Temples & museums visits with a backpack

Hello,

I plan to visit Japan in November during 3 weeks. I will travel with a backpack daily. While some days I may have the opportunity to drop the backpack at an hotel or ryokan, there will be a good number of days during which I will have to keep my backpack on me all the time. We are talking of a 38L classic hiking backpack, which is almost a carry-on luggage, but still necessarily a little cumbersome.

Are there some places like temples, castles or museums which could not allow me to enter due to my backpack?

I intend to visit for instance :
- Tokyo Meiji Shrine, golden gai,...
- Nikko/Nara/Kyoto Main temple/shrine areas.
- Hakone Temple and Museums.
- Koyasan shrines and surroundings.
- Matsumoto/Himeji castles.
- Takayama/Shirakawago gassho, museums and houses
- Kanazawa museums.
- Miyajima/Enoshima/Tsumago-Magome,...

Are there also other places (small restaurants, bars) that could forbide backpacks?

Thank you a lot for your help!

Corrado

The places you list are kind of all over the place in terms of scale. Enoshima, for example, is an entire island, while other, like bars, are small, enclosed spaces.

If your question is just if places will bar you from entering because you have a huge backpack, that's unlikely to happen. On the other hand, carrying a large backpack in a small space inconveniences the other people in that space, and would be impolite. It's kind of like asking "Will these places forbid me from entering if I have smelly armpits and don't use deodorant?" No, they won't but it's still kind of rude to not use any.

Going down the list:
- Tokyo Meiji Shrine, golden gai,...
Meiji Shrine has a wide, outdoor approach path, and the publicly accessible area is a single wide courtyard so a backpack probably won't be a major problem. Golden Gai is almost entirely narrow alleys and small bars, so going there with a large backpack would be pretty inconsiderate. Find a locker or someplace to stash your stuff in before you go.

- Nikko/Nara/Kyoto Main temple/shrine areas
I'm not sure what you mean by "main temple/shrine areas," but if you're planning to visit a shrine or temple where you'll be going inside, leave the huge backpack somewhere else. Nikko, Nara, and Kyoto are all major sightseeing destinations, and the tourist information counters should be able to give you information about local baggage check services.

- Hakone Temple and Museums.
I've never heard of "Hakone Temple," but I'd give the same advice as above - if it's a temple you're going inside, carrying a huge backpack would be impolite to other guests, so find a locker or baggage check. Same for museums of any kind really.

- Koyasan shrines and surroundings
Going into a small shrine? Don't take a huge backpack. As for "surroundings," you mean the entire Koyasan mountain ad its hiking paths? Large backpack should be fine there.

- Matsumoto/Himeji castles.
Japanese castles tend to have lots of cramped interiors, narrow staircases, and low doorways, so I'd leave the large backpack behind.

- Takayama/Shirakawago gassho, museums and houses
Again, cramped interiors and other people who want to see something other than a stranger's giant backpack, so I'd leave it behind or find a baggage check.

- Kanazawa museums.
Find a baggage check.

- Miyajima/Enoshima/Tsumago-Magome
Two of those are islands, and one is a town. If you're outdoors, backpack shouldn't be a problem, but if you're going inside, into a small space where other people are, I'd find somewhere else for the giant backpack.

Are there also other places (small restaurants, bars) that could forbide backpacks?

I agree with the PP.

The other potential problem is public transport. It can get crowded and it is kind of mandatory to put your backpack on your chest instead of back.

Also museums will most likely not allow you with a backpack.

The solution to this is: Lockers! They are available in a LOT of places in Japan. Eg. train/subway stations. They are also available at museums but might be too small as they are for a �gnormal �g backpack not luggage.

Unless you are changing hotel/accommodation every night you should be able to leave your luggage in your hotel. If you are staying at hostel, capsule hotels or the like, it�fd kind of suspect that many will have lockers. However one thing to be aware with public lockers. They normally cost something like 500 Yen. (Price depends on size).

An other possibility would obviously be to pack super light and walk around with a much smaller backpack. Still somewhat inconvenient but less so.

Either way, please pay always attention to how you move while having a backpack on. Hitting other people with it in the face/body is a total no-no and just happens way too often.

Enjoy your trip to Japan!

Some of the places on your list will not allow you in with a large backpack - Kanazawa 21st Century Art Museum is an example. Other museums I visit have similar prohibitions for large bags, and there are lockers or sometime checked-luggage counters.

For a lot of places, use the coin lockers at the train stations before heading to the various sights/locations. Nara is a good example.

Thank you a lot for your answers!

I'm indeed changing hotel almost every night except in Kyoto. Therefore, I couldn't find a proper way to store my bag for a good half of the trip. You also confirmed what I was afraid of regarding temples and museums, being rude or impolite is the last thing I would want.

I'll try to use the coin lockers as much as possible. I didn't know these existed in each JR station! However, I understood there is a 3 days time limit which is very important to respect and which is based not on actual days but increments each night. This may still be problematic. Do you know if keeping 2 or 3 days a coin locker is acceptable or is it impolite/risky? For instance at Hakone, where I stay 2 days/one night, I might want to let everything at Odawara Station coin locker since my hotel is quite far and requires buses. Same for Nikko.

Thank you a lot,

Corrado

Why are you not taking your bag with you to your accommodation? Your example of Hakone - you could leave your bag at Odawara two days no problem, but wouldn't you want your stuff with you? And there is a difference travelling to a hotel/hostel with luggage and on something like a normal commuter bus (although people do that all the time too.)
Also, if you don't need your backpack for days on end, use luggage fording with delayed delivery.

Have you heard of luggage forwarding?
In Japan both lockers as well as luggage forwarding exists. For the lockers it depends on which ones you get, but some are only 24 h. While luggage forwarding allows you to pick up your luggage at your next destination and they will hold it for up to 7 days.

We dont know your itinerary, but let me guess, you'll stay the first few days in Tokyo, then have a 1 night stop in Hakone and then go on somewhere else (probably Kyoto). So you could forward your luggage directly from Tokyo to Kyoto and just go to Hakone with a super light small rucksack that only holds the essentials for one night.

Also remember that in most hotels you'll get essentials such as tooth brushes, hair brush, piyama etc. I.e. you can actually travel super light. And many hotels have washing machines.

When I travelled through Japan by bicycle 2 years ago, I had one bag of about 10 km for 2 month and didn't miss anything. One change of everything and even had 2 pairs of shoes!

So you might want to either:
- travel super light (specially if your hotels have washing machines/dryers)
- use luggage forwarding, if you have longer stops and shorter stops (and then use a small bag for the short stops)
- use lockers
or use a combination of the last two.

Enjoy your trip to Japan!