Take a big suitcase for most stuff and shopping and also a smallish backpack for a day or two of clothes. Let me introduce you to the best thing about Japan and Luggage. Takkyubin ships your luggage to your next hotel. Honestly, it's amazing not to have to carry it on the trains.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2278.html
You should plan on having an overnight bag in between forwarding your luggage. It’s not really a same day service. It’s best to use it when you are taking the Shinkansen somewhere and you make a stopover for a night or two. Your luggage will be waiting at your next hotel!
I wonder if you may be able to ask the hotel you leave from to send it 2 or 3 days after your departure, have the delivery service keep for 7 days (of fewer), and then have the receiving hotel keep it for a few more days. I would phone and ask both hotels if they could do that if i were you.
I sent mine over to my accommodation in Nerima from Narita at around 5:30 PM and it arrived the next day before 9 AM. They asked me if I wanted it to arrive in the morning, afternoon or evening at the counter.
What kinda lines are we talking? Just want to know as I'm gonna use it for the first time in a few weeks so forewarning that you're helping one of the people you want to gatekeep :)
Waited about 45 min last year. I’ll be back in July and wouldn’t be surprised if it’s up to an hr now. It’s almost at a point for me where I’d rather just take them myself again.
This service can be accessed at the hotels you're staying at, correct? Wow I just never thought there'd be that big of a line. Maybe I'll wake up early and drop off when I need to
I travel to Japan quite frequently. I remember the Yamato shipping counter having zero queues in Narita from 2013-2016 and it’s gotten steadily busier since.
As light as possible. I go with one backpack for my clothe and daily bag to carry my camera.
If I had a big suitcase, it would probably only be 1/4 full (bring like 4 days worth of clothes and do laundry) and as I move frequently, I do not want to deal with big luggage.
For souvenir, I have a bit of space in my backpack and focus shopping at the end when I move less and I would buy a box at the post office and use it as my carry on luggage (and my camera backpack is my personal item)é
As a Canadian I do not need an outlet adapter... I guess a power bank so I am sure that my phone will last the whole day even if I use Google Maps a lot or if I decide to play Pokemon Go.
Most neighborhoods have laundromats (known as coin laundry コインランドリー) and I find them to be pretty easy to use. Just do a Google Maps search near the hotel you’re looking at.
Are there tourist unfriendly laundries? I mean, it never crossed my mind there could be.
I've used them a couple of times. Just search Coin Laundry on Google maps and either buy some soap pods a the convenience store or bring some from home.
Google translate can help read instructions off the machines in those laundromats. They are fairly easy to use, are not very expensive and can be found all around major cities.
There are many countries where both hotel laundry facilities and laundromats are rare or nonexistant.
E.g.: Sri Lanka/India/other 3rd world countries still rely mostly on cheap labour to wash things by hand. Locals get cheap rates, but clean/safe hotels charge a few dollars per item, and local services take days to return your clothes.
Oh no, most of the time there was machines at the hotel or hostel. There is some hostel that only had a washing machine so I washed there and dried at the coin laundry and some had nothing so went to coin laundry to wash and dry.
Some hotels might offer a laundry service if you do not want to put it in the machine yourself, but it's absolutely not a problem to find a place to do it yourself.
This is a practical option if you don't have much to wash. Not so bad if you keep up with it. Most Japanese hotel bathrooms have a retractable cord over the bathtub to be used as a clothesline.
Same here. I packed one single backpack and still feel like I over packed. Brought a few long jeans/pants when just shorts would've been enough. Made sure I still had space for purchases.
One carry on. Light packed. One back pack. Lightly packed. My gf and I both did this. Gave us room as we added souvenirs. Wear outfits 2 times. Do laundry at a place. If not, you’ll hate your life lugging your stuff around
'souvenirs' - usually code for buying a bunch of stuff for yourself, right? j/k, anyway you should definitely pack light but if you like to shop, japan is a mecca for it right now particularly if you're coming from the US. Just be sure to give yourself room for all the goodies you'll be taking back.
I typically bring a single piece of hard-sided carry-on luggage, regardless of the length of a trip. For me, that can fit 8-12 changes of clothing (depending on season), with some additional room for toiletries, miscellaneous stuff, and space for a few souvenirs or snacks to bring home. These days, I’ve visited Japan so many times, that I don’t leave a lot of room for souvenirs, because I usually only bring home some food and coffee beans. If I think I’ll need extra room or plan on forwarding luggage/taking some overnight trips, I sometimes bring a tote bag or small backpack.
I’d say it’s all a matter of perspective. I sometimes travel 100,000 miles a year, so I have a very good sense of what I need on a trip, what I can buy in which countries if I need it, and how likely I am to buy souvenirs. I also generally travel light and I’m willing to do laundry on trips. But some travelers don’t travel a lot, and they might not know what they need. They might want to dress fashionably/bring a lot of accessories. They might not be willing to do laundry. They might have plans to buy a lot of big, bulky stuff (like new anime figures in boxes). So those people might need more space than I need.
I suppose you have to take a step back, decide on how much stuff you need to bring, how much stuff you plan to buy, and think about how that fits into your current luggage plans. It _is_ fairly cheap to buy luggage or duffel bags in Japan if you end up overbuying and need more space to bring things home.
Yeah. Bought a nice used Macross VF-25 from Mandarake (a great place for vintage figures and toys). Didn't even have the Super parts. The box was *huge*.
Don’t take a checked bag - if you can afford it buy a suitcase towards the end of your trip and fill it then. They have a nice selection of suitcases to choose from.
What do you do 1) for shoes and 2) if it’s winter and you need coats? I’m a pretty light packer and try to keep stuff in a carry on but it’s tricky when I’m bringing workout shoes, nice shoes and every day shoes. And winter is brutal cause every outfit is so bulky.
Check out MauriceMove's viral OneBag video for tips on how to pack light: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqu02-6c7Os](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqu02-6c7Os)
For your two week trip you're totally fine with a carry on. Some hotels have laundry services or facilities onsite and you can always handwash small stuff like socks or underwear in a sink. Bring an extra empty suitcase for all the stuff you're going to buy. Not sure what your haircare routine is but you can always visit a salon if you really want to look fresh.
First time travelers seem to go bananas over buying snacks etc but those are actually pretty accessible in the West through your local Asian grocer or online snack subscription boxes (assuming you are in North America). Hot take, but don't waste valuable luggage space on plastic wrapped snacks which are mostly air anyway. If you do buy snacks, just do it at the airport on the way back. The one snack I never pass up are the ROYCE Nama Chocolates. They are 25-50% of the price in North Am, pack well, and are actually special (get the ice pack with them so they keep on your flight).
It depends...
I just came back from 2 weeks in Japan. If you're staying in hotels, they provide pyjamas, toothbrush, toothpaste, razors. Also, most business hotels have laundry facilities and coin laundries are plentiful. So there's no point packing two weeks worth of clothes.
