Hi there!
You will find “coin lockers” at train stations all over Japan.
These lockers are highly convenient if you want to explore a few hours before you head to your next destination…
Or if you want to explore for a few hours before you check into your hotel when you arrive to a new city.
You can expect them at major train stations in Japan, and you may find them at smaller train stations too.
There’s a little corner at Nagano Station where you can find coin lockers.
At coin lockers, you can store your luggage like suitcase or backpack.
In the case of Nagano Station, with Nagano being a ski destination, there are even lockers that will fit your ski gear!
While there are different types of coin lockers that operate in slightly different ways, these types of luggage storage lockers are generally pretty easy to use.
There will be pretty clear instructions.
They started as “coin-operated” lockers, so that’s why they are called coin lockers.
Nowadays though, there are also coin lockers that you can pay for without coins using a suica card or icoca card (a recharge cash card aka IC card).
More below on the visual of what it can be like to find and use the Nagano Station coin lockers!
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Now…
Here’s a bit of what it may look like to use a coin locker at Nagano Station!
So you arrive to Nagano Station!
You can find a bunch of buses that leave from just near the JR Nagano train station as well.
Maybe you arrive by bus (the Tokyo to Nagano bus?!)…
Maybe you arrive by the shinkansen bullet train…
Or maybe you’re already in Nagano!
The Nagano train station isn’t huge, but it’s also not small, and there are multiple entrances and exits.
Let’s say you arrive to the Nagano train station from the main entrance.
To get to the coin lockers I saw at the station, you basically just walk through the station to the other side, to the east exit.
You can follow the signs, and at some point, you’ll probably also see signs in the direction of the coin lockers.
You can also ask a train station worker about where the coin lockers are located. The ticket gates are manned.
There’s also a little tourist office located at the train station and you can ask someone inside there. (This also might be a good place to stop by on your first day in Nagano to find out about activities too!)
The coin lockers are basically at the other end, coming from the main entrance.
How much does a coin locker cost at Nagano Station?
The price of the coin locker will depend on how big of a locker you get.
So in the case of these Nagano Station coin lockers, it can range from 400 yen to 600 yen (US$4-6) for regular lockers, and 700 yen (US$7) for the ski lockers, as of the time I was there in March 2019.
The price is also marked on the lockers, so you can know how much it costs based on looking at which size you want.
These lockers also have operating hours of 8:30am to 7pm.
Locker sizes
There are lockers of various sizes.
How to store your luggage in a coin locker
So once you find an open locker…
Put your luggage that you want to leave behind into the locker!
And then basically you can just follow the instructions provided!
So at these Nagano Station coin lockers, you can pay for your luggage storage using cash or an IC card.
There’s also a coin machine nearby so you can change your 500 yen coins or 1,000 yen bills into 100 yen coins.
Where to stay in Nagano city
When I was Nagano city, I stayed at hostel called 1166 Backpackers.
This hostel will give you a “Japanese” type feel!
There are dorms beds as well as Japanese-style private rooms.
There’s a common area where you can make yourself free tea.
This is on a quiet street about a 20 minute walk from Nagano Station.
There is also public transportation that will get you here, and for that, you can follow google maps!
HAPPY STORING LUGGAGE AT NAGANO STATION!
And if you need luggage storage in Tokyo, there are coin lockers at Tokyo Station too.