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Essentials for a Trip to Japan
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items Planning a trip to Japan can be overwhelming--where should I stay? Do I need to know Japanese? What region should I visit? What do I need to pack? I can answer the last one for you based on my trip to Japan.
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Clothing (Women's)-Spring
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General Travel Items
Clothing (Women's)-Spring
This is a list of clothing that I took to Japan when I traveled in the Spring. Depending on your length of stay and access to a laundry facility (cannot recommend staying somewhere with one enough) the amount and types you bring will vary a little. M...
Bomba socks are amazing--they hold up great and, keep your feet from getting too sweaty and keep them warm when its cold. I recommend bringing 5-7 pairs with you (depending on length of stay and access to a laundry facility--which I cannot recommend ...
Bombas
You will put in a lot of walking in Japan and if you're going in the spring or summer, cooling shirts will be a lifesaver. I recommend packing 2-3 short-sleeve shirts (depending on your length of stay and other attire)
Patagonia Women's Capilene® Cool Merino Blend Graphic Shirt
When you're in Japan expect to walk…a lot. These shoes are comfortable and easy to slip-out of AND you'll get a LOT of mileage on them. I walked at least 10 miles everyday in Japan for a month and they showed no sign of wear (and I STILL use them). A...
Skechers Slip-ins: Summits - Dazzling Haze
These pants are excellent because they were cool even if the hot weather (and you can roll them up easily) and are easy to match with other clothes. They come in short, regular and tall. I recommend having 2-3 light-weight pants you can rotate throug...
As a side note, you will rarely see anyone wearing shorts in Japan so its best to have some pants in rotation.
As a side note, you will rarely see anyone wearing shorts in Japan so its best to have some pants in rotation.
KUHL Freeflex Roll-Up Pants - Women's | REI Co-op
A good pair of sandals are important to have for walking around inside your hotel or if you need something cooler while out traveling (though I still recommend wearing travel shoes at all times). I took this exact pair with me and they were inexpensi...
Barbados EVA
Spring in Japan tends to be rainy and a rain jacket (with a hood) is an essential. You may want to pair this with an umbrella which I recommend purchasing while in Japan.
Free Country X20 Waterproof Rain Jacket - Women's | REI Co-op
It's a good idea to bring along at least one long sleeve shirt because the spring can range from cold and rainy to hot, though this will also depend heavily on when and where you travel. I brought along a single long-sleeve shirt which got me through...
REI Co-op Lightweight Long-Sleeve Crew Base Layer Top - Women's | REI Co-op
Many women in Japan wear dresses and if you like wearing dresses (or skirts) bringing along one is a great option. One important thing to keep in mind is that Japan is more conservative and that extends to attire. Don't wear skirts that are too short...
Summer Dress
Navigation
How do I get around Japan? The answer is apps (its seriously easy to get around Japan)
Before heading to Japan it's helpful to learn a couple phrases and words (with google translate there to fill in the rest). Duolingo is a valuable tool to help you build your reading, comprehension, and speaking. I used Duolingo to help brush-up on m...
Duolingo
Google translate is a lifesaver if you're not fluent in Japanese and we used it on a regular basis to translate signs (a lot of signs in Tokyo will be translated into English but you shouldn't rely on that) and situations that we didn't know how to c...
Google Translate
General Travel Items
Items you should pack on a trip to Japan outside of the expected hairbrush, toothbrush, medicine etc.
Reusable shoping bags that fold up into tiny bags are essential in Japan for two reasons:
1) Trash cans are not readily available and these bags are needed to store any trash until you find one
2) If you make a purchase (e.g. a trip to Akihabara) these are fantastic for carrying things around with ease.
1) Trash cans are not readily available and these bags are needed to store any trash until you find one
2) If you make a purchase (e.g. a trip to Akihabara) these are fantastic for carrying things around with ease.
Reusable and foldable bags
You'll likely be traveling a lot while in Japan and a sling bag makes it easier to trek long distances without the hassle. A good one (like this) will be able to hold all the essentials such as your passport, wallet, phone charger, phone, hotel key, ...
Sling Backpack
Packing cubes are great not only to consolidate stuff but also to organize it. After using them for a while, I now swear by them and that they keep things organized and save space. On a trip to Japan, you want more space for souvenirs right?
Amazon Basics Medium Packing Cubes, 4-Piece
When buying a suitcase, make sure you check the rules for the flight you're taking that the sizing is correct. Also, you will likely want to buy a second suitcase in Japan to take back all your wares.
Samsonite Freeform 21" Hardside Carry-On
Japan is a heavily cash based society and as a result you will end up with a lot of coins (which is also great for small purchases and gashapon). I highly recommend getting a nice handmade one on etsy (where I got mine).
Coin Purse
While Toothpaste may seem like a strange inclusion, its actually important to bring your preferred toothpaste because its quite different (and not as good) in Japan. A few travel sized toothpastes should do.
Shop All Toothpaste
A foldable laundry bag is a great thing to bring on a trip to Japan and keep your dirty clothes in. We stayed in one place for at least a week a few times and it was super easy to put our clothes in them, wash them then pack up the bag for our next d...
Laundry Bag
These are required to hold any liquids on a plane (be sure to also check the current maximum for liquids). These were also helpful for keeping things together and working out of in our long-term stays.
Clear plastic toiletry bag
These are essential to have with you because you will end up using your phone a lot for directions and the worst thing that can happen is your phone dies with no power source. We used one between the two of us (and recharged it every night or two) to...
Anker 313 Power Bank (PowerCore 10K)
Japanese bathrooms do not have paper towels so if you need to dry your hands, a small hand towel is great to carry around. If you don't buy one ahead of time, you can purchase a hand towel while in Japan (I got one similar to this link at the Studio ...
Small Hand Towel
Culturally, you should try not to fold Japanese paper money so a long wallet is best to use to hold any cash. Be sure it fits in your day travel bag!
Long Wallet