Luggage Bus · Nagiso — Kiso-Fukushima
Yes Road, No load.
The Luggage Bus carries your bags along the Nakasendo on a fixed daily timetable, stopping at Nagiso, Nojiri, Suhara, Agematsu and Kiso-Fukushima. In the morning, leave your bags at one of our stations — a luggage drop point or a partner inn — and walk on — they'll be waiting at the other end.
Nagiso to Kiso-Fukushima, the same day: bags arrive around 11:30, before check-in. Booking required — request on WhatsApp and we confirm.
It's called a bus because it keeps a timetable — but only your bags ride it. Please plan to walk, ride, or take the train or a local bus yourself.
One round trip a day, Nagiso to Kiso-Fukushima and back.
Out to Kiso-Fukushima in the morning, back to Nagiso after lunch — see when your bags arrive below.
When your bags arrive
| From → to | Arrives |
|---|---|
| Nagiso → Nojiri / Suhara / Agematsu / Kiso-Fukushima | Same day, 10:30–11:30 |
| Kiso-Fukushima / Agematsu / Suhara / Nojiri → Nagiso | Same day, by 13:30 |
Ask on WhatsApp, we confirm, you pay.
Every bag needs a confirmed booking — we can't take bags without one. Send your request on WhatsApp; we check there's space on the run and reply with a payment link.
Request
Message us on WhatsApp: date, from and to (a station, or your inn), and number of bags.
Confirm & pay
We confirm and send a Square payment link. Paid = booked.
Hand over
Leave your bags at your starting station (a drop point or partner inn), then walk on.
Pick up
Collect them at your destination station after the run arrives.
Hikers usually set out around 8–9 in the morning, before the bus passes. That's fine — the station holds your bags until it arrives. Hand your bags in at least 10 minutes before the run passes (or the evening before).
Delivery fee + ¥1,500 per bag.
South zone
Nagiso — Nojiri — Suhara
Central zone
Suhara — Agematsu — Kiso-Fukushima
Per bag
The same wherever it goes.
The delivery fee is charged once per booking, ¥1,500 for each zone your bags pass through. Suhara is where the two zones meet. Going on to Nakatsugawa (south) or Narai (north) is by arrangement and adds ¥1,500 each. The booking form works out an estimate for you.
Examples
| Trip | Bags | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Nagiso → NojiriDelivery ¥1,500 + ¥1,500 × 1 | 1 | ¥3,000 |
| Nagiso → Kiso-FukushimaDelivery ¥3,000 + ¥1,500 × 1 | 1 | ¥4,500 |
| Nagiso → Kiso-FukushimaDelivery ¥3,000 + ¥1,500 × 2 | 2 | ¥6,000 |
| Nakatsugawa (extension) → Kiso-FukushimaDelivery ¥4,500 + ¥1,500 × 1 | 1 | ¥6,000 |
The total is in our confirmation on WhatsApp, with the payment link.
Before you book.
- Request by 21:00 the day beforeWe approve requests together every evening after 21:00. We reply on WhatsApp in the morning (until 8:45), 13:30–16:00 and after 21:00 — the rest of the day we're driving.
- Pay by 8:00 on the dayYour booking is confirmed once you've paid through the link we send. Bags without a paid booking are not carried.
- Send a photo of each bagSend us one photo per bag on WhatsApp. We attach a tag to each bag when we collect it.
- Bags not at the stopIf your bags aren't at the stop when the run passes, we wait up to 5 minutes. After that we leave without them, and there is no refund.
- CancellationsFull refund if you cancel by 21:00 the day before; no refund after that. If we cancel (bad weather, a breakdown or illness), you get a full refund.
- Bad weatherIf a snow or heavy-rain warning is in force at 21:00 the day before, we cancel that day's runs and tell you on WhatsApp.
- What we don't carryCash, passports, valuables, fragile items, medicines and perishable food.
- CompensationUp to ¥30,000 per bag, covered by cargo insurance.
- Space on each runUp to 20 bags and 8 stops per run. Trips beyond the route are limited to one a day.
- SeasonClosed every Monday, and from December to March. We restart around 20 March 2027. The Agematsu stop can't be used from late November to mid-March (approx. 25 Nov–15 Mar), while its tourist office is closed.
Where your bags change hands.
Each “station” is a place that holds luggage — a tourist information office, a cafe or a partner inn (inns are for their own guests only). Hand your bags over at one in the morning, pick them up at another. Underlined names open the map or website.
Nakatsugawa stop (by arrangement)
Nagiso stop
Nojiri stop
Suhara stop
Agematsu stop
Kiso-Fukushima stop
Narai stop (by arrangement)
Holding fees and closing days
| Station | Holding fee (paid on the spot) | Closed | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nakatsugawa stop (by arrangement)Nigiwai Tokusankan (Nakatsugawa tourist information office) | ¥700 / bag | New Year holidays (approx. Dec 29–Jan 3) | 8:30–18:00 |
| Nagiso stopCafe Izumiya, in front of Nagiso Station | ¥500 / bag | Closed December–February; open daily in season | 8:30–17:00 |
| Nagiso stopGuesthouse Kashiwaya Inn · guests only | Free | Closed December–February | — |
| Nagiso stopGuesthouse Waku Nagiso · guests only | Free | — | — |
| Nagiso stopGuesthouse Yuian · guests only | Free | — | — |
| Nojiri stopCafe Katana, in front of Nojiri Station | Free | Closed December–February | 9:00–17:00 |
| Suhara stopGuesthouse Kinoma · guests only | Free | — | — |
| Agematsu stopAgematsu tourist information office | Free (same day only, no overnight holding) | Closed from late November to mid-March (approx. Nov 25–Mar 15); open daily in season | 9:00–17:00 |
| Kiso-Fukushima stopKiso-Fukushima tourist information office | ¥300 / bag (paid in advance; ¥600 if held overnight) | Open daily (to be confirmed) | 8:30–17:30 |
| Narai stop (by arrangement)Narai Station luggage storage | ¥700 / bag | Being checked | — |
Some stations charge a small holding fee, paid to them directly. Closing days for the tourist offices come from tourism websites and may be out of date — we confirm everything when we approve your booking.
Somewhere not listed?
Staying at an inn in Magome or Tsumago, or starting somewhere else? Ask us on WhatsApp case by case.
On to Nakatsugawa or Narai
Past Nagiso to Nakatsugawa, or past Kiso-Fukushima to Narai, can be arranged on WhatsApp: +¥1,500 each.
Questions
Can I ride the Luggage Bus?
No. It carries luggage only — no passengers, not even for a short hop. Between the stops, JR Chuo Line trains and local buses run along the same valley.
Can I just turn up with my bags?
No — please book first. We confirm each request on WhatsApp so we know there's room on the run, and the booking is set once you've paid through the link we send.
What if I arrive before my bags?
Check the arrival times above. If you get there first, have a coffee or look around while you wait — your bags will be there once the run is through.
Need bear spray too?
Bear spray and other gear are on the bear spray rental page.
Bags packed? Tell us where they're going.
Just a question? Message us on WhatsApp. The Square payment page we send is in Japanese (「金額」 is the amount); your browser's translate function handles it fine.