木KomorebiJapan, 2026
Travel playbook

Know the move.
Confirm the platform.

Open only the route you need. Live station displays, service alerts and staff instructions always override this planning copy.

Mount Fuji beyond Lake Ashi, illustrating the Tokyo to Hakone journey
One rule for every station

Platform: confirm on the display and official app on travel day.

Keep a 15-35 minute buffer depending on luggage and station complexity. Never follow a future platform number saved in a screenshot.

Door-to-door routes

Tap a journey when you need it.

14 rail terms below
01NRT → The Centurion Classic AkasakaKeisei Skyliner / JR N’EX / Airport Limousine
  1. Arrivals to the station is a lift ride down; both rail counters are inside the terminal, so do not leave the building.
  2. Fastest with luggage: Keisei Skyliner to Ueno, then the Ginza line to Akasaka-mitsuke. The Ginza line is the one your whole Tokyo week runs on.
  3. Alternative: JR N’EX to Tokyo Station, then the Marunouchi line four stops to Akasaka-mitsuke. Simpler if you already hold a JR ticket.
  4. With four pieces and a 16:10 landing, the Airport Limousine bus is worth pricing: it is slower but there is no transfer and no stairs.
  5. No city pass covers the airport train. Buy the airport leg separately, whichever option you take.
  6. Platform: confirm on the station display and the official app on travel day.
Official operator Google MapsNAVITIME
02Akasaka → Odakyu ShinjukuTokyo Metro Marunouchi
  1. Akasaka-mitsuke to Shinjuku is direct on the Marunouchi line, about 10 minutes.
  2. Leave the hotel 60 minutes before the Romancecar. Shinjuku Station itself eats 15 of those.
  3. Inside Shinjuku follow Odakyu signs, not the JR ones. They lead to different buildings.
  4. You are carrying overnight bags only; the four main pieces were forwarded the day before.
  5. Platform: confirm on the station display and the official app on travel day.
Official operator Google MapsNAVITIME
03Shinjuku → Hakone-YumotoOdakyu
  1. Walk to Odakyu Shinjuku with a 25-minute buffer.
  2. Board reserved Romancecar toward Hakone-Yumoto; all Romancecar seats are reserved.
  3. Ticket method: base fare/Hakone Freepass plus limited-express ticket as shown at purchase.
  4. Typical ride about 80 minutes; verify selected service.
  5. Platform: Confirm on station display and official app on travel day.
Official operator Google MapsNAVITIME
04Hakone-Yumoto → Setsugetsuka, GoraHakone Tozan Railway
  1. Hakone Tozan Railway from Hakone-Yumoto up to Gora, about 40 minutes of switchbacks. The Hakone Freepass covers it.
  2. The climb is the scenic part of the day, not dead time. Sit on the valley side.
  3. Gora is small; the hotel is a short walk or a taxi with bags.
  4. Check-in is around 15:00, so arrive after the loop rather than before it.
  5. Platform: confirm on the station display and the official app on travel day.
Official operator Google MapsNAVITIME
05Hiroshima Station → Hotel VistaHiroden tram
  1. Hiroden tram from Hiroshima Station toward Hondori or Kamiyacho, about 15 minutes.
  2. A taxi is about 10 minutes and worth it with bags on a single-night stay.
  3. You are carrying overnight bags only. The four main pieces went ahead to Osaka.
  4. The hotel is a short walk from both Peace Park and the okonomiyaki streets, so the whole evening is on foot.
  5. Platform: confirm on the station display and the official app on travel day.
Official operator Google MapsNAVITIME
06Miyajima ferry → Grand Hotel ArimotoJR Miyajima Ferry
  1. You reach the island about 09:15, well before the 15:00 check-in.
  2. Ask the hotel to hold both bags, or use the ferry terminal lockers. Do not carry them to Daisho-in or the ropeway.
  3. The hotel is about 600 m from the island centre. Confirm in advance whether they meet the ferry.
  4. Come back for the room before dinner: the point of this night is the island after the day boats leave.
  5. Platform: confirm on the station display and the official app on travel day.
Official operator Google MapsNAVITIME
07Hakone local loopHakone Tozan / ropeway / ship / bus
  1. Sequence is weather-led: train/cable/ropeway/Owakudani/Lake Ashi/bus.
  2. Closures are common enough that Hakone Navi must override the planned order.
  3. Freepass can simplify fares; compare coverage with the exact route.
  4. Keep ryokan dinner check-in as the hard deadline.
  5. Platform: confirm on the station display and the official app on travel day.
Official operator Google MapsNAVITIME
08Hakone-Yumoto → Odawara → KyotoOdakyu/Hakone Tozan + JR Central
  1. Local train to Odawara; allow 35 minutes for signs, food and transfer.