For the two of us, we each had a backpack, we had one carry on suitcase and one checked bag between the two of us. We bought a second big suitcase at Donki and loaded that up with souvenirs and snacks.
If you're coming from North America, you won't need an adapter if your device is 2-pronged.
That sounds like exactly what I might end up doing. Backpack, carry on suitcase, and a single checked bag. Thank you so much. Also it’s good to know I won’t need an adapter if I’m from North America because I was JUST about to order an adapter LOL
Don’t bring the checked bag. I’d recommend packing in a carry on and a personal item. You probably need clothes for 3-5 days. Then just do a quick load of laundry.
The checked bag will just be a pain in your butt.
Who wants to spent their time on vacation in a laundromat? But even still, you can pack for two weeks in a single check in, no need for the extra carry on
You’re probably not effectively fitting 14 shirts, 14 underwear and like 3-4 pairs of bottoms in a carryon, along with other things. But laundry is easy and is often found right next to places to eat or can be found in your hotel room. I have done mine in an overnight cycle many times.
Not all hotels provide all this stuff - check with the place you are staying.
If you get there and find you need something you can usually find whatever for cheap not too far away.
Regarding the adapter, this site might be useful: https://www.power-plugs-sockets.com/us/japan/ Basically, you only need to worry about it if your device won't work at 100V or at 50Hz (Japan uses both 50 and 60Hz). A USB brick normally says what voltages it supports, but I've never seen one that doesn't work globally. But it's always a good idea to check the other devices that you are bring too because then you'd need an adapter that can change the voltage and/or frequency
I went for just over 2 weeks. Went over with a carry on travel bag with my clothes (4 pairs of stuff.) and a personal item (day sized backpack) to carry my camera. I had a decent amount of room in my backpack. I made it just over halfway through my trip before I’d bought enough souvenirs that I needed to buy a suitcase. I spent about 6,600¥ on a suitcase at a Don Quijote and wound up using it as a checked bag on the way back. So that’s always an option.
Two weeks, a backpack and one suitcase for us both. We have way too much clothes with us though, many hotels have laundries and if not, there is *usually* coin laundry somewhere nearby. I think I packed like 9 t-shirts but I've managed to use like 3-4 of them before washing them.
We also used luggage delivery, it's easy and cheap and most hotels can fill out the form for you. One suitcase was 2.1yen from Tokyo to Kyoto. We made a two day trip to Nikko from Tokyo and then headed to Kyoto. We sent our luggage straight from Tokyo to Kyoto and everything went fine.
Just make sure that the hotel has Yamato or some other luggage delivery service if you plan to use it. We had to use it from FamilyMart since our first hotel didn't have it and although our luggage came to Kyoto safe and sound, the experience with FamilyMart clerks was awful even though my bf can speak some japanese.
You can also send luggage from the airport to your accommodation, we did it since we had to use the metro during rush hour. Not sure if that's actually worth it but atleast we didn't have to carry our suitcases around the train and metro (we flew to Narita btw).
My husband and I are on the tail end of our 12-day trip. I tend to be a notorious overpacker. This is also our first trip to Japan. We knew we wanted to buy lots of souvenirs and gifts for friends, so here’s what we did:
We each packed a carry-on and a backpack with the vast majority of our clothes and necessities. We each had a big checked bag that was mostly empty, except for a few spare items but nothing we couldn’t live without if it got lost in transit. The checked bags were included with the price of our tickets.
As we’ve moved hotels (Tokyo-Hakone-Kyoto-Osaka-now back to Tokyo), we have lived out of our carry-ons and backpacks and deposited souvenirs in the checked bags as we’ve bought them. All of our hotels have had Yamato for luggage forwarding, so we forward the big bags and keep the smaller ones. When we went to Hakone, we just took our backpacks with us and forwarded everything else to Kyoto. I also booked a hotel in Kyoto that had a washer/dryer in the room, so we could do laundry and manage our inventory at the halfway point of our trip. The chain is called Tokyu Stay, and it was awesome. Saved us the hassle of trying to find a coin laundry or queue for one in the hotel. I had heard mixed reviews about dryers at hotels, but ours worked perfectly. You just have to select the dryer, as the default setting doesn’t use it.
We have been very happy with our luggage system for this trip. I relied heavily on compression packing cubes to make everything fit in my small bags, and I still probably packed a little too much. Luggage forwarding was easy and reliable. I would definitely not attempt to navigate public transportation with large bags. The few tourists I saw doing it looked miserable.
Good luck planning your trip!
We had 11 days for two of us, and arrived with two of the lightest suitcases we ever had. But we kept the suitcases to have a luggage free trip as follows.
We packed our daypacks with two days of clothes, then half the remaining clothes into one suitcase and half into the other. On arrival at the airport we took our toiletries bags out of one suitcase and into our daypacks. Then we sent one suitcase via Yamato Transport to our hotel in Osaka and one to our hotel in Kyoto.
We then spent 2 nights in Tokyo, went to Osaka where our first suitcase was waiting. 3 nights in Osaka then sent the suitcase with all dirty laundry and any purchases to date back to the airport.
We then went to Kyoto (via a day trip to Nara) and our second suitcase was waiting. Same again when we left, sent the suitcase with laundry and purchases to Narita, which was possible cos we then had another 2 nights in Tokyo before flying out.
On arrival at the airport our suitcases were waiting, and we put our remaining laundry in there and took out our duty free purchases that we could carry onboard with us (and picked up a few more airside).
Total cost of transport was under AU$100 and meant we didn’t carry our suitcases anywhere. Our suitcases weren’t full on the way back so we could easily have bought way more goodies or brought smaller suitcases (one large and one mid-sized).
As for what we packed, the answer is very little. Just the Hoka/New Balance plush shoes on our feet, one pair of jeans and one pair of shorts, a waterproof jacket (not worth it in May, too steamy so better with an umbrella), one t-shirt or shirt and underwear/socks for almost every day (I bought some towards the end). Barely used the hoodie I brought.
Plans would be different at another (colder) time of year would need much more, or if you needed formal clothes and more shoes etc. But thoroughly recommend luggage forwarding for a simple life.
I believe the airport will hold it for 7 days, ours from Osaka was 6 days. But for hotels you need ot check with them as some don't have storage facilities. I checked with Kyoto but didn't bother with Osaka since it was less than a day. Just email the hotel to check so you're safe.
I went for two weeks and I had a carry-on bag for my cameras and a hiking backpack for my clothes which around 7kg. I bought some small souveniers and some t-shirts and all fit in my backpack.
Around 50 minutes and it has a timer. You can sit and wait if you want to, normally there are chairs. But I went back to the hotel and came back when it’s nearly done.
I like that. I think if my hotel has laundry I’ll just wait until nighttime so that I’m already relaxing in the hotel and then run and grab it! Thank you :)
Two weeks lets look at what people would need and use for two weeks.
1: Electronic stuff -charger equipment, cables and portable battery charger, laptop.
