Rides and bags
What happens to the suitcases, when to take a car, what it costs, and a button for each ride. Tap a button in Japan and Uber opens with the drop-off filled in. If Uber shows no cars, use the GO app, Japan's main taxi app. Prices are for the whole car.
How rides work
- Uber in Japan books a regular taxi. Tap a button about 10 minutes before you want to leave; a car usually comes in 3 to 10 minutes. The drop-off is already filled in.
- If Uber shows no cars, use the GO app (Japan's main taxi app), or wave down a taxi with a red "空車" light in the windshield.
- Book these the night before in the GO app: the 4:45 AM taxi to the fish market (Sat Nov 7), and the airport taxi on Nov 19 if you take one instead of the train.
- Trains: tap Suica at the gate going in and coming out. The day cards give the line and the time to leave.
The bag plan decided Oct 27
Four suitcases move three times. Two moves use Yamato, the black-cat courier, paid in cash at the counter in Japan. One uses LuggAgent, booked from home. About $395 for the whole trip.
| When | Move | How | 4 bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon Nov 9, afternoon | Kameido to the Osaka flat | Yamato, next day. Drop the bags at the nearest Yamato office. Delivered Tuesday 4 to 6 PM; one of you signs at the flat. | $112 (¥17,520) at size 180, cash |
| Sun Nov 15, 9:00 to 9:30 AM | Osaka flat to the Kyoto house | LuggAgent, same day, booked from home. The driver collects by door code after you leave at 8:30; delivered to the house by 9 PM. | $155, paid online |
| Tue Nov 17, about 11:10 AM | Kyoto to Haneda Terminal 3 | Yamato airport delivery from the Kyoto Ekimae office by Kyoto Station, before the 12:30 train. The bags wait at the airport. | $128 (¥20,160) at size 180, cash |
| Thu Nov 19, 8:45 AM | Pick up at Haneda | Yamato counter, Terminal 3, 2F arrivals lobby. Pickup opens 8:35 AM. Show the waybill copy, then check in. | $0 |
Nights out of a carry-on: Mon Nov 9, Tue Nov 17 and Wed Nov 18. A bag under 160 cm (length + width + height) and 25 kg costs about $9 less. Some 7-Elevens refuse bags over 160 cm, so use a Yamato office. Prices from Yamato's own calculators, Oct 27, 2026, at $1 = ¥157.
Show the counter
Nov 9, the Osaka flat:
〒540-0025 大阪府大阪市中央区徳井町2-2-10 ARK MINE 3FB・4FB
Recipient: Joseph, phone number as on the Airbnb booking. Delivery Tue Nov 10, 16:00 to 18:00.
Nov 17, the airport:
羽田空港第3旅客ターミナル（国際線）ヤマト運輸 宅急便カウンター
Flight NH110, Thu Nov 19, 11:35 AM. The counter fills in the rest.
The other way, no counters: LuggAgent for all three moves, about $1,006. Or LuggAgent for Nov 10 only as a backup ($346, cancel until Sat Nov 7 morning Japan time for $10) if the Monday drop-off looks like a hassle once you are there.
A private driver the whole trip?
It exists, but it's expensive. A van with a driver runs about $290 to $460 a day (¥45,000 to ¥72,000 for 8 to 10 hours), plus the driver's hotel and meals on overnight trips. For 16 days, plus driving Tokyo to Osaka, that's roughly $7,000 to $9,000. The trains are faster than a car between cities anyway.
Better value: book a driver for one day, Mon Nov 16 in Kyoto. That's the hardest day to get around: Arashiyama at dawn, the kendo class across the city (late means no refund), then Gion at night. A Kyoto van for 8 hours is about $320 to $410 (¥50,000 to ¥64,000). Optional.
RydAgent driver hireQQ Tour driver hireEvery ride, in order
With the suitcases sent ahead, every ride is a normal small Uber. Prices are estimates for the whole car. Late at night (10 PM to 5 AM) adds 20 percent.