  2. Reserved Tokaido Shinkansen westbound to Kyoto. Nozomi does not call at Odawara, so this is a Hikari (or Kodama) service, roughly two hours to Kyoto.
  3. Oversized baggage seats are required for qualifying bags; large bags are forwarded on this itinerary.
  4. For Fuji views westbound, ordinary-car seat D is commonly the mountain side, but verify train configuration.
  5. Platform: Confirm live.
  6. Platform: confirm on the station display and the official app on travel day.
Official operator Google MapsNAVITIME
09KIORI Hotel Takakura → Kyoto StationKyoto Subway Karasuma / taxi
  1. Walk to Shijo Station on the Karasuma line, then two stops south to Kyoto Station.
  2. About 15 minutes door to platform, or about 10 by taxi with bags.
  3. For the 09:00 Hiroshima departure take a taxi rather than the subway: the Karasuma line at that hour is a commuter crush.
  4. Kyoto Station is large. Allow 15 minutes inside it to reach the Shinkansen gates.
  5. Platform: confirm on the station display and the official app on travel day.
Official operator Google MapsNAVITIME
10Kyoto → HiroshimaJR Central/JR West
  1. Enter Shinkansen gates with SmartEX QR/linked IC or paper ticket as instructed.
  2. Reserved westbound service to Hiroshima; choose the train shown in the reservation.
  3. Typical duration and fare depend on service; use SmartEX live result.
  4. Platform: Confirm live.
  5. Platform: confirm on the station display and the official app on travel day.
Official operator Google MapsNAVITIME
11Hiroshima Station → Peace ParkHiroden
  1. After bag drop, follow signs to streetcar stops.
  2. Use an appropriate streetcar toward Genbaku Dome-mae or the hotel-recommended stop.
  3. Tap/pay as posted; board/alight rules differ from some trains.
  4. Taxi is the simplest luggage fallback.
  5. Platform: confirm on the station display and the official app on travel day.
Official operator Google MapsNAVITIME
12Hiroshima ↔ MiyajimaJR West + JR Miyajima Ferry
  1. JR Sanyo Line between Hiroshima and Miyajimaguchi.
  2. Walk via signs to ferry terminal; take the JR ferry unless another schedule is clearly better.
  3. Confirm tide and final useful return; this plan sleeps on the island.
  4. Platform/berth: Confirm live.
  5. Platform: confirm on the station display and the official app on travel day.
Official operator Google MapsNAVITIME
13Miyajima → Hiroshima → Shin-OsakaJR ferry/JR West
  1. Ferry to Miyajimaguchi, JR to Hiroshima, then reserved Sanyo Shinkansen.
  2. Use a 45-minute Hiroshima connection buffer with the overnight bag.
  3. If a train is missed, ask JR staff/SmartEX support; do not board a reserved category blindly.
  4. Platform: confirm on the station display and the official app on travel day.
Official operator Google MapsNAVITIME
14Shin-Osaka → KOKO Hotel Namba SennichimaeOsaka Metro Midosuji
  1. Midosuji line runs direct from Shin-Osaka to Namba, about 12 minutes, no change.
  2. Leave Namba Station by the Sennichimae exits; the hotel is about a 500 m walk.
  3. Your four forwarded pieces should be waiting here. Check all four are in the room before you go out.
  4. This is the same station the Nara train leaves from, so the walk is worth learning on arrival night.
  5. Platform: confirm on the station display and the official app on travel day.
Official operator Google MapsNAVITIME
15Osaka → NaraKintetsu
  1. From Osaka-Namba, take Kintetsu Nara Line to Kintetsu-Nara.
  2. Rapid Express/Express usually fits; Limited Express may require supplement.
  3. Kintetsu-Nara is closer to the park than JR Nara for this route.
  4. Platform: Confirm live.
  5. Platform: confirm on the station display and the official app on travel day.
Official operator Google MapsNAVITIME
16Osaka → USJJR West
  1. Reach Nishikujo, transfer to JR Yumesaki Line toward Sakurajima/Universal City.
  2. Follow event-day signs and expect crowded trains.
  3. Arrive before the posted opening; app/ticket screenshots are essential.
  4. Platform: confirm on the station display and the official app on travel day.
Official operator Google MapsNAVITIME
17KOKO Hotel Namba → Kansai AirportNankai
  1. Walk to Nankai Namba Station, about 500 m, then Rapi:t or a limited express straight to KIX.
  2. About 40 minutes on the train. Leave the hotel around 13:00 for the 18:00 flight.
  3. From a Namba hotel the Nankai is the shorter walk. JR Haruka only makes sense from Tennoji or Umeda.
  4. This falls outside the 5-day rail pass window, so buy this leg separately.
  5. Platform: confirm on the station display and the official app on travel day.
Official operator Google MapsNAVITIME
The decision, already made

Skip the nationwide JR Pass. Buy one regional pass and pay per leg for the rest.

