Today’s question is: What is one item you always remember to pack for a trip to Japan?
Seasoned Japan travelers, tell us what you just can’t live without when visiting Japan! From spare power banks to your favorite raincoat to your most potent sunscreen and beyond, we want to know what always finds its way into your suitcase when packing for a Japan trip.
*(This post is part of a discussion series set up by the moderators of /r/JapanTravel. Please stay civil, abide by the rules, keep it PG-13 rated, and focus on the actual topic when responding to this thread. Please note that general discussions/vague questions are not usually allowed per /r/JapanTravel’s rules, and threads in the similar style will be removed.*
*Remember that /r/JapanTravel’s rules relating to linking content, soliciting or promoting services, and requests for DMs will be enforced by the moderator team.)*
29 comments
Something to carry around yen coins in.
My Suica 🐧
Underwear.
I always make sure to have a blank station stamp book (駅スタンプノート) with me at the ready before I arrive in Japan. I love that I can memorialize my trip by collecting stamps at every station, museum, park, and other point of interest I visit. Rather than spend my time hunting for a bookstore that sells these stamp books, I make sure to already have one in my possession when I arrive.
Comfortable walking shoes!
Deodorant! There wasn’t very much available when we went. More just perfume instead of the kind you find in the US
Nintendo Switch with Poekmon
I’ve been to Japan many, many times, and here are some of my common ones:
* A “flight bag” for my 13 hour flight. This is a little bag with earplugs, Dramamine, toothbrush, lip balm, melatonin, a pen, eye mask, ibuprofen, face wipes/hand wipes, and a spare hair elastic. Makes it easy to access any of that when I need it.
* Printed copies of my flight itinerary and hotel bookings in both English and Japanese. I’ve only had to bring these out of my bag once, but it’s handy to have in case you need to clear something up with immigration or your hotel.
* A coin purse, since I use a lot of change in Japan.
* Tampons. Their options sort of suck. Okay in a pinch, but not my preferred style or brand.
* Comfortable shoes! We do a ton of walking in Japan, probably more than any other country I’ve visited except France.
* A tiny portable phone battery to carry in my purse.
* A _goshuincho_, if I have one that I’m in the middle of filling up. Otherwise, I often pick up a new one inside Japan.
Bonus section! Things I don’t really worry about bringing with me:
* My suica, since it’s on my phone now.
* OTC painkillers or cold meds. Things like ibuprofen and acetaminophen are readily available in pharmacies if I need more than the few pills I bring with me.
* Hair care/skin care. I bring a toiletry bag, but I don’t really worry about running out of stuff, since cheap and good products are available in pharmacies.
* SIM card, since I use Ubigi to get a cheap e-sim for my phone.
* Umbrella, since you can buy one cheaply in Japan.
A small hand towel. Last time I was there, the public restrooms didn’t seem to have any way to dry your hands.
Meds. Medicine in Japanese drugstores are similar to Chinese ones hence quite different from the typical medicines we use from the West like the simple paracetamol, loperamide and ibuprofen. Quite hard to exactly find the brand you’re familiar with.
Powerbank, especially if you’re out of your hotel for the whole day until late at night. This is probably the most common dilemma for those who frequent phone use while on travel.
Your old IC card if you have one. Saves a lot of time and money than buying a new one.
As much as possible, cheap disposable shirts, undershirts and underwear. Washing your clothes in Japan can be a pain in the ass due to small sink size for most hotel rooms unless you have a good washing machine and dryer in your hotel. Besides, you will find yourself little time to wash owing to a jam-packed schedule. Doesn’t apply to winter wear though.
Get sim card all setup for your phone. This one is 500mb free https://www.wamazing.com/
Or if you need more this one is the cheapest for 30 days you get 500mb a day for only $24, i just pickup at the closest post office of my hotel/airbnb
https://www.japan-wireless.com/en. They have pocket wifi with unlimited for $72, but i found 500mb a day is more than i really need.
Brint toothpaste that you like, japan toothpaste all have this medicinal minty taste to them.
Morning after pill. Virtually impossible to find in Tokyo.
Small notebook like a Moleskin, so I can record every day.
That will be one item that I’ll always remember to pack for a trip to any foreign country.
>Seasoned Japan travelers, tell us what you just can’t live without when visiting Japan!
Compression shorts/underwear. On an average day in the USA, I walk about three miles. On an average day in Japan, I walk 10+. The friction on my legs is terrible, so I don’t ever go to Japan without packing 5+ pairs of compression shorts, especially since I tend to visit during September for Tokyo Game Show, and it’s very humid.
Large battery pack for my iPhone
IBUPROFEN. Yes, you can get it at any pharmacy but it costs something like 1.00 per pill. I was walking 7 – 10 miles a day while exploring with joint issues so this expense added up quickly.
Tissues! From my experience, Japanese people do not sell great tissues ( as thin as cigaret paper). Maybe due to the fact that they hate the idea of people blowing their nose so much that investing in a better production of tissues could be a shameful job. Anyway I would bring my own tissues to Japan
I’m not listing stuff like power bricks and OTC meds since I feel those are normal travel stuff (and easy to find in Japan). My Japan-specific items are:
Nice socks. When you inevitably have to take your shoes off somewhere you don’t want threadbare socks.
A wallet that has spaces for Japanese paper currency, coins, and my passport all together. I got a nice wallet in Japan a decade ago and it just became my regular wallet and it fits everything.
A small packable tote or furoshiki. I often find myself storing my bigger bag in a locker and then I just need a small tote for wallet, phone, etc.
If it’s summer, a hat. I never need a hat in my home country, but something about the sun here…
If it’s winter, a big wool shawl/scarf. Buildings are often drafty and cold.
A small hand towel, though honestly I love buying new ones all the time!
My… Erm… Underwears.
Yes to all the comments! First time we went to Japan our daughter was 5 years old. In case she was separated from us (thankfully never happened), we pinned a contact card in her jacket. Included her name, our names, cell phone number, address we were staying. Written in both English and Japanese. Still have the card and she carries it in her bag when we go back.
Deodorant, sine the only brand I found that actually stopped me smelling also stang like hell to put on.
Mosquito repellent, because I got eaten alive in my sleep last time. Try walking around with a bite on the sole of your foot, and you’ll never forget repellent again.
Luggage Scale
I have to make sure I’m not wasting a single pound in my bags when I return 🙂
Portable chargers, a pocket book that fits my passport/yen and a coin purse.
My tiny, foldable stool. It takes up no more space than a folded travel umbrella. Ain’t no public benches in Tokyo, so I have no issues with sitting on my stool halfway through a 30.000 step day.
Physical copy of the subway/transportation system and map. Can be found in airports and stations.
Advil
I was there only once, in October, but very soon I started only bringing a small black sack with me, with my wallet, a one liter water bottle, a power bank and an upper body baselayer, so if we got back late, or stayed out for the night, it would cover my bases. for that weather a tshirt + shorts was great for the day, and enough for the evening with the longsleeve.