Question
I’m landing at a small station in Kanazawa with a huge suitcase and I want to wander the old town before my hotel check-in. I’d love to ask a station attendant where I can stash my bag for a few hours. How do I say “Is there a coin locker here?” in Japanese?
Answer by Professional Japanese Teacher
ここにコインロッカーはありますか。
Koko ni koin rokkaa wa arimasu ka?
Is there a coin locker here?
Great plan — Kanazawa is much more fun without a suitcase rolling behind you. You can use this phrase at any train station, department store, or tourist information desk. Koko means “here,” and koin rokkaa is the katakana loanword for coin locker — say it slightly stretched, “koin rok-kaa.”
If you want to sound a touch softer, you can start with sumimasen (excuse me): sumimasen, koko ni koin rokkaa wa arimasu ka? It works wonders at a busy counter.
One small tip from my travel students — most newer lockers in big stations now take IC cards like Suica or ICOCA, so you can tap instead of feeding coins. If the staff answers manpai desu (they’re all full), try asking chikaku ni arimasu ka? (Is there one nearby?) and they will usually point you to the next bank of lockers.
