So far, itineraries of hikers visiting Kumano Kodo are like this.
Coming from somewhere in Japan,,,,
→ Stay overnight in Kyoto or Osaka Area
→ Take train to Kii-Tanabe Station
→ Take local bus to Takijiri (the starting point of Kumano Kodo)
→ Walk from Takijiri to Hongu Area taking a few days
（→ Walk or take bus to Kii-Katsuura Area）
→ Take train or bus to go back to Kii-Tanabe Station
→ Take train to go back to Osaka or Kyoto
And, half of them carries huge and heavy suitcase with them.
In Japan, not many local buses have luggage space for suitcase under the seats. Some old train stations don’t have elevators (and which is a nightmare for real 💀).
Instead, Japan has a lot of paid storage lockers (called “coin locker”) and paid luggage deposit service🧳.
I have never heard of or experienced my luggage got missing using these kinds of service. So, if you don’t want to carry heavy luggage with you (at least, while you enjoy Kumano Kodo hiking), think about using the services as below.
◆Ecbo Cloak
https://cloak.ecbo.io/en
This storage service is available in some big city areas like Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo for now. If I were a hiker coming down all the way to Kumano Area via Osaka, and coming back to Osaka after all, I definitely would use this service in Osaka.
There are a lot of places you can deposit your luggage, and the cost is very reasonable. It is Japan here. You can trust the shop or any space offering this service ☻ I am sure they will treat your luggage appropriately till you come back.
◆Luggage Storage at TANABE Tourist Information Center
Middle of this page (https://www.tb-kumano.jp/en/resources/luggage-shuttle-storage/)
Luggage storage is available next to the JR Kii-Tanabe train station at the TANABE Tourist Information Center. The cost is 500 yen per bag, per day, including the day the bags are dropped off. Advance reservation is NOT required.（yay!)
Just one thing. Luggage storage is available every day between 9:00 and 18:00. Please make sure you will not be late when picking up.
◆”Coin Loker” inside of the Kii-Tanabe Station
Middle of this page (https://www.tb-kumano.jp/en/resources/luggage-shuttle-storage/)
“Coin locker” is a storage system for small bags. For Japanese, this is the most familiar system to storage our bags for a few hours. At Kii-Tanabe Station, this system is available. (open 5：00～24：00)
Downside is, bags are only kept in the locker for 3 days, including the day they were dropped off. And there is a limit on size too.
I know of daily luggage shuttle services in Kumano Area. However, all of them need RESERVATION… And cannot arrange directly by yourselves.
If I were a hiker (again☺), I wouldn’t know how many bags I would be carrying with me in advance. I might buy a lot of Kawaii things before coming down to Kumano Area. Especially, how can I know when I book the accommodation for the hiking, like, 6 months in advance ?
So, if you are my kind, you can utilize the services that don’t need much earlier booking as above☻
Miko
