Issue #6

Words by Cory Ohlendorf | Photography courtesy of Yamato Transport

I can’t remember where I first heard about it, but I distinctly remember thinking it was more myth than fact. Japan is a place where it’s easy to get caught up in the magic of amazing service, high design and futuristic technology. But I truly thought that the promise of takuhaibin—a convenient, moderately priced service that will hand-deliver your luggage to your destination—was something of an urban legend. Too good to be true.

But a few quick taps on my phone connected me to the site for Yamato Transport, one of Japan’s most popular delivery companies. Their trucks are ubiquitous—they come in range of sizes, but are always emblazoned with the company logo of a mother cat carefully carrying her kitten by the scruff of its neck. Yamato handles all types of shipping—it began as a logistics company in 1919 and initially only handled business deliveries—but after discovering that the national postal service wouldn’t deliver parcels exceeding six kilograms, they began a door-to-door delivery service named takkyubin. People soon started using the service to send luggage to their vacation destination and then back home after realizing how handy it was to ship bags rather than lug them around.

This is why you rarely see locals dragging large suitcases behind them. Not on the sidewalk and certainly not on the train. It’s the only service of its kind in the world, at least on this scale—a fact that never ceases to surprise the Japanese. After using the service, with its high standards and impeccable punctuality, I’m just as confused. 

These luggage forwarding services will save you the trouble of navigating through the shoulder-to-shoulder chaos of rush hour, trying to find your hotel, all while pulling a carry-on behind you. For around 1,500 to 2,000 yen (about $12), you can ship your packed-to-the-gills, 25-inch, 50-lb suitcase overnight from, for example, your Tokyo hotel to a traditional Kyoto ryokan. Do it the day before you leave and you’ll be happily greeted by your bag, patiently waiting for you in your new room.

Yamato remains the market leader with their signature Ta-Q-Bin service. Although it’s a registered trademark, Takkyubin is commonly used to refer to any takuhaibin service in general. Yamato Transport's main competitors in the space are Sagawa and the standard mail service, Japan Post.

Let’s break down how this streamlined delivery service works: When I moved to Tokyo this spring to start Bandana, I arrived with two large checked suitcases, three oversized duffles stuffed with clothing and a specialized trunk filled with computers and other electronics. I picked them up from the baggage claim at Narita airport and wheeled them over to the Yamato Ta-Q-Bin counter (on a free cart nonetheless). The staff at the airport counters typically speak some English, but I was also prepared with my hotel’s address in Japanese in order to make the process quick and straightforward. After you complete the delivery waybill, you pay and they send you off with a receipt. I had my luggage for all of 15 minutes before offloading and heading out into Tokyo a free, unencumbered man.

Even if you’re not staying at a hotel, you can utilize this service by sending your bags from any number of convenience stores. Similarly, you can receive your bags there, too—which can be particularly helpful for those staying in Airbnbs. The store’s staff can help you fill out the paperwork, but it’s a good idea to pick a quieter time of day and come fully prepared with the required address to help avoid holding up the line of customers just looking to buy a bottled drink and a snack.

If you’re like me, and have a slight problem giving up control, you’re also able to track the delivery so that you know where your bags are at all times. This can also be helpful around the chosen delivery time to ensure that you’re ready to receive the bags as they get close to you. I know it may sound too good to be true, but it’s real and as satisfying as you might imagine.

The Real McCoy's reproduces vintage items so well, you’re never sure if the item in front of you is new or from 80 years ago, because every detail has been considered. Take this cool tote bag. Dubbed a “victory bag”, the red handles come together in the center of the bag to form a V. Stenciled inside that space is the moniker, “Victory, it’s in the bag” and “keep em flying”—two battle cries that were widely used during the Second World War. Hand stitched in Japan, from a rugged herringbone twill, the deep tote has plenty of room for your daily essentials and the rich olive drab color is a neutral shade that works in a range of situations. And, if it’s anything like the rest of The Real McCoy’s stuff, it will only get better with age.

Goro-goro (ごろごろ) is a term that represents the Japanese tradition of luxuriating in bed, lounging around and relaxing without doing much of anything. The phrase originated as an onomatopoeia of the sound of a heavy object rolling. That word then came to represent several other things that sound similar—like the low rumble of thunder or the comforting sound of a cat purring. Brigitte Steger, a senior lecturer in modern Japanese studies at the University of Cambridge who’s researched sleeping habits in Japan, notes that goro-goro isn’t quite the same thing as “sleeping in”, at least not in the clear-cut way that most Americans understand it. Most want to sleep in to catch up on sleep, while this is more about dozing off or lazing about in the space between wakefulness and rest. And people practice goro-goro at all times of day—the phenomenon matches the architecture of most homes in Japan, where the sleeping and living areas aren’t fully separate.