A vacation rental is a good way to see Japan — a whole apartment, a kitchen, a neighborhood that feels real. What they rarely have is a front desk. Order something online and the courier rings a door no one answers, leaves a slip in Japanese, and takes your parcel back to the depot.
01Why parcels to rentals go wrong
- No one to receive it. Japanese couriers usually hand parcels to a person. With self check-in and no staff, the parcel goes back to the depot.
- Missed-delivery slip in Japanese. The slip, the redelivery phone menu and the website are all in Japanese, and redelivery needs someone home at a set time.
- The host may say no. Many hosts live elsewhere, and some house rules do not allow guest parcels. Ask before you order.
- Addresses that do not match. Rentals often have a building name and a room number that must be exact, and the name on the box has to be one the courier can match.
- Hostels and capsule hotels. Many do not accept guest parcels at all. Check the house rules, or use a locker.
02How coin-locker pickup works
In your request, pick coin-locker pickup and type a station or area — for example, the one nearest your rental. We choose the exact pickup point.
Availability depends on the pickup point and the item. Locker pickup works for items shipped by Amazon, under 4.5 kg and smaller than 42 × 32 × 25 cm. Your quote shows whether it is available before you pay anything.
We send you the pickup code and the deadline as soon as the parcel reaches the locker. You have 3 days from arrival to collect it.
At the locker, enter the code or scan the barcode we send you, and the door opens. The steps come with the code.
Want it? Send it.
Free quote, usually within 24 hours. Nothing is bought until you say go.
03Your options, side by side
| Option | When it works | Cost with soracross |
|---|---|---|
| Coin locker near a station | Items shipped by Amazon within the size limits, and you can collect within 3 days | Delivery ¥1,000 per parcel + locker pickup ¥1,000 |
| Your hotel, if part of your trip is in one | Whether it holds the parcel depends on your hotel — we can ask before we buy | Hotel delivery ¥1,000 per parcel (+¥1,000 for front-desk pre-notice) |
| The rental itself | Only if your host confirms someone can receive parcels — tell us in your request and we tell you in the quote whether we can deliver there | Shown in your quote |
On top of delivery, the quote shows the item price and our service fee (10% of the item price + ¥1,000 per order, and +5% on the part over ¥10,000). Every line is itemized before you pay.
04The easy way: send the link, collect at a locker
soracross is a personal-shopping service for travelers in Japan. We buy on your behalf — the purchase contract is between you and the retailer — and items are bought new and delivered unopened in their original box. Send a link or a description, choose locker pickup and an area, get one all-in quote, and pay only after you approve it.
05See a rough estimate first
Estimate your total
Enter the item's retail price to get a rough total. This is only a guide — we confirm the exact amount in your quote before you pay.
| Item price | — |
| Service fee (10% + ¥1,000) | — |
| Delivery | — |
| Estimated total | — |
Estimate only. Your actual quote depends on the items and is confirmed by us before payment.
Items from different shops arrive as separate parcels, and the hotel delivery fee (¥1,000, our charge for arranging and tracking each delivery) applies per parcel. Any shipping fee a shop charges is included in the item price. No need to work it out here — we confirm the full total in your quote before you pay.
If you don't enter a product URL yourself, a +¥1,000 item sourcing fee applies per item.
Want it? Send it.
Free quote, usually within 24 hours. Nothing is bought until you say go.
06FAQ
Can you deliver to my Airbnb?
What fits in a locker?
What if locker pickup is not available?
What if I miss the pickup deadline?
I am not in Japan yet. Can I order before my trip?
07Related guides
soracross is an independent purchasing agent and is not affiliated with Amazon, Rakuten or Yodobashi. Your purchase contract for the goods is with the retailer. Details are correct as of each guide's update date.