Takkyubin to Kyoto or bag on shinkansen?

Hi,

I wish to have my luggage delivered to Kyoto by 15th May; what date do i have to send it in Tokyo?

If i dont manage to send my bag, will it be a problem for me to take it on the shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto - I plan to take the first shinkansen at 6.34am.

thanks for any help.

Whenever we needed to catch a shinkansen with luggage we reserved seats at the end of the carriage so we could put the bags behind the seat and keep an eye on them. Reservations are easy to make - just go to a JR office.

thank you for your tip!

I planned to board the tokyo-kyoto shinkansen from Shinagawa as the station map looks less complicated than Tokyo.

If i reserve my seat to board from Shinagawa station, if i can manage it, can i board from Tokyo station instead? I have a JR pass.

It's complicating to do what you are exactly trying to say, and understand what your intentions are. Why don't you buy seat-reserved tickets from where you are boarding? If you buy seat reservation from Shinagawa, then board the Shinkansen from Shinagawa. If you buy from Tokyo, then board from Tokyo. There will be gates between the commuter rail and Sinkansen train to check the tickets. It depends on what kind of tickets you will have and what's exactly written on the tickets, but you should do what you normally should do to avoid trouble.

Also, Tokyo station isn't complicating at all, so there is no point in avoiding it just for the sake of it. You just follow the signboard which says Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen, see the electronic signboard for the platforms and wait there ... If you are nearer to Shinagawa, then it will be better to board from Shinagawa.

When you board at Tokyo station, you might not be able to reserve same seat on Tokyo-Shinagawa sector.

If you wish to have a Mt Fuji view on your ride, reserve a seat right side of train on Tokyo-Kyoto.

Have a wonderful ride!

Yeah I agree with Puzzled - go to whichever station is closest. The JR pass allows you to leave from any JR station. The reservation won't cost anything either, but remember you can't ride the Nozomi with the JR pass.

When i looked at the Tokyo station map online, i was a little scared if i could find the shinkansen platform in time; it looked a bit confusing. Shinagawa station looks much less complicated.

But yes, i agree i will just board according to my reservation, makes life much simpler.

sorry for any confusion.

1.Where are you staying?
2.If you are staying near Tokyo (ie can walk there) then get on at Tokyo.
3.If you have to catch any sort of transport to get to either station, then board at Shinagawa, and reserve your seat on the Hikari from Shinagawa to Kyoto in advance.
5.we always leave our luggage behind the last seats: everyone just piles it up. We never bothered about sitting near our luggage: Japan is a scrupulously honest country
6. Both the conductor and the "trolley" lady will know exactly what time the train will go past Mt Fuji: if we couldn't get seats on the Mt Fuji side we just go to the area between the carriages: great for photos

we have hauled big luggages in the shinkansen several times, and we had no problem putting it at the back of the car and leaving it there. Especially Tokyo, where most trips starts. We just made sure we line up early and enter the back part of the car so we don't have to push the luggages all the way to the back. but if there�fs really no more place at the back, the leg room is enough for a luggage to fit comfortably.

also, try to notify a staff about your luggage, they flash a request to notify any unattended bag/package, your luggage might be mistaken as one.

In my trips, I have used a service to send my luggage ahead. I have made 4 trips to Japan and used it a couple of times each trip without any problem. When I went from Tokyo to Kyoto, I dropped my luggage off at the hotel desk the day before I left Tokyo (in the afternoon) and it was at the hotel in Kyoto the next day when I arrived. I have found it a useful.

Thank you all for the info and tips.

@ Kerry, so if i need my bag in Kyoto on 15th, should i send it from Tokyo on 13th or 14th?

A bag between Tokyo and Kyoto only takes one night. It takes two nights if you are sending it to a regional or remote area - or to an international airport (security clearance). Cheers