One ticket per segment, chosen for this exact route. The calculator below shows the arithmetic if you want to re-check it against live prices.

  1. Sep 26 - Oct 1

    Tokyo local transit

    Pay as you go

    Mobile Suica or PASMO in Apple Wallet

    No day pass is worth it here. Your Tokyo days are one neighbourhood each, so a stored-value card beats every tourist ticket. Load it before you land and keep a card as fallback.

  2. Oct 1-3

    Tokyo → Hakone, and the whole mountain loop

    ¥7,100 each, plus about ¥1,200 each for the Romancecar seat

    Odakyu Hakone Freepass, bought from Shinjuku

    Covers the Odakyu base fare plus the Tozan railway, cable car, ropeway, pirate ship and buses for two days. The Romancecar limited-express supplement is separate and still worth reserving for the 08:00. Odakyu also sells a ¥6,000 Hakone Area Only version, but that one excludes the Shinjuku leg, so it is the wrong pass for this trip.

    Re-checked against odakyu.jp, Aug 4, 2026Official page
  3. Oct 3

    Odawara → Kyoto

    about ¥12,500

    Individual Tokaido Shinkansen ticket

    No pass covers this leg economically. Nozomi does not stop at Odawara, so this is a Hikari, roughly two hours. Reserve it on SmartEX with the Oct 8 and Oct 10 legs.

    Re-checked against smart-ex.jp, Aug 4, 2026Official page
  4. Oct 8-12

    Kyoto → Hiroshima → Miyajima → Osaka

    ¥17,000

    JR Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass, 5 consecutive days

    The one pass that clearly pays for itself. Start it on Oct 8, not Oct 7: five consecutive days then runs Oct 8 to 12 and covers the Hiroshima leg, the Miyajima ferry, the return to Shin-Osaka and the Nara day trip if you take JR.

    Re-checked against westjr.co.jp, Aug 4, 2026Official page
  5. Oct 14

    Osaka → Kansai Airport

    about ¥1,300-1,800

    Nankai Rapi:t from Namba, or JR Haruka

    Falls outside the 5-day pass window, so buy it separately. From a Namba hotel the Nankai is the shorter walk; Haruka only makes sense from Tennoji or Umeda.

    Re-checked against howto-osaka.com, Aug 4, 2026Official page
Pass or pay per leg

Only two passes could pay off on this route.

A nationwide JR Pass is not one of them: this itinerary uses JR for three long legs, well under what a 7-day nationwide pass costs. Nara runs on Kintetsu and the KIX transfer on Nankai, so neither is JR at all.

Every number here is an editable starting point, not a quoted price. Replace each one with what the official site shows you today, then read the verdict.

Your legs, per person

  • Shinjuku → Hakone-Yumoto (Romancecar)Oct 1, Base fare plus a limited-express supplement. The Hakone pass covers the base fare only.
  • Hakone loop: rail, cable car, ropeway, ship, busOct 1-3, Two days of mountain transport, per person.
  • Odawara → Kyoto (Hikari)Oct 3, Tokaido Shinkansen, JR Central. Not in the JR-West area pass.
  • Kyoto → HiroshimaOct 8, Reserved Shinkansen westbound.
  • Hiroshima ↔ Miyajimaguchi plus JR ferryOct 9, JR Sanyo Line and the JR Miyajima ferry.
  • Hiroshima → Shin-OsakaOct 10, Reserved Shinkansen eastbound.

Pay per leg¥40,800 each, ¥81,600 for 2

Against each pass

Hakone Free Pass (from Shinjuku)

Covers 2 of your legs, worth ¥6,500 bought separately.

Saves about ¥400 each, ¥800 for 2.

Covers Odakyu base fare and the whole Hakone loop. The Romancecar limited-express ticket is still extra.

Official pass page
JR-West Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass (5 days)

Covers 3 of your legs, worth ¥23,000 bought separately.

Saves about ¥6,000 each, ¥12,000 for 2.

Nozomi and Mizuho are excluded, so you would ride Sakura, Hikari or Kodama. Confirm on the official page whether your exact Kyoto departure is covered before buying.

Official pass page
Rail education

Know the operators, not every timetable.

JR East

Tokyo-region JR network and Narita Express.

JR Central

Tokaido Shinkansen core operator.

JR West

Kyoto/Osaka/Hiroshima JR and Sanyo Shinkansen services.

Tokyo Metro / Toei

Separate subway operators; transfers may require walking and distinct fare logic.

