Should be no problem with your luggage on the Shinkansen......there are luggage storage racks near the doors to put larger bags.

Just be prepared to get on & off quickly, as the trains are extremely prompt and the doors only open for about half a minute!

also see thread- suitcases on shinkansen...

We were a bit leery about the luggage after reading all the threads. I wouldn't bring more than each person can carry alone. The trains have a small storage area over the seats that we were able to get our suitcases on to, but if they're taken, you're out of luck. We saw that the rear of the cars had a bit of space between the last seat and stored them there on one trip. And the trains move in and out of the stations quickly. If you're not near your reserved car, just hop into A car, and walk to yours. If not, the train will leave EXACTLY on schedule whether you're there or not.

The JR trains wern't bad, but getting through some of the metro stations with the suitcases was horrible. Lots and lots of stairs to climb. I'm sure there was an elevator somewhere, but we never found them. Definitely pack light and small and your travels will be much, much easier.

This is the best advice anyone can give. I take it one step further and tell people to travel ultra light like a backpacker except you don't need to pack food, water, fuel and stove so you should be able to eliminate half of what a backpacker would take. I travel with a laptop and extra clothes that I wouldn't take backpacking so that compensates for not having the stove, food, water, etc.

I just bought some high-tech backpacker's underwear and under-shirt that is comfortable but wicks perspiration and dries in minutes and can be washed with Woolite in a basin quickly and without much trouble to dry so that further reduces weight in my bag.

<<<Definitely pack light and small and your travels will be much, much easier.>>>

We used the takuhaibin baggage service between Kyoto and Iwakuni this past summer. Two medium bags cost us about $USD 22 to ship from our hotel to our destination, leaving us with just a carry-on for the train. If you use this service you'll need to send your bags the day before, so just keep a change of clothes and toiletries for the train bag. Every hotel can assist you with this baggage service. See http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2278.html

for details. As said above, trains stop for only a couple of minutes, space for bags is very limited in each car, and many stations do not have elevators.

Being essentially a self-reliant (read: "cheap") traveler, I've done much of my travel via mass transit and I will echo what others have written so far.

If you're someone who insists upon traveling with more bags than you yourself can carry, then this kind of transport is not for you. It's more hassle than it's worth, and it's a huge inconvenience not only to you but also to your fellow passengers.

That said, if you're willing to schlep your own stuff, the trains in Japan are about as tourist-friendly as you're going to get, with extra baggage storage on the long-haul trains, like the Shinkansen, and most railway stations well-designed and well-maintained.

Moreover, as Japan is a country wedded to travel everywhere by train, you're not going to be alone in your travels, and you'll see lots of other tourists on the trains you're going to be riding. It's a sight that most Japanese train passengers are used to, so you won't be stared at for lugging your stuff onto a train.