Goodbye Coin Lockers! Luggage Storage Service, ecbo cloak, Expands Again! *Readers’ Discount

What's ecbo cloak?

Having started in January 2017, ecbo cloak is a revolutionary service that brings together people looking for places to store luggage and shops that have the space to keep luggage. Through ecbo cloak, you can store your luggage at cafes or shops.

The last time that we introduced ecbo cloak (July 2017), it was available in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Fukuoka. However, it has now expanded to Okinawa, Hokkaido, Ehime, and Iwate! Using your smartphone, you can easily find cafes or shops that can hold your luggage, check if they currently have available space, and even easily reserve a space in advance!

Where to Store Luggage in Japan? Coin Lockers in Big Cities

Even now, it can be difficult to find coin lockers. The ones at main stations quickly get used up, and even if you did manage to find an empty one, you might not be able to put large luggage in it.

Here’s one example: Kyoto Station gets around 380,000 visitors in 1 day. There are only roughly 200 lockers in the vicinity’s coin locker area that can store large suitcases. Other large cities in Japan have around the same amount. Though these numbers are increasing, it is a fact that there are a limited number of coin lockers for large luggage like suitcases.

Other options include temporary luggage storages and baggage delivery services, but they only provide service to certain areas.

If you’re looking for a service that’ll fit your travel itinerary by letting you pick where you want your luggage to be stored, ecbo cloak is for you. Not only can you store large suitcases, but you can also store things that definitely won’t fit in a coin locker, such as baby prams.

Begone, Coin Locker Competition! Where Will My Luggage be Stored Using ecbo cloak?

Though ecbo cloak started out providing its services to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Fukuoka, it is now expanding to Okinawa, Hokkaido, Ehime, and Iwate. Their service area is ever growing, and the number of participating stores is constantly increasing as well.

Stylish cafes, salons, rental bicycle stores, kimono rental stores, sightseeing counters, shrines, the Sofmap that’s a minute’s walk from Akihabara Station – there are a wide variety of places where you can store your luggage, so you can easily have it fit your sightseeing and travel plans.

Ultimately, ecbo cloak is not just a convenient luggage storage service, but also a service that’ll allow you to attain wonderous experiences in whatever place you visit.

 

Map of Participating Stores

To find out which stores are participating in major sightseeing destinations, click here.

New Service Areas

Okinawa

In Okinawa, ecbo cloak will focus on providing services to Kokusai Street (Kokusai-dori) at Naha. There are already several participating outlets, such as travel information counters like Kerama Island Travel Information in Naha’s Tomari Port (Tomari-ko), Cosmic – a T-shirt store on Kokusai Street, and the power stone specialty store, Tidanowa. They plan to expand their services to all of Okinawa in the future.

*Map of participating outlets can be found here.

Hokkaido

Most of the participating stores in Hokkaido are located in Sapporo. Even if you don’t have any luggage to store, these are stores you’d want to visit anyway, such as Ren – a place where you can try on a kimono and experience a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, and Jimmy Brown – a cafe with delicious pancakes.

*Map of participating outlets can be found here.

Ehime

ecbo cloak’s services are currently being provided to the central area of Matsuyama. Many participating stores are places that you’d drop by while sightseeing – stores near Dogo Onsen, dry-goods stores, sightseeing information counters, and souvenir shops – which makes it extremely convenient.

*Map of participating outlets can be found here.

Iwate

You can temporarily store your luggage at -BA’s Empty-handed Travel Counter. -BA (Ichiba) is an organization in front of Ichinoseki Station that plans and organizes sightseeing services – such as overnight tours where travelers can experience things like Japan’s agriculture, traditional crafts, and traditional performing arts.

*Map of participating outlets can be found here.

Here's Where You Can Store Your Luggage in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Fukuoka

Tokyo

Though most of the participating stores are located in Shibuya, you can find places to store your luggage in various popular sightseeing areas, such as Ueno, Asakusa, Akihabara, Harajuku, and Ginza. They’ve improved their service so that you can freely do things like take a break at the same cafe that’s keeping your luggage, or shop at the Sofmap in Akihabara while also holding your luggage there!

*Map of participating outlets can be found here.

Kyoto

In the historical town of Kyoto, there are many unique participating stores, such as Time Dou – a cafe inside a renovated Kyo-machiya (traditional Kyoto home), guesthouses, kimono rental shops, and even places where you can experience traditional Japanese tea ceremonies! Store your luggage, and then enjoy experiencing Kyoto to the fullest.

*Map of participating outlets can be found here.