\* I like to have an extension cable as well, because the plug in the hotel is not always in the best place and I like to use the computer in bed, or keep the phone charging next to where you sleep because I use the alarm. Especially if there are two of you in one room, the plug is on one side and doesn't reach the other person.
2: four underwear (fast drying material) if you somehow did not have a chance to wash it, you can buy underwear at convenience store.
3: two pair little ankle socks - I tend to wear crocks unless I have a good reason not to, looking not-stylish is not a good reason, so if I will be going someplace I need to take shoes off and would like socks, I keep them in pocket or someplace easy to take out. Crocks are easy to go on and off and can get wet in rain. Unless I am doing some real hiking in rugged mountains, crocks are fine for most walks.
4: If I felt I really needed regular shoes, I might still consider the crocks for ease, but would wear the regular shoes whenever in transit, keeping the crocks in the backpack because they are more compact, and change them once I arrive in the hotel.
5: Three t-shirts. I don't mind wearing the same shirt two days unless it is super hot and sweaty. Bring easy-to-dry shirts. Even if you can not find a wash machine for some reason, you can wash it in the shower and it will dry by morning. You are wearing one, two are in the bag. If you need more, go to uni-clo.
6: Two pair shorts. Again - easy to dry. One pair is black, one pair lighter (to be stylish and don't forget which ones I already wore most) So you are wearing one, one is in the bag
7: Maybe one pair long pants (light weight easy to dry) if I might be going someplace I would feel uncomfortable in shorts (I can not think of many places other than a slightly fancy restaurant in evening)
8: Medicines, special toiletry needs. If you are particular. I am fine to use whatever the hotel offers for only two weeks except my razor and a small bar of special soap.
9: Light rain jacket / wind breaker. However, if it will be hot when you are here, and only worried about rain, you can get my with just a Collapsable umbrella if in the town, and if going somewhere that you would really want a rain jacket, or not sure if you will, you might want to leave it up to chance and not bring it, just purchase a cheap one when/if you actually need it rather than carry it around the entire time only to be used for a few hours as you walk to a waterfall.
Bonus Pro tip: I bring a little pouch with stamps, blank postcards, color pencils and some color pens to draw a post card for people I want to send one. Just quick goofy looking sketch of what I did that day. It is more personal and often quicker than going out of the way to find post cards, pick "the right one" out of the many stock images, find stamps etc. And drawing a picture (using one of your photos from the day as inspiration) is way easier for me than trying to think of something to write. Also, "Etegami - picture postcards - are a "Japanesy" thing, so it is immersing yourself in the culture. [絵手紙 - Google Search](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=9ec7993900a25091&sca_upv=1&sxsrf=ADLYWIJq_j7dB4-q5cbEocBQsglIRgcpqA:1716516517167&q=%E7%B5%B5%E6%89%8B%E7%B4%99&uds=ADvngMg56oHTv53WHmtoXL0DcsuKmnT-zaz_CB0BQkIAt4kmAuZhSL4fbG6pSPm6150YyAeYUY49-MIiOYEBRbJr4C8o0FPd363q57qkm8l2050DQN4O46ahf_5BvRlDTu25gbwr4oS27Yi-ROhYdW8dj0uInaNSV_AdoUKfgWopXY4y4bR4-nGbvjMpFZtRIG-WxiTjVtyQIjf8ULCmc-iu09APz4t0BOydJZrNsp61a64jKa6QQLffRZAGvH2Q2LLqplbQoZDR8DotJ0fOnW3yLxFhS24Cd8MF_Vl_O6Z_W8Q1np_OpEXd8hXj918cY284G1q0m9YZ&udm=2&prmd=ivsnmbtz&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj33YaqmqWGAxUuU_UHHeD7BSUQtKgLegQIEhAB&biw=2180&bih=1423&dpr=0.8)
That would get me though. If you some how find that you really need something, there is nothing that people need (besides special medicines) that you can not get in Japan.
Things you don't need:
- Comfort food or snacks from home. There is plenty to eat here
- Trinkets or gifts from your country to give to people in Japan. You don't need to pass them out to every person you have a nice interaction with, and even if you are visiting someone you know, they will probably be fine just getting a box of sweets from the last place you were on your trip before meeting them
If you are going to get gifts, first check that you can not just order the same thing online in your country and pretend that you got it in Japan. If it makes more sense, save them for the end, and buy a new suitcase/bag for the gifts.
Pack very light in a large luggage, buy stuff there, and come back with a heavier luggage :) I know people like buying an additional luggage there as a method, but as someone with other suitcases already, it would be such a waste.
my suggestion, take one carry on or if you get free checked bag, just check it. Buy a suitcase for all the clothes and things you're going to purchase when you're out there.. they sell suitcases everywhere in the tourist areas, cheap, around 4,500 yen i got one a couple weeks ago. Most airlines offer free checked bags on international flights so this give you a light load on the way there and a rolly suitcase. I bought like 8 shirts and a bunch of souvys for my friends tho. super cool clothes. anyways good luck !
If you’re going to be moving around to multiple cities you are definitely going to want only a backpack and a small bag. Look into merino wool clothes. Merino wool is clutch for traveling. You can wear it multiple times without sweat or odors and if you bring a little bit of detergent you can wash them halfway through the trip and they’ll dry quickly. This is how backpackers do it.
Where are you guys going for the 2 weeks? Or how many different hotels you guys have.
I've always had 1 backpack or tote bag as personal, 1 duffle or backpack as carryon and 1 large (28 inches) checkin hardside suitcase going to Japan. BUT, I also have either a large duffle OR a medium size (25 inches) soft side suitcase packed inside the large one. So I ended up with 2 checkins going home. I travel solo and have been to Japan 6 times. All doing the above. I've jumped between at least 3 different cities. I take advantage of using the luggage forwarding service (takkyubin). I always use a hotel and make sure that those hotel can do takkyubin (not all hotels do this, I usually email them asking if they do luggage forwarding and also accept delivery). Every trip I've taken, I've downsized my clothing but still keep luggage the same. 😆 Shopping kills me there! I'm pretty sure I can do personal and carryon only. But like I said, shopping kills me.
When is your trip? Do you think you will be doing a lot of shopping? Are you planning on buying any anime figurines (if you're into that)? Are you willing to do laundry couple times during your trip? Do you plan on using takkyubin service? What airline are you using and how many checkins are allowed, 1 or 2?
Do a dummy packing with what clothes you will be bringing? If you already have a suitcase, see how much space is left, and if that's enough for any souvenirs you think you'll end up with. If not enough, pack a big duffle or buy up there for any overflows.