- Tue Nov 3 · 6:30 AM · must pre-bookHaneda to Kameido$110 to $135 (¥17,000 to ¥21,000) for a van with all the bags, straight to the flat. Book a week ahead with flight NH159 so the driver waits at arrivals. First get the host's OK for an early bag drop (or add the night of Nov 2).Book a van: Tokyo MKOr RydAgentBackup: Uber to Kameido
- Thu Nov 5 · 7:00 PMKameido to the JDM car meet$15 to $25. Type in the meeting address from the Klook ticket.Open Uber
- Thu Nov 5 · 10:30 PMCar meet back home$20 to $30 (late-night rate).Uber to Kameido Station
- Fri Nov 6 · late, 20+Joseph, Shibuya or Golden Gai to home$45 to $55 late at night. Joey takes the train home earlier.Uber to Kameido Station
- Tue Nov 10 · 11:15 AMKameido to Tokyo StationTrain, not a car. 18 minutes, $1 each, just backpacks. (Carrying bags: a van, about $60 to $70.)
- Tue Nov 10 · 3:00 PMShin-Osaka to the Osaka apartment$19 to $29 (about ¥3,800). Or the subway with one change at Umeda, $1.53 each.Uber to the Osaka apartment
- Sat Nov 14 · 8:30 PMUniversal back to the apartment$25 to $33 (¥4,000 to ¥5,200), 20 percent more after 10 PM. Or the train, about 30 minutes, $2.80 each.Uber to the Osaka apartment
- Sun Nov 15 · 8:30 AMApartment to Kintetsu-Nara, for the 9:53 AM AoniyoshiTrain, not a car. Tanimachi Line 8:43 AM, walk to Osaka-Uehommachi, rapid express 8:58 AM, Nara 9:30 AM. $5.54 (¥870) each by Suica.
- Sun Nov 15 · 10:30 AMKyoto Station to the Kyoto house$7 to $10. Or JR 1 stop to Tofukuji, $1 each.Uber to Tofukuji Station
- Mon Nov 16 · 6:30 AM · optionalKyoto house to Arashiyama$28 to $35. Or the train, $2 each and about 30 minutes.Uber to Saga-Arashiyama Station
- Mon Nov 16 · 12:15 PM · don't skipArashiyama to the kendo class$38 to $51, about 40 minutes. Late means no-show, no refund. Show the driver: 京都市左京区修学院大道町16Uber to Studio NIN
- Mon Nov 16 · 8:15 PMGion (after Monsen) to the Kyoto house$8 to $12. Or the Keihan train, 10 minutes.Uber to Tofukuji Station
- Tue Nov 17 · 11:00 AMKyoto house to Kyoto Station$7 to $10. Or JR 1 stop.Uber to Kyoto Station
- Tue Nov 17 · 6:15 PMTokyo Station to the Koiwa apartmentTrain is easiest: JR Sobu Line, about 20 minutes, $1.61 each. A taxi runs about $32 to $38.Uber to JR Koiwa Station
- Thu Nov 19 · 7:20 AMKoiwa to HanedaTrain: JR Koiwa 7:34 AM, change at Asakusabashi, Terminal 3 at 8:43 AM, $5.10 each. Taxi: flat fare about $76 (¥11,950) with tolls, booked ahead. The suitcases are already waiting at the airport (Yamato).Uber to Haneda Terminal 3
Rides total: about $330 to $430, including the Nov 3 van. Most Osaka and Koiwa moves are now short train rides.
Get the GO appShow the driver
Put the exact Airbnb address from each booking into Uber. The buttons above drop you at the station next to each place.
| Tokyo home, Kameido | 東京都江東区亀戸6丁目8-10 |
| Osaka home | 恵美須町駅 1-B出口 |
| Kyoto home | 東福寺駅 |
| Tokyo home, last 2 nights | 白金高輪駅 |
| Kendo class | 京都市左京区修学院大道町16 |
| Haneda Terminal 3 | 羽田空港 第3ターミナル |
Messages for the hosts, and booking LuggAgent
Messages for Joseph to send to send
In the Airbnb app, one to each host. Copy, paste, send. Then send Cesar the Kyoto house address from the app; the Nov 15 LuggAgent booking needs it.
To the Kameido host (Tokyo, Nov 3 to 10)
Hi! We land at Haneda at 5:25 AM on Nov 3. Could we drop our 4 suitcases at the apartment around 7:30 AM, before check-in? If not, could we add the night of Nov 2 so the apartment is ready when we land? Also, on Nov 10 a luggage company called LuggAgent will collect our suitcases at the building entrance around 10 AM. We'll hand them over ourselves. Thank you!