Osaka

In Osaka, you can find participating stores in popular gourmet spots like Dotonbori or Shinsekai, as well as near Kuromon Market (Kuromon Ichiba). This service is perfect for those wishing to munch on something while freely exploring Osaka. For example, you can make takoyaki (octopus balls) at Eeyan Osaka Tourist Information Cafe, which is near Kuromon Market, or indulge in a ten-don lunch that’ll let you eat all the tempura you want at the famous Shunsai Sengyo Tetsutaro Umeda Nakazaki-cho Branch.

*Map of participating outlets can be found here.

Fukuoka

ecbo cloak has participating stores in popular sightseeing destinations for shopping and food, like the Tenjin and Hakata areas, making it extremely convenient for travelers. Some examples include Hakatamachiya Furusatokan that’ll let you understand the way of life and culture of Hakata, OPShair – a hair salon, Suito Fukuoka – a place that’ll let you experience Japanese culture through various activities, and Torikai Hachiman Shrine (Torikai Hachiman-gu), which is a famous shrine for marriage.

*Map of participating outlets can be found here.

What's the Price? Benefits? What are the Reviews Like?

With ecbo cloak, all you have to do is choose a store from the map. You can do this during your free time, such as before your trip or while on the move. There are many other merits to using this service.

Usage Fees

Hand Carry Luggage (e.g. bags): 300 yen/day

Suitcase Plan (e.g. suitcases): 600 yen/day

Merits

• Reasonably priced. It costs the same as a coin locker!
• You can reserve a place in advance, and the whole transaction process is simple and easy.
• You can obtain information on areas near the store. Gain experiences that you can only find at that store!
• This service is available in several languages.
• You meet face-to-face. There is a rating and review system in place, and the service comes with luggage insurance, so you can rest easy.

Reviews on this Service

From ecbo cloak users:

“I want to tell everyone about this service!”
“I used ecbo cloak for 2 days in a row. It was convenient, so I’d recommend it to others.”
“I could never find any free coin lockers when traveling to Tokyo, but ecbo cloak made this problem disappear!”
“Nobody could use the coin lockers because of the American president's special visit, so I decided to use ecbo cloak to store my hand luggage for the first time.”
“Not only was I able to store my luggage, but this service introduced me to stores that aren’t in a traveler’s guidebook! I really felt like I was able to explore a new side of Japan.”

These are only some out of many user reviews.

Use this service in various ways to meet your needs. For example, you can use it to store several belongings at once. You can also use it to store large luggage that won’t fit in coin lockers, like baby prams. You can even use it to store luggage for 2 days in a row!

For First-Timers: How to Use ecbo cloak

First, register as a user.
*There’s details on a special discount coupon for tsunagu Japan readers at the end of this article, so don’t forget to read until the end!

After you finish registering, all you have to do is choose stores you’d like to store your luggage at depending on how many days you plan to travel around Japan.

1. Search for space
You can use the search bar or find it on the map.

2. Reserve space online
You can make an online reservation in advance, so you don’t need to go through the trouble of searching for storage spaces like coin lockers.

3. Store your luggage
The staff at cafes or shops will look after your baggage and store them in a safe place.
*You will meet face-to-face when storing your luggage. When storing your luggage, the staff will take a picture and send it to you via email. When picking up your luggage, you will have to show that email to them. This ensures that there are no mix-ups!

4. Enjoy sightseeing with empty hands
When you're finished with sightseeing, return to the shop and check out your luggage. When you do so, the credit card information that you inputted upon registration will be used to finalize the payment!

>>Register here

Watch this Movie!

This video explains how to use ecbo cloak in an easy way, so please take a look at it!

 

1 Minute Guide to ecbo cloak (1 minute, 24 seconds)

 

↓ English Version

 

1 Minute Guide to ecbo cloak - Kyoto Edition (1 minute, 10 seconds)

 

1 Minute Guide to ecbo cloak - Osaka Edition (1 minute, 22 seconds)

Sign Up to ecbo cloak! Special Perk for Readers: 1st Time Free!

Finally, here’s a special discount for all tsunagu Japan readers!
If you use the promotion code - ecbo-okinawa - upon registering, you’ll get 300 yen off!

This means that storing your hand carry luggage (e.g. bags) will be free for the first time. It will also only cost 300 yen to store suitcases for 1 day!
Take the opportunity to register, and then set out to have a pleasant trip around Japan!

>>Register here

 

This service is a hot topic, having been used extensively during times like Halloween – a time when Shibuya gets really crowded, or when the American president visited Tokyo, which was when nobody was allowed to use coin lockers! Use it well and freely enjoy your trip to Japan!