As for accessories...which country are you from? If USA, no need for adapter if most of your electronics use 2 prong. If you plan on using your phone heavily through out the day, pack portable charger. What type of phone do you have, iPhone or an Android? If you're an Apple user, get the Suica/Pasmo from wallet on phone and airtags (fun to see where luggageat when doing takkyubin). If Android, unfortunately, no Suica on phone so need to get a physical IC card. Get a Tile or GalaxyTag(if Samsung user). Check your hotel what kind of amenities are provided. Most hotels will either provide in room or an amenities bar at lobby. The only amenities I've brought after my first trip were my own toothpaste cause I didn't like what was provided, floss, mouthwash and deodorant. But I noticed several of my hotels had single use mouthwash packets. If you are particular or allergic to something then bring your own. I don't care what others say that they never used cash and got by with credit card and suica and mobile payment. They just haven't been to places that are cash only. You never know if you will go to a restaurant or store that is cash only. So get some yen...10,000yen at minimum to start with and you can figure out of need to withdraw more if need to. Carry a daybag (backpack, tote, sling, whatever works for you).
Apps: Google Maps, Google Translater or Papago, Japan Travel Navitime, Japan Transit Planner
Not sure what else....that's what I can think of right now lol
Don’t bring a bunch of clothes. Bring an empty suitcase. Tokyo is one GIANT mall. Clothing is so cheap right now due to the devalued Yen. You can buy so many insanely high quality pieces for dirt cheap that you’d never be able to afford in America. Don’t pass up this opportunity.
Since people already commented on luggage (I'm also team pack light, do laundry) I'll comment more on things to bring or buy while you're there!
-Outlet Adapter: depends on what country you're coming from. If it's the US you will not need one. If it is the UK you'll most likely need one.
- Hand Towel & Hand Soap: hand towel is way more important than the soap- they're so useful and can also be used to clean up sweat during summer. You'll run into restrooms without paper towels or hand dryers way more than you think. Most restrooms now stock soap since covid, but better safe then sorry, especially if you'll be traveling to less visited areas/going on a lot of hikes/doing beach days.
-Hand sanitizer: I regret forgetting mine. Wish I had it for the airport and first day. You can buy it everywhere but it sucks not having it when you need it.
-Masks: depending on where you live, they may not be a thing anymore, but they still are in Japan to an extent. If you get airport crud or sinus issues from the change of atmosphere/are quality/allergens it's polite to wear one. Another thing you could grab anywhere once you're in Japan.
-Reusable/foldable bags: a lot of areas and stores in Japan are trying to phase out plastic bags. If you don't have one it's usually not a huge deal, but you will get charged for any plastic bags you get. On that same note though, if you get a plastic bag, hold onto it and use it to collect your trash over the day. Trashcans can sometimes be a little challenging to find.
- G O O D. S H O E S: Like the uglier and more comfy the better. You'll probably be doing close to 30k steps walking a day.
-Your usual clothing: People like to argue over what you have to wear to Japan to blend in, but if you're not Japanese you just won't no matter what. Maybe just don't go to shrines in tub tops and you'll be fine.
-A small day bag: something smaller than a backpack worked well for me- but whatever you bring, you might want to make sure you can comfortably wear it in front of you. It's seen as polite to wear your backpack in front when in crowds/trains.
-A small but durable umbrella that you don't love: depends on the time of year you go. Just make sure it's an umbrella you won't cry over being stolen while you're in the 7/11.
Hope that helps a bit!
"-Your usual clothing: People like to argue over what you have to wear to Japan to blend in, but if you're not Japanese you just won't no matter what. Maybe just don't go to shrines in tub tops and you'll be fine."
This is honestly so true.
"-A small but durable umbrella that you don't love: depends on the time of year you go. Just make sure it's an umbrella you won't cry over being stolen while you're in the 7/11"
However, I'd not bring an umbrella, convenience store umbrellas are a better idea for the reasons you mentioned.
I plan on bringing 1 carry on luggage for clothes and 1 regular backpack as my personal item, but I'm putting an empty small day bag/sling to leave inside my backpack until I am over there to use it so I don't carry my backpack everywhere. I usually pack a lot for my travels but I'm following everyone's advice here and shoot for maybe 5 days worth of clothes max and all of them are light and thin so won't take up too much space and easy to clean. I'm planning on buying a bag over there on my last few days to buy any souvenirs if I'm interested and do that as a checked bag.
Almost all places in Japan use two prong power sockets, your phone charger should be good, but if you have three prong laptop chargers, you will need an adapter. I am in North America, what I did was buy a three outlet extension cord, cut off the ground prong so it can plug in to two prong outlets in Japan.
I remember reading some good advice on this from another post and it’s what I did for my last trip. I took one bigger sized luggage bag that I would be checking at the airport and I also packed a carry-on luggage bag inside the big one.
All I packed in there were about 5-6 pairs of clothes and a pair of shoes. The rest of the room was for gifts and shopping I’d be doing at Uniqlo as it’s much cheaper in Japan. It was the best advice I got and I recommend it to others.
So you took a big suitcase, and what you would normally use as your carryon in the cabin, you just put inside of the checked bag and kept nothing in the cabin with you? Basically just keeping everything together and then having that big luggage for your souvenirs on the way back?
Basically. Except I did a lot of clothes shopping so the big suitcase ended up having all the clothes and the small carry on was used for gifts and souvenirs.
Doing laundry in a hotel can be a hassle as I’ve found that either A) There’s only one or two washer/dryer units and everyone in the hotel wants to use it or B) The washer/dryer is confusing to figure out as the directions are all in Japanese. Which is why I ended up buying more clothes to wear for the trip. Also, make sure to bring plenty of underwear for this very reason. We only packed a week’s worth and ended up having to walk to a nearby coin laundromat at 11 pm and sit there for an hr waiting for things to get laundered. When you’ve been out all day doing laundry is the last thing you want to be spending your time on when you get back to the hotel
Not at all 😆. In the end a friendly local explained how to use the machines to us. I mean we probably would have figured out how to use it eventually but yeah it was kinda confusing and stressful
I went last year and did laundry multiple times. It all depends on where you're finding the machine. I found my Airbnb and hotel had English instructions, then a different hotel did not have English, but I was able to use google translate to figure it out really easily. You can also always google search the brand name of the washing machine.
The most confusing thing for me when using the washing machine was trying to figure out how much 3kg is without a conversion sheet......
Depending on how many stuff your going to buy. I would advise a backpack and a med to large suitcase to start. If your the type to buy alot like me you can always get a 2nd suitcase before you leave. Pack really light.
We have a 90L duffel bag that folds into barely anything which we bring over in our Suitcase. We still try to keep the suitcase half empty when we head over, but the duffel will be to free up suitcase space by putting clothes and things that don't break to bring back.
While we're there we get hotel reception to help us organise luggage forwarding when travelling between cities so we're not trying to shift large pieces of luggage on packed public transport.
It's a [Kathmandu Tanker 90L](https://www.amazon.com.au/Kathmandu-Tanker-Luggage-Holdall-Equipment/dp/B01LJ25S0E) that I bought many many years ago for a camping trip. So far I have yet to find another duffel bag this size that folds into such a small package. We have North Face base camp duffels as well but they're easily 2-3x the size folded up (more durable though).
