Live Somewhere Warm? Keep Your Ski Gear in Japan Between Winters
Published Last updatedReviewed by Max
Live somewhere warm, or far from ski shops, and ski in Japan? Your winter gear does not have to fly home with you or fill a closet you never open. Silk Crane, a luggage storage service for travelers in Japan, keeps the kit you bought and used in Japan in storage until your next winter visit.
A sunny apartment, and a ski trip to plan
Picture a couple living by the sea who ski in Japan each winter. After their first trip, they sent their packed boots, jackets and snowboards from the ski hotel front desk to Silk Crane. Now, in a warm living room, they book next winter's hotel, tell Silk Crane where to deliver their kit and pack only everyday travel bags.
Buying ski gear when home has no ski shops
We've seen customers from countries with no ski business and no snowy mountains, including in Southeast Asia, buy their ski equipment in Japan, online or from a shop, and send it straight to storage with us. There was nowhere to buy it back home, so Japan is where the kit lives.
Once you have signed up, an online order from a Japanese retailer can be shipped to your Silk Crane address, if the retailer takes your order. If you already store a kit, newer boots or a board ordered the same way can reach the same address, and Silk Crane can deliver them to your ski hotel with the bag you already store. Bought skis in Japan? Have the shop send them to storage covers the steps, and buying ski gear in Japan helps you choose.
A Japan winter kit that Silk Crane keeps for you
Silk Crane keeps skis, snowboards, boots, helmets, winter clothing and gear bags between trips. Keeping the kit in Japan cuts out repeated international baggage handling and keeps your Japan-only belongings ready for the next visit, while the room at home stays free for everyday life.
Visitors from the United States and Europe who ski in Japan each winter can also keep their kit in Japan rather than flying it back and forth.
You send skis and snowboards from your hotel front desk or an airport counter of the delivery company Yamato that accepts ski equipment; Yamato wraps them in its protective cover. Our winter packing guide helps after the last ski day.
Planning the next winter from home
Tell Silk Crane your next hotel or resort, and Silk Crane delivers the kit there, or to a Yamato pickup counter confirmed for your Japanese departure airport and terminal. The hotel, resort and airport delivery guide lists the details.
Annual storage suits a once-a-winter routine; monthly can suit a shorter break. The monthly and annual ski storage guide compares them.
Keeping a Japan ski kit: questions
I live in Southeast Asia. Can I keep ski gear in Japan?
Yes. Silk Crane keeps luggage, ski and snowboard gear, winter clothing and gear bags in Japan between trips for travelers from Southeast Asia and many other places.
Can I order new gear online from home?
Often, yes. The purchase can reach Silk Crane before you arrive, and the buying guide covers the steps.
Can I store boots and clothing but rent skis next time?
Yes. Silk Crane keeps boots, helmets, winter clothing and accessories without skis or a snowboard.
Do I need a Japanese address?
No. Overseas travelers can use Silk Crane storage without a Japanese residential address. Storing gear for about a month? See the one-month ski storage page.