Coin lockers come in various sizes, and the larger the space, the higher the rental fee. But how can you tell if your luggage will actually fit? While locker dimensions and prices vary slightly depending on the railway company, they are generally categorized as follows:

Tokyo’s major stations and downtown areas have a lot of coin locker spots to offer, bust most of them are always crowded. Especially the large and extra-large lockers tend to be taken nonstop. Coin-operated lockers, as opposed to their touchscreen-type counterparts, are usually much less busy. We’ll show you our coin locker recommendations and secret spots at Tokyo’s major stations, to guarantee that you’ll always find a vacant locker!

In the following text, the payment method called “IC card” will mainly refer to the fare cards Suica and PASMO. Other fare cards used outside of Tokyo, such as ICOCA, Kitaca, nimoca, SUGOCA, and TOICA, may be accepted in some cases.

Each company sets its own pricing, but fees typically range from 300 to 1,000 yen. Be sure to check the posted prices carefully before paying!

Directions
Exit Ueno Station via the central ticket gates and turn left immediately. Proceed towards “Asakusa Exit.” You’ll find the coin lockers to the left of a soba shop on the left-hand side.

Fee for One Day
Small – 500 yen
Medium – 700 yen
Large – 900 yen

Directions
Leave Keisei Ueno Station via the ticket gates and head in the direction of Ueno Zoo, Benten Gate, and the taxi stand. Coin lockers line both sides of the passage.

Fee for One Day
Small – 500 yen
Medium – 700 yen
Large – 900 yen

Directions
Take the JR West Exit ticket gates on the first basement floor. Ignore the coin lockers on the right-hand side and instead descend to the second underground floor via the stairs behind them, labeled “Shinjuku West Exit Parking Lot Entrance.” At the end of the stairs, turn left towards a passage with a café called “Doutor Coffee.”

Fee for One Day
Small – 500 yen
Medium – 700 yen
Large – 900 yen

Directions
Take the Seibu Shinjuku Station ticket gates and continue straight ahead. Then, go down the stairs and go outside. Look for the sign that says “Party Space BRICK” on the second underground floor of Shinjuku Prince Hotel, and take the stairs to the first underground floor.

■ Fee for 6 Hours
Small – 100 yen
Medium – 200 yen
Large – 300 yen
Extra Large – 400

*Charges apply every 4 hours.

Directions
Enter the station via the ticket gates of the Marunouchi Underground Exit. If you come from within the ticket gates, take the central underground passage and head towards the Marunouchi Exit. Take the descending escalator to the Narita Express Arrival and Departure Area, then make a U-turn to the left and go straight ahead. The coin lockers are right in front.

Fee for One Day
Small – 400 - 500 yen
Medium – 600 - 700 yen
Large – 700 - 900 yen

*Fees may differ based on the location.

Directions
Proceed to the ground level via Ikebukuro Station’s West Exit. Turn to the left and walk along the station, towards the South Exit. You’ll eventually arrive at the Tokyo Metropolitan Plaza Building – it houses both Lumine Ikebukuro and Tobu Department Store. There are coin lockers around the escalators (A & B), next to Family Mart on the passage on the first floor (C), and along the passage on the second floor (D & E). Especially C, D, and E are secret hot spots.

Fee for One Day
Small – 300 yen
Medium – 400 yen
Large – 500 yen

Directions
Follow Ikebukuro Station’s North Passage towards the East Exit and pass the owl statue called Ikefukuro. Pass the stairs on the left and continue straight until you see the coin locker space.

Fee for One Day
Small – 1,000 yen
Medium – 1,100 yen
Large – 1,300 yen

Directions
Exit JR Shibuya Station via the Hachiko ticket gates and cross Shibuya Scramble towards SHIBUYA109. Once there, head down the stairs under the sign saying “Tokyu & Tokyo Metro Shibuya Station” to the first and second underground floors. To get there from Shibuya Chikamichi, head for Exit 3a.

Fee for One Day
Small – 500 yen
Medium – 600 yen
Large – 900 yen

Directions
Exit via the Miyamasuzaka East ticket gates of Hanzomon Line’s concourse (a Mitsui Sumitomo ATM is there), head right and to the backside of the Tourist Information Desk.
If you come from above ground, take the stairs near Exit 7a (at 109MEN’S) or Exit 8 (near Hachiko). Once you see the Tourist Information Desk, head to its backside.

Fee for One Day
Small – 500 yen
Medium – 600 yen
Large – 900 yen

Directions
Enter Shinagawa Station via the north ticket gates. Go straight until the very end, where you’ll find coin lockers lined up under the windows of the connecting passage.

Fee for One Day
Small – 400 yen
Medium – 500 yen
Large – 700 yen

Directions
Exit JR Shinagawa Station either via the central or north ticket gates and take the wide passage towards Konan Exit. Pass the Shinkansen terminal and go down the escalator next to the entrance of “atre,” a department store. Continue towards the taxi stand on the right.

Fee for One Day
Small – 400 yen
Medium – 500 yen
Large – 700 yen

Directions
Enter Akihabara Station via the Central Exit ticket gates. Go up the escalators to the left of platforms 5 and 6. Coin lockers are lined up along the walls.

Fee for One Day
Medium – 500 yen
Large – 600 yen
Extra-Large: 800 yen

Directions
Exit the ticket gates of Tobu Railway and proceed to the back of the stairs right in front.
If you come from outside the station, enter Asakusa Station via the Central Exit and ascend the stairs in front of you. If you turn away from the ticket gates and head in the opposite direction, you’ll find yourself at the coin lockers.

Fee for One Day
Small – 400 yen
Medium – 500 yen
Large – 700 yen

Directions
Pass Chiyoda Line’s ticket gates via Exit 1 - 3, go straight ahead and continue towards the passage.
If you come from above ground, look for Exit 3 of Meijijingumae Station and descend the stairs. The coin lockers are on the left.

Fee for One Day
Small – 400 yen
Medium – 500 yen
Large – 700 yen

Directions
Leave Harajuku Station via the Takeshita Street ticket gates. Cross the street and go straight ahead into Takeshita Street. The coin locker space is to the right, after a short 1-minute walk.

Fee for One Day
Small – 500 yen
Medium – 600 yen
Large – 800 yen
Extra-Large – 1,100 yen

With so many convenient and lesser-known coin locker spots around Tokyo’s busiest stations, you no longer have to worry about lugging your suitcase everywhere. Whether you need a small locker for a day or a large one for multiple days, these hidden gems make exploring the city hassle-free. Keep this guide handy, and enjoy your Tokyo adventure with your hands free!

Main image credit: MAHATHIR MOHD YASIN / Shutterstock.com