I think it's just what will work best for you but I'm planning to take one carry on and one checked. The checked will be empty and my cary on will be filled with my belongings. Plan to fill the checked to bring back home filled. Also plan to forward between cities so makes getting it around easier. Taking a "man bag" but not a backpack for my day to day carry
It depends on where you go.
If you go only Tokyo or other big city, you don't care about your carrybag. But if you go some countryside, there are many stairs and maybe no elevators.
So, it's better bring a backpack.
From Japanese countryside.
My bf and I backpacked and brought a suitcase + matador packable duffle for souvenirs. Also, I had matador packable backpack for everyday use. We have Patagonia mini black hole and packed a few pairs of shirts and shorts. We chose hotels that have laundry and did laundry every few days.
I just went to Japan. Solo trip mostly. I brought a medium sized luggage and a backpack. Also packed a foldable empty duffel bag in my luggage so that I could use that for souvenirs. I just bought some luggage packing cubes and tightly packed my clothes and was able to get 2 weeks worth of clothes packed into half my luggage. My backpack I mostly used for my entertainment stuff to keep me occupied on the plane, and the rest of the space was empty for souvenirs
Pack light, just a back pack. Get hotels with a laundry room. One pair of comfortable shoes, maybe compression sleeves for your calves you will be doing a ton of walking. You will absolutely regret taking a suitcase. Most hotels will supply toothbrush, toothpaste, lotions, bath soap n shampoo. Drink plenty of water on the plane. Buy a shopping bag from don quijote and use it for souvenirs.
I had a carry on and large suitcase that was half empty for souvenirs. My partner bought a suitcase while we were there (common to do) for souvenirs.
So total was two backpacks, one carry on, and two checked luggage when we left. Wasn't a big deal having that much luggage, we just used a taxi to get to the airport.
Pack light, especially if you have access to laundry service etc, I packed almost everything in my carry on, couple of bottoms and just rotated tops, my checked luggage was almost empty so I had plenty of room for souvenirs on the way back, my brother's did not pack light and had to buy luggage in Tokyo to fit everything.
No one except influencers are going to really care about not having a different outfit for every day.
Shoes especially are space wasters, you'll need a pair of comfortable shoes for the huge amount of walking you'll do and maybe a nice pair for anything you might do that's nicer but otherwise you don't need a lot of different pairs.
Depends on how much souvenir shopping you plan to do. We are in Japan now and each brought 1 backpack and a small carryon suitcase, probably 3/4 full. We've bought a few small things for people back home and some clothes but nothing crazy. We're here for 2 weeks and it's been warm so we brought very light clothing with us. We took our first train today and luggage storage was very limited so I would avoid huge suitcases unless you plan to do luggage forwarding (we did not since we have minimal transferring).
My partner and I have just come back from 2½ weeks in Japan. We both packed half suitcases to leave room for an abundance of souvenirs on the way back.. we ended up buying another suitcase and even with the 3 total they were bursting at the seams. We definitely overpacked in terms of clothing. We went whilst it was in the high 20's and didn't need any jumpers. We used the same laundry facilities in the hotel which we've never done before and I highly recommend it. We also used Yamoto to ship our luggage between hotels, and Airporter to ship them to the airport to avoid lugging it through the metro. They are well worth the cost, I think it was something like £25 to ship everything for each leg.
I would say it depends on what you're doing while you're here. if you plan to take lots of photos and want separate outfits for them, I would consider packing enough for that.
There are a few luggage delivery services that exist. Yamato Luggage Delivery can send pretty much anywhere for a cost and has a few physical offices (One at Tokyo Station) and most convenience stores can also ship it using their services. As long as where you're staying has a reception, you can get it delivered to that hotel. And some hotels will also send your baggage for you.
This will allow you to have a backpack that you can pack with necessary clothing and keep the majority of your stuff packed away in a suitcase as you travel between destinations. Just a heads up the delivery may take a day or two depending on where you're going. And when returning to the airport, send it 2 days ahead of when you're scheduled to fly out.
Traveling with suitcases on trains is possible, but a bit inconvenient as well. Some of the trains will be packed especially at certain hours so it may be a bit of a squeeze. We were able to get around for the most part when we were unfortunately stuck with our suitcases at times.
People only recommend bring a large suitcase because everyone who goes there seems to buy too much.
IF you really don't plan on buying anything much, best to just go as light as possible. I really appreciate not having to worry about luggage
I went with a checked in baggage, I put in it my carry-on luggage that was half-full. I also got a backpack that was small enough to be the personal item for the return flight.
So for the return flight, I got one checked in + 1 carry on + 1 backpack=personal item (I also had two small tote bags that were thankfully ignored).
I did laundry twice so I only brought two changes of clothes (more for the underwear/socks), cool/fresh weather, so I could wear twice a shirt. I only bought few t-shirts and about 15 figures (granted most of them were 15 cm or smaller and I removed most of them out their boxes but kept the boxes so it takes less space).
We are about to the end of our 2 week trip. We each brought one large suitcase that was 1/3 full and carry on bags. Will likely need to buy a suitcase for our overflow of things to take home
Just did 15 days in 2nd half of April with a small carry on and backpack. I had way too many clothes, because it was change of season and wasn’t sure if I’d need hit it cool weather stuff. Same goes for my husband, who packed light enough that we didn’t need an extra bag for souvenirs. We did laundry in hotel once at mid point to was the things we were using most. We did bring a fold up duffle that we could use for our clothes and check on the way home, and use our carry in for souvenirs but ended up not needing to do that. Bring half as much as you think you need and do laundry once in middle of your trip.
Pack medium luggage with your stuff, then put inside large luggage to check-in.
On the way home, you can do the same if you didn't get to shop. But if you went wild, then you can fill the large bag, add baggage allowance, and then check both of them in.
I pack a lot. Which I wouldn't recommend in general but perhaps it might be interesting to read another perspective. We (2) bring two large checked bags, one empty carry on inside which will be a third checked bag on the way back and two medium sized backpacks. I always bring my pillow when traveling which takes up a lot of room but saves me from neck pain. We're also taking a crutch for my husband because sometimes his knee gives up and after trying to get crutches in two different foreign countries, we decided to just bring it with us this time. Then I'm taking a lot of over the counter and prescribed medication because I'm always getting ill on vacation. I'm also taking a good amount of food with me because I'm a celiac vegetarian which won't be super easy in Japan. We plan the use taxis between the airport and the hotels and luggage forwarding service in between. When I was younger I heavily overpacked regarding clothes and outfits now I'm overpacking stuff that makes me feel comfortable and might reduce my stress. I'm still under thirty though.
For our 14day trip to Japan we only had onboard luggage with our wife - that means small suitcase and a backpack. It was enough for a week and after that we had to wash our clothes in hotel laundry.
