# How to bring large items home from Japan: checked baggage size and weight limits, and airport luggage delivery

> Start with your ticket's free checked baggage allowance; sizes and weights depend on the airline. For example, Japan Airlines (JAL) international economy usually allows 2 bags of 23 kg each, up to 203 cm in total dimensions; ANA international economy allows 23 kg per bag up to 158 cm, with the number of bags depending on the fare, and won't accept bags over 292 cm or 45 kg as checked baggage. If you have too much, Yamato's Airport TA-Q-BIN (空港宅急便) can send bags to your departure airport by the cutoff 2 days before departure (3 days in some areas), up to 30 kg per bag, with a JP¥660 airport fee per bag; Sagawa Express also delivers bags to the airport through its Hands-Free Travel service. Tax-free goods bought from November 1, 2026 must go through customs confirmation at an airport kiosk before you check them in.

- Page: https://bestjapanbuy.com/en/q/bulky-items-luggage-japan/
- Updated: 2026-10-26

## Getting big items home: 4 steps

1. **Check your allowance before you buy**: Open your airline's checked baggage page and look up your ticket's free pieces, weight per bag, size limit, and the fees for overweight, oversize or extra bags. Low-cost carrier base fares may not include checked bags, so add one first.
2. **Measure the box**: Rice cookers, bidet seats and similar can be checked in their original boxes. Add up length, width and height (including wheels and handles) and compare with the airline's limit; if it doesn't fit, pay for an extra bag or ship it home.
3. **Send extra bags to the airport in advance**: With Yamato's Airport TA-Q-BIN, send by the cutoff 2 days before departure (3 days in some areas); the bag reaches the airport counter by the day before, and you collect it at the airport on departure day with the sender's copy of the label. Up to 30 kg per bag.
4. **Collect your bag, do tax-free confirmation, then check in**: For tax-free goods bought from November 1, 2026, take every item on each receipt to the tax-free kiosk before check-in and scan your passport. You can't do it after checking in, and checked bags can't be retrieved.

## The short version (as of October 2026)

- **Your airline sets the limits**: in economy, Japan Airlines allows up to 203 cm per bag and ANA up to 158 cm, both 23 kg per bag (exact allowance depends on the fare).
- **Too much luggage**: send it ahead to your departure airport with Yamato's Airport TA-Q-BIN or Sagawa Express and collect it at the counter on the day.
- **Tax-free goods**: after collecting your bags, do the customs confirmation at the kiosk first, then check in.

## Checked baggage on major airlines (international economy)

| Airline | Bags | Weight per bag | Size per bag (L+W+H) | Official page |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Japan Airlines (JAL) | Usually 2 | 23 kg | Up to 203 cm, including wheels and handles | [Checked baggage](https://www.jal.co.jp/jp/en/inter/baggage/checked/) |
| ANA | 0–2, by fare | 23 kg | Up to 158 cm, including wheels and handles | [Free baggage allowance](https://www.ana.co.jp/en/jp/guide/boarding-procedures/baggage/international/baggage-free/) |

- ANA says bags over 23 kg (up to 32 kg) incur an overweight charge, and bags over 292 cm in total dimensions or over 45 kg aren't accepted as checked baggage.
- Japan Airlines says some routes don't accept single bags over 32 kg in principle.
- Status, route and cabin all change the allowance. The table is an example only; check your e-ticket and the airline's page before you fly.
- Other airlines, including low-cost carriers, have their own rules that we haven't checked one by one; follow each airline's website.

## Checking in big appliances

- **Use the original box**: appliances without lithium batteries, such as rice cookers and bidet seats, can be checked in; add protection around the box. See [Can I check in a rice cooker or bidet seat from Japan?](/q/checked-baggage-appliance/).
- **Battery-powered items**: electric toothbrushes, shavers and cordless hair irons follow lithium battery rules, so carry them on; power banks must be carried on. See [Lithium battery rules on flights](/q/lithium-battery-flight/).
- **Check it works back home before you buy**: see each model's destination table, or browse by category: [rice cookers](/c/rice-cooker/), [electric bidet seats](/c/toilet-seat/).

