How Ski and Snowboard Storage in Japan Works: Send, Store, Ski Again
Published Last updatedReviewed by Max
Ski and snowboard storage in Japan works by sending your gear ahead to a storage service instead of finding a locker.
Silk Crane, a luggage storage service for travelers in Japan, keeps your skis or snowboard after you send them from your hotel front desk or an airport counter of the delivery company Yamato that accepts ski equipment, and delivers them when you need them again.
Your ski gear, from sign-up to the flight home
-
Step 1 of 5
Sign up and get your sending steps
After you sign up, Silk Crane gives you your storage address, suite number and sending steps. Dry and pack the gear first: the drying and packing guide and the Yamato cover guide cover the packing. Then it is time to send.
-
Step 2 of 5
Send it from your hotel or an airport counter
You can send skis or snowboards from your hotel front desk, in a city or at a resort, or from an airport Yamato counter that accepts ski equipment. Yamato wraps skis, snowboards and all-in-one cases in its own plastic cover. Not every Yamato counter accepts ski equipment, so ask at the counter.
City advice is in the Tokyo ski storage guide and the Sapporo and New Chitose guide. Once it is sent, you travel on.
-
Step 3 of 5
A fall trip first: suitcases only until winter
Plan the next Japan trip around the gear Silk Crane is keeping. Picture a couple flying into Haneda for two weeks of fall sightseeing, with skis packed for a winter trip already planned. They send the ski bag after landing and spend the fall days with suitcases only.
Some travelers bring skis or a snowboard on a summer or fall visit while there is room in the luggage allowance, and have the gear delivered to a resort months later. Silk Crane keeps ski and snowboard gear in Japan between seasons, so you do not carry it around the country first. For trips across the year, read about keeping ski gear in Japan between visits. Then winter comes.
-
Step 4 of 5
Ski season: delivery to your ski hotel
Silk Crane delivers to your ski hotel in resort areas such as Niseko, Furano, Tomamu, Hakuba and Myoko. Tell Silk Crane your hotel and check-in date, and Silk Crane delivers the gear there. The ski days are next, and the flight home after them.
-
Step 5 of 5
Flying home: a Yamato counter at your airport
For the flight home, Silk Crane can arrange delivery to the Yamato pickup counter confirmed for your departure airport and terminal; tell Silk Crane your airport and terminal. The hotel, resort and airport delivery guide lists the details.
Which storage plan fits my trips?
Silk Crane keeps gear for a break within one season, a few months between trips, or every winter for a skier who returns. The storage plans page shows the options. The monthly and annual storage comparison covers the choice, and renting versus bringing your own skis covers the other side of the decision.
Listen: ski and snowboard storage in Japan
A short podcast-style introduction for returning skiers and snowboarders.
Watch the full guide on YouTube
The same service also covers suitcases and other sports gear:
Questions about ski storage in Japan
Can boots, helmets and ski clothing be stored with the skis?
Yes, boots and winter clothing too.
Silk Crane keeps boots, helmets, winter clothing and related gear alongside skis and snowboards. Packing each person's items separately keeps later deliveries simple.
Can a suitcase go into storage too?
Yes, an ordinary suitcase too.
Silk Crane takes a suitcase from your hotel front desk or a 7-Eleven, while you hand ski gear to the front desk or an airport Yamato counter.
Does every Yamato counter take ski equipment?
Not every counter does.
Ask at the counter before you go. You can also hand ski gear to your hotel front desk, in a city or at a resort.
More ski and snowboard guides
Planning the whole route? Compare ways to send and store ski gear in Japan, follow one trip with skis and a suitcase stored together, or see how Silk Crane gets your ski gear to your next stay. Snowboarders can start with the snowboard storage guide. If your trip mixes slopes and cities, read about storing gear during the non-ski part of a trip. Traveling together? See the group ski trip guide. Buying in Japan? Start with buying ski gear in Japan, then sending new gear from the shop, or read about keeping a ski kit in Japan when home has no snow. Storing gear for about a month? See the one-month ski storage page.