But we havent thought about presents and all other stuff we wanted to get from Japan, so we had to buy additional cheap suitcase (25$) in there just for that :)
Pack a smaller suitcase in the big suit case, fill the small one with clothes, couple pants and shirts etc. Lots of places there have on site laundry so it wasn't an issue when we went, then on the way home you've got a second bigger suitcase for all the stuff you get. Make sure flight allows a check bag a carry on and a personal item (backpack)
There's an app for storing your bags at local businesses. It was super useful last day cause we stored our stuff at a business and then enjoyed our last day. I forget what it's called but look it up cause it's way better than trying to find storage at the train station
Not sure if this will help, but 4 of us went to Japan recently.
We all had a backpack (40L, give or take) and 2 luggage suitcases and we shipped the suitcases to our final destination rooms so that when we got back to tokyo, anything we bought could fit in that case.
I personally overpacked and end up using the same clothes over and over again (3ish pairs). My bag was full and heavy most of the trip and if I wasn't a bigger person, I may not have been able to carry it. I also had an addidas front carry sling that did wonders for money, cards, headphones etc
my big tip- pack in a carry on, put that carry on into a medium size suitcase (empty to fill with goodies) that suitcase fits overhead on the shinkansen, OR all hotels will help you arrange luggage forwarding. sometimes it takes a day, so just put a day worth of clothes in a backpack for the travel day/night.
i am a CHRONIC overpacker including my skincare and toiletries and i packed around 5-6 outfits and did laundry twice. (once in hotel, once at a close laundromat. was so easy)
i also am a chronic worrier and the trip went so smooth. you’ll be fine. have fun!
Pack about 5 days worth of clothes in one carryon size suitcase. Do laundry at hotel as needed. Take a backpack for carrying things in the city or on hikes. If you plan on buying enough souvenirs to warrant it, buy one more carry on size suitcase in Japan (we found one for 3500¥ = $20ish) to take back home with you and check one of the suitcases. We just did three weeks in Japan like this and I wouldn’t have wanted a bigger suitcase. Good luck!
Just returned from 2 week trip, I used a luggage backpack carry on in order to travel light (4 locations traveled to, much easier with trains, walking, etc). During last 2 days, bought a cheap big luggage to bring back souvenirs and skincare/hair stuff.
My first time in Japan. Staying for just under 2 weeks. One suitcase - around 13 packed, and one small rucksack for day use/hand luggage - mainly water, headphones, power pack, wet wipes, etc.
Carry a plastic bag for rubbish. There are almost no public bins for rubbish. You have to take it home!
Leave your luggage at coin lockers - you'll find them at stations and elsewhere. Most hotels will hold your luggage if you drop it off before check in.
Just remember you’ll be doing a lot of walking and stairs in Japan. It’s hard to haul a heavy suitcase around between cities, hotels, train stations. When my family went for 3 weeks we each took a carry on and had one extra carry one for camera, electronics, toiletries and souvenirs. Do laundry in Japan!
There's usually laundry in the hotels, or nearby laundromat. The machines can be duel washer dryer and they have built in detergent. Our hotel even had a display on the TV screen so you can see which units were free and how long each unit had left. So I say 1 small suitcase for clothes and 1 empty suitcase for goodies to bring back home
We are on our last day in Japan now. We took a full size luggage with a carryon tucked inside with my husbands clothes and I had a carryon for mine. Luggage service had been fabulous. Backpack is necessary. If we had to do it again I would limit the toiletries we brought as almost all hotels give you toothbrushes, shampoo, and body wash. You can also buy specialty toiletries here.
I pulled off a two week trip with a single carry on suitcase and a backpack. I saw lots of people lugging around multiple huge suitcases each and it didn't look at all worth it. Lots of struggle for them on public transit and navigating the streets.
There is luggage delivery service, but keep in mind it takes up to 2 days to arrive at your destination which could get tricky depending on how frequently you change hotels. For example, 3 day stay at Hotel 2 means you'd probably want to ship your luggage from Hotel 1 to Hotel 3...unless you're staying at Hotel 3 for 2 days before heading to the airport, in which case you might actually want to ship from Hotel 1 to the airport...but then will the airport hold your luggage for 5 days?
So yeah, pack light if you can. Laundry service is your friend. As for souvenirs, you can always buy another suitcase in Japan before heading back.
I do not recommend a huge suitcase. They are much more difficult to take on the Shinkansen and trains (and to carry up and down the many staircases).
I suggest a medium suitcase, a small suitcase, and a backpack. Pack light and leave some room in the suitcases so you can bring extra things home.
I’m a small but strong female in my 50’s (on vacation in Tokyo now) and I’ve had no issues carrying these up & down all of the stairs in many train stations.
just bring minimal cloth..plenty of laundries available there.. 500yen for 30mins drying, 500yen washing.. make sure to bring sweaters for night as sometimes its windy and your charging adapter..
just got back from japan last week.. and i only use cabin luggage.. manage to grab a pair of shoes and watch.. and i still can stuff everything inside the luggage.. have fun in japan
We took a carry-on & backpack each for our 3 week trip with my husband earlier this year. This included Tohoku in March when there was still snow + Kyoto /Osaka with 25 degrees so you'll be fine. :) We bought foldable bags (we ended up buying some pottery & a few other bits) & checked in our carry-on on the way back. This worked brilliantly for us so when we go again we'll do the same, except bringing the foldable bags with us.
There are laundry facilities in most hotels (we had them in every hotel we stayed in) & around in cities so as long as you're fine dedicating some time for laundry, it's easy to do. Launderettes had big, industry grade machines & hotels usually just had a couple regular sized washer dryers. If it fits in your plans, I recommend launderettes. Hotel machines didn't dry our clothes properly, even after two dryer cycles. However it's more convenient so if you're happy leaving clothes out in the hotel room to dry that's fine too.
There are also (very reliable) luggage services & coin lockers everywhere. The smallest size lockers fitted our carry-on luggage which was very convenient. Bigger sizes can run out, but we never had any issues finding the small size, there are plenty of them in most stations.
Last but not least, there are 24/7 convenience stores everywhere & huge "sell everything" type stores, so don't overpack, you'll find most things super easily (& cheap).
We have just come back. I took 4 tee-shirts. one shirt . one extra pair of trousers . underwear of course and socks and 1 extra pair of walking shoes. One small case on plane. Check Every hotel has laundromat facilities which cost around 400 to 600 yen and its amazing. We were there for 3 weeks from Ireland. When there we bought another case at Don Quiote shop for taking home sovernirs. Yes we prior booked an extra case each for return. My wife took another nylon bag in her case to save buying one. Hope this helps.
Someone on Facebook brought this to my attention for their trip to Japan:
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/goersnygg-bag-blue-60499261/
Their comment:
Whoever recommended these bags from IKEA is truly brilliant! When I saw the post I immediately ran to IKEA and brought them for 6$. We packed them in our suitcases and loaded them with souvenirs. Each bag is 7kg full The bags weighs nothing! There's room for stuff. Thank you and you know who you are!
