- 14 Mar 2002
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Byōdōin Temple (平等院), a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture, has ended its long-running free luggage storage service as of May. The temple had offered this service for approximately 15 years, primarily to assist worshippers and foreign tourists. It had become particularly popular among inbound visitors thanks to positive online reviews; however, with storage space reaching its limit and some tourists misusing the service—such as leaving luggage and heading off to other destinations as if it were a coin locker—the temple was forced to make the difficult decision to stop the service. Byōdōin now requests that visitors leave large bags at train stations or hotels instead.
By late May, many foreign tourists were still arriving at the temple with suitcases in hand. According to senior monk Yokoi Seiki, the original intention was to allow visitors to explore the temple unburdened, but only about six suitcases could be stored at a time. With the rise in foreign visitors and broader online recognition of the service, demand outpaced capacity. The temple ultimately abolished the free service on 10 May due to space limitations and inappropriate use.
Despite ending the free service, Byōdōin has installed large paid lockers with a 16-suitcase capacity. The availability of lockers, however, cannot be guaranteed, and ideally, visitors should store their luggage at train stations or hotels before visiting.
Kyōto is promoting "hands-free tourism" as part of its efforts to counter overtourism, encouraging tourists to explore the city without luggage. The city provides information about temporary storage and delivery services via a dedicated website, produces multilingual pamphlets explaining the benefits of luggage-free sightseeing, and plans to develop a digital map to help tourists find locker and storage locations around Kyoto Station. The city also aims to reassure foreign tourists—some of whom are concerned about luggage theft—by highlighting the safety and reliability of these services.
www.sankei.com
By late May, many foreign tourists were still arriving at the temple with suitcases in hand. According to senior monk Yokoi Seiki, the original intention was to allow visitors to explore the temple unburdened, but only about six suitcases could be stored at a time. With the rise in foreign visitors and broader online recognition of the service, demand outpaced capacity. The temple ultimately abolished the free service on 10 May due to space limitations and inappropriate use.
Despite ending the free service, Byōdōin has installed large paid lockers with a 16-suitcase capacity. The availability of lockers, however, cannot be guaranteed, and ideally, visitors should store their luggage at train stations or hotels before visiting.
Kyōto is promoting "hands-free tourism" as part of its efforts to counter overtourism, encouraging tourists to explore the city without luggage. The city provides information about temporary storage and delivery services via a dedicated website, produces multilingual pamphlets explaining the benefits of luggage-free sightseeing, and plans to develop a digital map to help tourists find locker and storage locations around Kyoto Station. The city also aims to reassure foreign tourists—some of whom are concerned about luggage theft—by highlighting the safety and reliability of these services.
世界遺産・平等院を無料ロッカーに手ぶら観光するインバウンドも 迷惑行為で苦渋の決断
世界遺産の平等院（京都府宇治市）は5月、15年ほど前から続けてきたスーツケースなど大型荷物の無償預かりを廃止した。外国人観光客（インバウンド）を中心に、インタ…
