Aloha e!
Here's our situation and I would treasure your experienced advice:
I travel to Tokyo for a 2-week class (late September), w/shopping (for dishware and fabric) when I can. I thought to bring hardsided nesting suitcases 21 (carryon size)", 25" and possibly 29" because I will be in one place. I will ship the largest suitcase back home (w/purchases) at the end of the 2 wks if there are no other options.
My husband will then arrive in Tokyo to join me for 12 days so we can JR train it down (14 day pass) to Hiroshima and up to Hokkaido, spending overnights (in AirBnB's) likely in Hiroshima, Kyoto, Osaka, Aiomori and definitely in Tokyo on the 1st and 12th night. Depending on your advice, I'd have him come with another 21" or duffle.
Most of our activities will be visiting temples, gardens, parks, and hiking and street food eating :-). We also will be picking up some omiyage along the way. I imagine we'll end up w/a couple of things we don't want squished. We are older, but physically fit. However, I think having, at the most, a backpack w/1 or 2 overnight clothes and simple toiletries will be the most we want for those days we are inbetween AirBnB's but touring off the trains. So I'm hoping we can keep the 21" and possibly the 25" in lockers at the JR stations.
My concerns are:
1. Can the Shinkansen stations' lockers easily handle the 21" and/or 25" hardsided size?
2. If our AirBnB locations or side trips have us traveling on the slower, commuter, local trains, buses, etc. are there more often lockers there to leave a 21" or 25" size?
3. Is there a consideration to bring a soft duffle instead or are there other options for hard sided luggage?
4. Are there any lockers at the airport for luggage to be kept for 10-12 days?
5. What about the reasonableness of 21" or 25" luggage on the trains?
If you have any other way of handling our travel, itinerary, luggage, etc, I more than welcome it.
Mahalo (thank you)
Sadaesan