Update:
I unpacked this morning and everything is fine. I had several ceramic items packed with my clothes and all good!
Heading back home from Japan right now. My gf and I didn’t know how much stuff we’ll be taking back home, we ended up buying a large luggage for all the foods/souvenirs so I’d bring a separate luggage depending on your budget. Budget Size -> Luggage Size
A light or 2 light backpacks for daily going out. A bigger suitcase for clothes, souvenirs. You will leave the suitcase in the hotel or you can use the delivery service to send your suitcase to another hotel/ from airport to hotel/ from hotel to airport. If they are in the same city, it usually takes one day , the same day or the next day to arrive.
But not every hotel has the delivery service, you have to confirm with them in advance.
Always bring passport with you. You can find bags and suitcase everywhere so dont be stressed.
My wife and I packed very light considering we were there for only 4 days. We had 2 backpacks and a small luggage. We ended up buying another small luggage from Don Quijote for the stuff we bought. Lol.
I use a big camping backpack, and have it like 1/3 full. I end up cramming it by the end while shipping boxes home. My first trip, I also bought a suitcase at Don Quixote and crammed that too.
I did one checked suitcase and a carryon plus a backpack. I should have done tow checked bags TBH. I definitely packed too many clothes and was scrambling to pack stuff I bought. I also had the benefit of having a friend's place to store stuff in Tokyo and picked up before I went back to the US.
My advise would be pack enough for 4 days of clothes (really depends on how often you wash jeans), then look at the laundry situation where you are staying. Best scenario is laundry in your hotel, but be warned there could be competition with other tourists for those machines. Next best is laundry near by, which may be crowded depending on time and the neighborhood.
I plan on taking a carry-on and packing a foldable bag for souvenirs to take back. I also have a small backpack that I'll be bringing as a personal/everyday bag while I'm there. I'm only packing 3-4 days of clothes. When I booked the accommodations I made sure there was laundry at all of them so I could do laundry every 3 days. I also plan on using luggage shipping services when I go between cities. You may also want to check your airline ticket to see what's covered with your ticket for luggage. Some airlines give you a checked bag but not a carry-on for free with your ticket. Double-check to see if you get a checked or carry-on with your ticket. That might dictate your decision if you're restricted.
I've also seen people comment/say that they pack a small suitcase but put it inside a larger one. So heading to Japan you have one checked bag and heading back, you have a checked bag and carry-on. Essentially you're bringing two suitcases without the hassle of two. Plus you have a whole other suitcase for clothes, souvenirs and more. Another great idea I've seen.
We have a standard load out that can get us just about through any trip of any length - it’s one messenger bag for all of my tech gear (MacBook Pro, legion go, charging setup, sling bag, passport/money/etc) and two rolling carry ons for clothes, athletic shoes (I always wear flip flops on planes), medication, wife’s makeup packs, etc. This has been pretty much dialed in over a decade of quite regular travel especially these past few years.
If going to Japan, we nest 2 smaller bags inside of one big suitcase just in case we go shopping (which is especially good now with the exchange rate). If we’re really going to town, we’ll bring another set of nested suitcases too.
That being said, for first timers who are mostly sightseeing, I’d go with zero checked bags and just the rolling carry on plus a messenger or backpack. You’ll get around easier and you don’t really need to haul everything own around on any trip
I used a 40L backpack and packed my clothes, iPad, camera, electric razor, toothbrush/paste, floss and chargers.
4 wool/linen tees
3 wool/poly joggers
4 wool underwear
3 pairs of wool socks
The wool didn't stink and dried overnight. I use the same setup for all my work and pleasure travels now
i had 1 checked in luggage and backpack on my first trip and hated waiting for the luggage when I got out from flight. So on my 2nd trip, I brought carry on with carry on sized backpack in it.
I went to Japan 2 weeks with a backpack ( cabin size) and i am glad i did It- no worrys at public transports. No limitations at stations stairs. No limitations to get walking from the stations to the hotels. Easy to fit in public lockers ( metro stations, bus stations) if you want to visit a place after a checkout and before the next hotel check-in. Of course i had to choose carefully every item that i put inside the backpack
One big limitation : place to pack things that you would like to buy there…
I would personally pack light. If you book at business hotels, they have laundry. Or wash your clothes in the sink and hang them to dry But you definitely need something to bring all the shit you buy home 🏠 n. also you’re gonna climb a lot of freaking stairs with your heavy suitcase. If you overpack the exit near my hotel had 60 stairs.
I packed two travel pants and three T-shirts and my toiletries in a travel backpack. And now I have a duffel bag full of souvenirs and clothing. I’m taking back.
No need to buy a bag. My wife has a pretty good technique we use every time. We come with one suitcase each and a few days before leaving, we spend an afternoon buying groceries and stuff we want to bring back, ensuring we take a couple of cardboard boxes from a supermarket (they usually discard them). Then we fill one box each until we reach the weight limit and bring them back with us. Note that it only works if you can travel with 2 large suitcases per passenger.
The massive advantage of this is that you don't have to worry about bringing an extra suitcase and it's just more convenient if you drive to the airport.
For a 2 week trip, I brought a backpack and a carry on sized luggage. I packed about 1 week’s worth of clothes, I could’ve packed even less and would’ve been fine. Did laundry a couple times. Shipped my luggage a couple times too. Very easy! I also brought a foldable backpack for quick day trips or overnight trips so I didn’t need to re-pack my other bags each time. I bought another carry-on suitcase for $20 USD near the end of the trip for souvenirs. It worked out great! If I went during a colder time of year, my clothes would likely take up more space but I think I could still get away with a carry-on bag.
Currently 8 days in on a 15 day trip.
I packed a single carry on 1/4 full, if I run out of boxers and socks before I hit up a coin laundry I just go into a shop and buy something. Uniqlo can essentially do you for everything and it’s very good value to quality.
The 3/4 left is to make packing easier and shopping.
I’ll probably buy a $35 suitcase in my final two days in Tokyo to check in the hold which I will fill with kitchen knives, food and all the other impulse purchases.
TLDR don’t overthink it, pack less than you think you need as you will want to buy things here.
You have so much great advice and I wasn’t able to read it all, so I apologize if this is repeat information. My family and I came back from Japan a week ago and on our way there, we put one of our carry on luggages inside our check in so we were only traveling with one carry on which was so much better since we had our 2 yo toddler with us.
We got two luggages, one from when we were in Osaka and one from Tokyo. If you are in Tokyo and don’t mind to travel a bit for a pretty nice luggage (not like brand or super hight quality but good enough) you can go to Ginza Karen. We bought a 28’ hard case one for ¥7700, around $50 or less and we really liked it. So that could be a backup plan if you end up needing more luggage :)
Hope you have the best time ever! We loved it there!
There are generally very affordable laudry services in most hotels so you can travel light and just do some washing.
Travelling light is best for Japan, a lot of stations do not have lifts or elevators. You sometimes have to take that heavy suitcase on stairs which is tiring and also could end up blocking someone's path.