To Daisuke (Osaka, Nov 10 to 15)
Hi Daisuke! Two small things about our suitcases. On Tuesday Nov 10 a Yamato delivery (4 suitcases) will come to the apartment between 4 and 6 PM; we will be there to receive it. On Sunday Nov 15 we leave at 8:30 AM, and a luggage company called LuggAgent would collect the suitcases from inside between 9:00 and 9:30 AM, before the 10 AM checkout. Is it OK to share the door code with them for that pickup? Thank you!
To Miki at Kyoran (Kyoto, Nov 15 to 17)
Hi Miki! On Sunday Nov 15 a luggage company, LuggAgent, will deliver our 4 suitcases to the house during the day, by 9 PM. Can your staff receive them, or may we give the driver the door code once it works at 11:30? Thank you!
Booking LuggAgent for Nov 15 Joseph
- luggagent.com, Book Now. From: the Osaka flat (type 2-2-10 Tokuicho, pick ARK MINE). To: the Kyoto house address from the Airbnb app.
- Standard bags: 4. Send-out Sun Nov 15, 9:00 to 9:30 AM. Delivery the same day, before 21:00. The total should read about $155.
- Trip details: tick nothing for a front desk. Door code and host phone can be added later.
- Pay by card. Free to cancel up to 72 hours before, less $10.
- A few days before, send LuggAgent the Osaka door code and Miki's phone number.
Getting around: the trains, the Aoniyoshi, Suica
The two bullet trains booked
| Train | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Tue Nov 10 Nozomi 33 Car 8, 2-C · 2-D | Tokyo 12:30 PM platform 18 | Shin-Osaka 3:00 PM platform 22 |
| Tue Nov 17 Nozomi 252 Car 8, 4-C · 4-D | Kyoto 12:30 PM platform 11 | Tokyo 2:45 PM platform 17 |
- The E seats face Mt. Fuji in both directions, about 45 minutes out of Tokyo. The booked seats are C and D, across the aisle from each other, so whoever has D gets the Fuji side. To sit together by the window, ask at a JR ticket office whether the seats can be changed to D and E; Klook tickets may not allow it.
- Bags over 160 cm (length plus width plus height) need a free oversized-baggage reservation. Under that, they go on the overhead rack.
The Aoniyoshi, Nara to Kyoto, Sun Nov 15 booked
Kintetsu's sightseeing train runs Osaka to Nara to Kyoto. The Osaka end was sold out, so they ride a regular rapid express to Nara and board the Aoniyoshi there. Snacks and drinks are sold on board.
| Reservation number | A02246 |
| Train, car, seats | 209 · Car 3 · 3A and 3B (twin) |
| Apartment, leave (Tanimachi Line 8:43 AM) | 8:30 AM |
| Osaka-Uehommachi, rapid express (no reservation) | 8:58 AM |
| Kintetsu-Nara, arrive | 9:30 AM |
| Kintetsu-Nara, Aoniyoshi departs | 9:53 AM |
| Kyoto, arrive | 10:29 AM |
- Showing the ticket: Kintetsu won't accept a screenshot as the e-ticket. Open the booking site, choose Review/refund/change of purchased ticket(s), and enter the date of boarding, reservation number A02246, the email used, and Joseph's 4-digit number.
- Fares: ¥1,460 paid covers the express and special-car charges. The regular fares, about ¥870 to Nara and ¥760 on to Kyoto each, go on Suica at the gates.
- Car 3 has a luggage space and the accessible restroom. The suitcases go by LuggAgent anyway.
Changes are free up to 3 times before departure; a refund costs about ¥220. Booked Oct 17, 2026 (Oct 18 Japan time). About the Aoniyoshi.
Rides and bags
The suitcase plan (hands-free, decided), every Uber with a button, and the airport van are all in Rides and bags.
From Kameido
- Akihabara, about 10 minutes direct on the Sobu Line. Ueno two stops past that.
- Kinshicho 1 stop. From there the Hanzomon Line runs straight to Shibuya.
- Asakusa about 20 minutes. Shinjuku about 25.
- Tokyo Station about 18 minutes, for the Nov 10 train.
Day to day
- Suica in Apple Wallet covers every train, subway and bus in all three cities. Tap in, tap out.
- Taxis: the GO app. Doors open themselves. Worth it in Kyoto for short hops with two people, and for the kendo class.
- Google Maps gives the platform, the car and the exit. Trust it.