## Airport luggage delivery

| Service | How it works | Conditions (official) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Yamato Airport TA-Q-BIN (空港宅急便) | Send from a convenience store, Yamato office, etc. to your departure airport; collect at the airport counter on departure day | Cutoff 2 days before departure (3 days in some areas); arrives by the day before; up to 30 kg per bag; JP¥660 airport fee per bag |
| Sagawa Express Hands-Free Travel | Drop bags at a service center for delivery to the airport. In Tokyo, centers such as Tokyo Station Nihonbashi Exit, Busta Shinjuku, Asakusa Kaminarimon and GINZA SIX offer same-day delivery | Cutoff times, sizes and fees vary by center; see the official page |

- Yamato's FAQ says bags sent to the airport are usually collected between 3 hours and 1 hour before boarding; bring the sender's copy of the label (ご依頼主控). Counter locations are in the [airport counter list](https://www.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/ytc/customer/send/services/airport/list.html).
- Airport TA-Q-BIN can only be collected at your departure airport, not your arrival airport.
- Sending things to your home country is a different service; see [How to ship things home from Japan](/q/ship-purchases-home-from-japan/).

## Don't check in tax-free goods first

For tax-free goods bought from November 1, 2026, you must leave Japan within 90 days of purchase and get customs confirmation at the airport before checking your bags. The Japan Tourism Agency says you must have all the tax-free goods with you at the kiosk, you can't do it after check-in, and checked bags can't be retrieved. The order is: collect any bags sent to the airport → tax-free kiosk → check-in. See [Getting your tax refund at the airport](/q/japan-airport-tax-refund/) and [What you need for tax-free shopping](/q/tax-free-what-to-bring/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Can tax-free goods be inside the bag I sent to the airport?

Yes, but collect the bag at the airport counter first, take the tax-free goods to the kiosk for customs confirmation, and only then check in. The Japan Tourism Agency says you must have all tax-free goods with you when you scan your passport, and you can't do it after check-in. Yamato's FAQ says bags sent to the airport are usually collected between 3 hours and 1 hour before boarding; counter hours vary by airport.

### Can Airport TA-Q-BIN deliver to my arrival airport?

No. Yamato's FAQ says Airport TA-Q-BIN bags can only be collected at the airport you depart from.

### Do airlines' baggage rules differ much?

Quite a lot. For example, the per-bag size limit in international economy is 203 cm on Japan Airlines and 158 cm on ANA, and the number of bags varies by route, cabin and fare. We don't compile every airline's rules; go by your airline's official page and the allowance on your e-ticket.

### How do I bring kitchen knives, battery-powered gadgets or alcohol?

Knives can't go in your carry-on, so check them in; devices with lithium batteries follow the lithium battery rules, and power banks can't be checked. See [Japanese kitchen knife buying guide](/q/knives-buying-guide/), [Lithium battery rules on flights](/q/lithium-battery-flight/) and [Can I take Japanese whisky and sake on a plane?](/q/japan-whisky-sake-flight/).


## Sources

- [Japan Airlines: checked baggage, international flights](https://www.jal.co.jp/jp/en/inter/baggage/checked/)
- [ANA: free checked baggage allowance, international flights](https://www.ana.co.jp/en/jp/guide/boarding-procedures/baggage/international/baggage-free/)
- [ANA: excess baggage charges, international flights](https://www.ana.co.jp/en/jp/guide/boarding-procedures/baggage/international/baggage-over/)
- [Yamato Transport: Airport TA-Q-BIN (Japanese)](https://www.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/ytc/customer/send/services/airport/)
- [Yamato Transport FAQ: when to collect Airport TA-Q-BIN bags (Japanese)](https://faq.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/app/answers/detail/a_id/1352/)
- [Yamato Transport: Airport TA-Q-BIN counter list (Japanese)](https://www.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/ytc/customer/send/services/airport/list.html)
- [SAGAWA Hands-Free travel：Delivering to airport](https://www.sagawa-exp.co.jp/hands-freetravel/english/service/airport/)
- [Japan Tourism Agency: page on the new refund system for travelers](https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00021.html)
- [Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism: items restricted in carry-on and checked baggage](https://www.mlit.go.jp/koku/koku_fr2_000007.html)

> Data from BestJapanBuy (bestjapanbuy.com). Please credit and link to the page when using it. Prices are for reference only; check in store.