It is often said that “people who are accustomed to traveling have small luggage. It is true that such a tendency exists, but it is also wildly exaggerated to simply apply such a statement. However, when the purpose of an excursion is to take the train, it is important to keep luggage compact. Why?
Mobility is important.
If the train is only a means of getting from point A to point B, then the number of trains taken per day will not be very large.
However, it is a different story when “riding the train” itself becomes the objective. Depending on the itinerary, there may be a dozen or more trains to take in a day. This means that mobility becomes important. Carrying large luggage reduces mobility and increases the time required to change trains or move in and out of stations, and also increases fatigue.
This is especially the case in situations where one takes advantage of the 18-kippu ticket to transfer from one regular train to another. Even on long trunk lines, it is common to connect several trains on short sections because of the well-established system fragmentation. Each time this happens, the trains have to be moved within the station.
Observing the people around me when I go out myself, it seems that the majority of people carry trunks with wheels. This is a type of bag known as a carry-on bag or a bag with wheels. Since they can be moved by rolling them around, the burden on the body may be small. However, from the viewpoint of mobility, what do you think?
Barrier-free measures have advanced, and many stations are now equipped with escalators and elevators. However, there are still situations where one must go up and down stairs. Even when escalators and elevators are available, they are sometimes located far away. Then, luggage that would be inconvenient to move without an escalator or elevator would reduce mobility.
Also, if you are carrying large luggage, you may have problems after getting on the train. For example, if the size of the luggage is too large to fit on the luggage rack, it will be difficult to handle. This is because there is a limit to the depth and height of the luggage racks. Sometimes, you may see a large piece of luggage that almost overhangs the rack, and if your hand slips while lifting it up or down, or if it falls off due to train jolts, it could be the cause of an accident.
An increasing number of limited express trains and Shinkansen trains have luggage storage areas at the end of the car. However, passengers may have to go back and forth between the luggage storage area and their own seats every time they get on and off the train, which is time-consuming, and they may also be concerned about theft. In addition, there are cases such as on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines, where passengers are asked to use the oversized luggage space if their luggage exceeds a certain size. In this case, you will have to reserve a seat with an “oversized luggage space,” which will even affect the situation of securing a reserved seat.
On the other hand, sometimes there is not even a luggage rack, let alone a luggage storage area. For example, in the double-decker green cars operated by JR East on lines in the Tokyo metropolitan area, the only seats with luggage racks are the flat-roofed seats at the end of the car (so-called “flat seats”). The Sapporo subway is also famous for its lack of luggage racks. Sapporo subway is also famous (?) for not having a luggage rack.
© Source travel watch