[dboreham]

For anyone doing travel planning based on reading here: often your best option is actually a bus (coach). This is because although they're slow, they go straight to many major hotels in the city. This removes the need to negotiate the subway with luggage or deal with Tokyo's idiosyncratic taxis while jetlagged.

[klausa]

For anyone looking for actual pro-move here: pack what you need for the next day or two in the carry-on, and ship your heavy luggage to the hotel, and then take the fastest train you can afford to get where you’re going.

Some of the Japans biggest shipping companies (I’ve personally only used Kuroneko Yamato; but I’m pretty sure others do this too) will pick up your luggage from the airport, and deliver it to your room for ~15 USD per bag.

This also works in reverse, and even between cities — don’t take your heavy bags on Shinkansen, have a concierge or front desk ship them to your next hotel.

The Google keyword for this are ta-q-bin/takkyubin.

[ghaff]

Or just pack lighter if you can.

Trains are great in general. They also tend to be a poor fit for anything much more than carry-on. I've done it and managed but it's better not to if you can.

[klausa]

I generally agree with you - I spent years flying across the world with a carry-on only and I still miss that lifestyle.

But Japan is the kind of place that people want to bring a whole lot of stuff back - I know a lot of people who basically fly out with empty suitcases and just fill them to the brim with random tchotchkes over here — and hey, whatever makes them happy.

[ghaff]

Having traveled to Japan quite a bit, I can definitely see that. Though I'm also at the stage of my life where I do not want anything else to enter my house. :-) (And I have quite a bit of stuff from Japan my dad brought back from when he was traveling there a lot.)