Odakyu

Shinjuku-Hakone operator; Romancecar requires a reserved limited-express ticket.

Hakone Tozan

Mountain railway/cable/related loop services.

Kintetsu

Convenient Osaka-Namba-Kintetsu-Nara route.

Nankai

Namba-KIX operator; Rapi:t is reserved limited express.

Nozomi / Hikari / Kodama

Fastest to all-stops Tokaido service pattern; exact stop and fare rules shown live.

Reserved / non-reserved / Green

Assigned seat / flexible car where offered / premium class.

Suica

Stored-value IC for compatible local transit and purchases; not a universal long-distance ticket.

Ekiben

Station bento intended for longer-distance trains; avoid strong-smelling food on commuter services.

Oversized baggage

Qualifying Tokaido/Sanyo bags need a designated seat/storage reservation; verify dimensions officially.

Missed train

Check reservation change rules immediately and ask staff; do not assume any following train/seat is valid.

Yamato / TA-Q-BIN, four-piece plan

Forward all four. Carry only overnight bags.

This keeps four main luggage pieces off the Romancecar, Hakone loop, Shinkansen transfers and Miyajima ferry. Vahid and Maral each carry one lightweight personal overnight bag.

4main pieces
Send 01
September 30, Tokyo hotel desk

Tokyo → Kyoto, all four pieces

Request delivery for October 3. Confirm the Kyoto hotel will accept and hold every piece under the exact reservation name.

3 nights hands-free
Carry
Nights of September 30, October 1 and 2, Tokyo + Hakone

Two personal overnight bags, three nights

The bags leave on the morning of September 30 but you still sleep in Tokyo that night, so pack three nights, not two. Keep medicines, passports, chargers, power banks and valuables with you.

No suitcases
Send 02
October 7, Kyoto hotel desk

Kyoto → Osaka, all four pieces

Request delivery for October 10. Confirm the Osaka hotel accepts delivery before arrival and records four pieces.

3 nights hands-free
Carry
Nights of October 7, 8 and 9, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Miyajima

Two personal overnight bags, three nights

Same pattern: the handoff is the morning of October 7 and the last Kyoto night still counts. The four main pieces travel directly to Osaka.

Ferry-friendly
Weight, not just space

92 kg home, across exactly four pieces.

2 × 23 kgper traveller

Air Canada gives each of you two checked bags at 23 kg, which is precisely the four pieces this plan forwards. There is no spare bag: anything bought in Japan has to fit inside that 92 kg, or it flies home as excess.

  • The second send is the tight one. By October 7 the bags already hold Kappabashi and Ginza from Tokyo plus Kyoto sake, tea and artisan goods. That is the handoff most likely to run over.
  • Yamato has its own per-piece ceiling, commonly quoted around 25 kg for standard sizes. A bag that starts at 23 kg leaves roughly 2 kg of room, so confirm the exact limit and size band at the desk before you rely on it.
  • Weigh before each handoff, not at the airport. Pack a luggage scale; most front desks will also weigh a bag if you ask. Finding out on October 14 at KIX is the expensive version.
  • Leave Osaka headroom. Shinsaibashi on October 12 lands after the final forward, so whatever you buy there rides home in bags that are already near the limit.
  • Knives must be checked, never carried on. If you buy at Kappabashi, that weight is locked into a checked bag for the whole trip.
  • Sake and liquids over 100 ml must be checked too, and Canada limits what comes home duty-free. Buy late rather than early where you can.
Step-by-step form and hotel workflow
  1. Ask the sending hotel to confirm the receiving hotel accepts prepaid luggage, can hold four pieces, and recognizes the exact reservation name.
  2. Prepare the recipient name, Japanese hotel address, phone number, check-in date, requested delivery date and piece count: 4.
  3. Complete and attach the required waybill/label for each piece as the hotel or Yamato counter instructs; keep every receipt together.
  4. Photograph each slip and all four luggage pieces before handoff. Check that every destination and delivery date matches.
  5. Keep passports, medication, cash, electronics, batteries, power banks, fragile valuables and overnight necessities with you.
  6. Track all four pieces. If a receiving hotel cannot accept them, use an official Yamato counter and confirm delivery timing before surrendering a bag.
  7. Expect a delivery window, not a delivery time. A date-designated piece can arrive in the afternoon or evening, so never pack something you need before that evening.
Japanese phraseこの荷物4個を次のホテルへ送りたいです。10月10日着でお願いします。I’d like to send these four pieces to our next hotel. Please request delivery for October 3.
Yamato official guide See both sends on the map

Strategy verified Aug 3, 2026 against Yamato’s Hands-Free Travel service. Rates, piece eligibility, size limits, prohibited contents and delivery timing require a current desk quote.