" who will be tagging along with us because we can't kennel them like our dog (it's a joke, relax). That means we'll have two 29" duffles of stuff along with various accessory bags (backpacks, whatever small bags the hobbits have). This leads to the simple question: are there luggage lockers at Odawara that can fit our duffles? Unlike framed or hard-side luggage, the duffles will squish a few inches (2.54 centimeters per for you metric types) to help fit if the larger lockers are not 29" high or deep.
We have a nine-night trip planned and would go to Hakone on day 1 of our JR pass - that means a shinkansen to Odawara and transfer to the non-JR train from there (yeah, I know, but we'd just be looking at Mt. Fuji and not puttering about the area overnight so the Odakyu train & area offers are superfluous - don't need too many stopover places when traveling with two kids < 10).
Insight much appreciated.
We have two small versions of my wife who call us weird names like "mom" and "dad" who will be tagging along with us because we can't kennel them like our dog (it's a joke, relax). That means we'll have two 29" duffles of stuff along with various accessory bags (backpacks, whatever small bags the hobbits have). This leads to the simple question: are there luggage lockers at Odawara that can fit our duffles? Unlike framed or hard-side luggage, the duffles will squish a few inches (2.54 centimeters per for you metric types) to help fit if the larger lockers are not 29" high or deep.
We have a nine-night trip planned and would go to Hakone on day 1 of our JR pass - that means a shinkansen to Odawara and transfer to the non-JR train from there (yeah, I know, but we'd just be looking at Mt. Fuji and not puttering about the area overnight so the Odakyu train & area offers are superfluous - don't need too many stopover places when traveling with two kids < 10).
Insight much appreciated.
Apr 18th, 2016, 10:58 AM
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Odawara is also a shinkansen station as you mention so will have larger lockers there. I have seen them but cannot remember the exact sizes there but sure large ones will be as in picture below
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2274.html
Why not send larger bags via takuhaibin service than carry them around with you?
Aloha!
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2274.html
Why not send larger bags via takuhaibin service than carry them around with you?
Aloha!
Apr 18th, 2016, 03:41 PM
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You can ship your bags from any 7-11, Lawsons, etc. in Japan. We recently shipped our bags from our machiya we rented in Kyoto at 7/11 across the street. Fast, easy, cheap and very convenient.
Aloha!
Aloha!
Apr 18th, 2016, 03:46 PM
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This is how the 7/11 shipment went. I rolled our two 26" bags into the store, go to the register and point at the bags and say "takhuhaibin kudasi". The girl spoke less English than I spoke Japanese but I had the address information written down on a piece of paper in English. She looked up the address from her shipping book and filled out the paperwork for me in Japanese. I paid, smiled and left as she bowed and thanked me....easy peezy 
Aloha!
Aloha!
Apr 18th, 2016, 05:46 PM
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One little note to add: When I was in Japan (2006), the lock mechanisms for train station lockers extended into the locker space, and so the actual width of the locker space was smaller than that indicated on japan-guide (or anywhere else!) by 2 or 3 inches. I actually bought a small bag specifically to "just" fit within the posted dimensions of the mid-size lockers -- no go, not anywhere. 
Fortunately, I had aimed for the MID size lockers, and the bag did fit in the LARGE lockers, and IIRC, I found a large locker at all but one of my target destinations. Also, remember that squishing doesn't always change ALL the relevant dimensions...
I'm sure you already know, but just to give you a handy link, luggage-forwarding is called takuhaibin; here's the info:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2278.html
Good luck!
Fortunately, I had aimed for the MID size lockers, and the bag did fit in the LARGE lockers, and IIRC, I found a large locker at all but one of my target destinations. Also, remember that squishing doesn't always change ALL the relevant dimensions...I'm sure you already know, but just to give you a handy link, luggage-forwarding is called takuhaibin; here's the info:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2278.html
Good luck!
