Osaka to Nagano: Stopping by Tsumago

Hello,

Looking to visit Tsumago on our way from Osaka to Nagano. Where should we dump our baggage?

1. I looked at Yamato website and found that it takes 2 days to ship our baggage from Osaka to Nagano. So we have to live out of a small bag. That's tough to do for 2 days with kids. So that option is out unless someone can point me to a same day luggage delivery. Doesn't seem to be available in Osaka. I was pointed to the Nankai Namba Station in Osaka but it says Same Day Luggage not available.

2. Drop the baggage off at some train station. From what I can gather, going from Osaka to Tsumago then onward to Nagano involves these transfers:
a. Osaka to Shin-Osaka (JR Tokaido Sanyo Main Line)
b. Shin-Osaka to Nagoya (JR Tokaido Shinkansen)
c. Nagoya to Nakatsugawa to Nagiso (JR Chuo Main Line) - do I change train at Nakatsugawa?
d. Nagiso to Tsumago (Ontake Kotsu Bus)
e. Tsumago to Nagiso (Ontake Kotsu Bus)
f. Nagiso to Nagano (JR Chuo Main Line)

So that's 4 transfers with luggage. Which station should I leave my baggage? Logic seems to dictate Nagiso. But from my searches, it seems like Nagiso only has 6 small lockers. Definitely not enough for 2 piece of size 160 luggage. Plus my sister's family is likely to have at least 4 similar sized pieces.

Is there anywhere else I can store all our luggage in Nagiso? It doesn't seem to make sense to store the luggage anywhere else cos we would have to double back to get it before going to Nagano for the night.

Thank you for any suggestions!

At the MAIN Tsumago bus stop (there are 2 other smaller bus stops), there is a tourist info center and bunch of coin lockers. Take a look at photos on google map.
Tsumago
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HUaNTM42veLEBJLW6?g_st=ic

Many many thanks! Most helpful indeed and I'm somewhat relieved...

Sorry... forgot to ask - are those lockers in the photos on Google Maps able to take full sized suitcases? They look quite big actually... but I'm not sure... would the tourist centre take our luggage for a fee?

I didnft evaluate your planned transit routing but maybe someone else can. I gather you just want to gstop byh Tsumago and not attempt any one-way hiking along the Nakasendo.

Thatfs quite a few large pieces of luggage, and you can never count on lockers being available even if they are big enough. The Tsumago Tourist Information Center offers luggage forwarding along the hiking route, so presumably they would also do luggage holding. The following page for hikers gives a phone number you could try calling. Not sure whether you would get an English speaker but therefs a good chance someone would be able to answer a question if posed in clear and simple English.
https://tsumago.jp/walk/
(To get to the English version of the page you apparently have to click a menu button at the bottom of the page, and not the top.)

Personally I would stop by Narai rather than Tsumago, which is going to be a lot easier (though you might have to change trains at Kiso Fukushima). Tsumago isnt as interesting as Magome in my opinion, probably on a par with Narai. But essentially you could stop at Kiso Fukushima, take the local a few stops to Narai, then the train back to Kiso Fukushima though maybe the express does stop at Narai sometimes, cant remember.

See here for luggage storage but essentially the old town is a short walk from the station, you could carry some stuff along https://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+175884

LP has a good point above.
Narai is similar but bigger than Tsumago.
Access is much easier (no need to take bus), just walk one block from the train station and you are there.
And the station staff will store your luggages (size does not matter).

Thank you very much for all your answers everyone! Very helpful!

I look at Tsumago cos it's one of the best preserved post towns along the Nakasendo... and no, with 2 little kids, I don't intend to walk the Nakasendo... just want to savour the original atmosphere... and I forgot to add that I would be travelling in Dec 2023, so I guess that would another layer of complexity in relation to the luggage should it snow heavily in this area...

It seems that I'll have to take my chances with the luggage storage since it seems like Tsumago isn't popular in winter cos the Nakasendo may be blocked by snow fall...

Hi, whichever you choose - Narai or Tsumago - it will be much livelier if it is on a weekend. If it is a weekday then it is likely to be dead as a doornail. Also the towns in winter even on weekends tend to be very quiet before about 11, and after 3.

Thank you for the heads up Lazy Pious! I am not sure if I like it crowded though... based on my searches using Japan Travel website, it seems I will only end up in Tsumago at around 11.00 am when leaving from Osaka at 7.00 am... and that's plenty early for me already... I guess I'll be just in time for a nice lunch there (hope it's not expensive). I think I have only 20 min or so when I reach Nagiso to get my luggage sorted before catching the bus at 10.40 am to Tsumago... otherwise it is a 2-hour wait until 12.40 pm for the next bus... which would be pretty awful and just maybe we may walk to Tsumago since we would probably reach Tsumago before the next bus came along... as long as the way is paved, and we can use strollers for the kids, I guess it's ok to walk... not sure about nieces who are 11 & 14 though... heh!

Hello, I'm looking for an update if anyone has passed by Nagiso Station and seen if there was any luggage storage possibility at the station? Otherwise I'll have to lug the suitcases on the bus all the way to Tsumago bus stop... thanks for anyone with updates!

Usually luggage forwarding is next day - not sure why there is a two day delay.
Nakatsugawa to Nagiso (JR Chuo Main Line) - last time I did that required a change. If you are on the express (Shinano), then yes, because the express doesn't stop there.
Check the bus timetables - they are not that frequent - and while a preserved post town, pretty touristy IMO and not that great (also pretty tiny as expected.) I suppose some people like it, I wasn't one. The crowd of people on a bus tour that I saw (also not doing the walk) were happy enough shopping when I was there in the spring.