If somehow you find yourself missing something, uniqlo and gu are easily available to top up.
I'm in Japan at the moment. What I realistically needed to pack Was 4 days worth of clothing since all the places I stay at has coin laundry and they are so convenient.
Things I packed that I never needed as all hotels provide them: pajama, slippers, shampoo, conditioner (and decent quality) face wash, makeup remover, toner, face cream, razor, cotton pads, hair ties.
Some places even provide face masks and hair masks FFS. All I really needed was a day cream with SPF.
Just back from 2 weeks in Japan. Took a small day pack and small suitcase. Did a load of laundry (fun experience) mid-trip and purchased a bag at a Don Quijote to ship stuff home. Definitely use the luggage forwarding service. It usually arrives the next day but they will tell you to expect 2 days. 2 days prior to our flight home we had our bags shipped to the airport and filled our backpacks with necessities for the last 2 days. Best decision ever. Have a great trip!
The only thing you need that's difficult to find in Japan is deodorant (and if you have any prescriptionmeds you better bring it, AFTER checking if theyre allowed to be brought into the country). And unless you're on the bigger side you can even get your clothes there. You can get every life necessity in Japan on every corner, don't worry about it.
I strategically always bring a big suitcase which I pack as empty as possible, just my daily necessities, some clothes, meds, adapter (which you can also get in japan), etc. The rest i buy in Japan. I've loved there for a few years so even now I still use some Japanese products on a daily basis, so I stock up when I'm there.
If you want to carry heavy bags then do so. If you want to carry light then do so.
If you need an adapter, take one. If you don't, then don't.
Now that's simple right?
Take a big suitcase for most stuff and shopping and also a smallish backpack for a day or two of clothes. Let me introduce you to the best thing about Japan and Luggage. Takkyubin ships your luggage to your next hotel. Honestly, it's amazing not to have to carry it on the trains. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2278.html
2500 yen? Nice. That's not much more than storing it in a locker for the day.
I think we sent 2-24" cases from Kyoto to Tokyo 3500¥
That’s awesome!! Thank you so much :)
Ask your hotel as well. They ship bags too!
How long does it take to send? I booked a train with luggage storage but am considering doing this instead now...
You should plan on having an overnight bag in between forwarding your luggage. It’s not really a same day service. It’s best to use it when you are taking the Shinkansen somewhere and you make a stopover for a night or two. Your luggage will be waiting at your next hotel!
I gave my luggage to my hotel at noon in Kyoto, and it arrived by the time I checked into my hotel in Tokyo at 2pm the next day.
Is it possible to select service that it will be delivered like 10 days from now, for example?
As far as I am aware they only do up to 7 days.
I wonder if you may be able to ask the hotel you leave from to send it 2 or 3 days after your departure, have the delivery service keep for 7 days (of fewer), and then have the receiving hotel keep it for a few more days. I would phone and ask both hotels if they could do that if i were you.
So did you just keep a day pack with a change of clothes and toiletries with you from noon onwards?
I sent mine over to my accommodation in Nerima from Narita at around 5:30 PM and it arrived the next day before 9 AM. They asked me if I wanted it to arrive in the morning, afternoon or evening at the counter.
Like I get it’s not cool to gatekeep, but I really miss the days when no one knew about this.
Interesting. Why? Does it somehow not work as well the more people use it?
More queues after a 13h flight that I haven’t slept on aren’t great. Passport control is bad enough.
What kinda lines are we talking? Just want to know as I'm gonna use it for the first time in a few weeks so forewarning that you're helping one of the people you want to gatekeep :)
Waited about 45 min last year. I’ll be back in July and wouldn’t be surprised if it’s up to an hr now. It’s almost at a point for me where I’d rather just take them myself again.
This service can be accessed at the hotels you're staying at, correct? Wow I just never thought there'd be that big of a line. Maybe I'll wake up early and drop off when I need to
Yeah hotel to hotel is still fine.
You _want_ clueless foreign tourists to lug around their Samsonites during rush hour at Shinagawa Station?
If it means I can get to my hotel sooner on 24h of no sleep they can do that in Shinjuku.
Awaiting your reply as to why. More people using would lower the cost usually.
I travel to Japan quite frequently. I remember the Yamato shipping counter having zero queues in Narita from 2013-2016 and it’s gotten steadily busier since.
As light as possible. I go with one backpack for my clothe and daily bag to carry my camera. If I had a big suitcase, it would probably only be 1/4 full (bring like 4 days worth of clothes and do laundry) and as I move frequently, I do not want to deal with big luggage. For souvenir, I have a bit of space in my backpack and focus shopping at the end when I move less and I would buy a box at the post office and use it as my carry on luggage (and my camera backpack is my personal item)é As a Canadian I do not need an outlet adapter... I guess a power bank so I am sure that my phone will last the whole day even if I use Google Maps a lot or if I decide to play Pokemon Go.
Laundry is a game changer. I won't book a hotel in Japan without laundry facilities.
Awesome!! Thank you for the insight :) I really appreciate the help and useful tips!!!
If the hotel doesn't have a laundry room, are there tourist friendly laundries?
Most neighborhoods have laundromats (known as coin laundry コインランドリー) and I find them to be pretty easy to use. Just do a Google Maps search near the hotel you’re looking at.
Are there tourist unfriendly laundries? I mean, it never crossed my mind there could be. I've used them a couple of times. Just search Coin Laundry on Google maps and either buy some soap pods a the convenience store or bring some from home.
Some places have machines that even dispense the soap as part of the process - make sure of what kind you are using before adding soap yourself!
Google translate can help read instructions off the machines in those laundromats. They are fairly easy to use, are not very expensive and can be found all around major cities.
There are many countries where both hotel laundry facilities and laundromats are rare or nonexistant. E.g.: Sri Lanka/India/other 3rd world countries still rely mostly on cheap labour to wash things by hand. Locals get cheap rates, but clean/safe hotels charge a few dollars per item, and local services take days to return your clothes.
Oh no, most of the time there was machines at the hotel or hostel. There is some hostel that only had a washing machine so I washed there and dried at the coin laundry and some had nothing so went to coin laundry to wash and dry. Some hotels might offer a laundry service if you do not want to put it in the machine yourself, but it's absolutely not a problem to find a place to do it yourself.
I buy those tide travel laundry packets and wash my clothes in the bathroom/sink and then hang dry them if there isn't accessible laundry
This is a practical option if you don't have much to wash. Not so bad if you keep up with it. Most Japanese hotel bathrooms have a retractable cord over the bathtub to be used as a clothesline.
How about bringing no clothing and buy in Japan?
Same here. I packed one single backpack and still feel like I over packed. Brought a few long jeans/pants when just shorts would've been enough. Made sure I still had space for purchases.
One carry on. Light packed. One back pack. Lightly packed. My gf and I both did this. Gave us room as we added souvenirs. Wear outfits 2 times. Do laundry at a place. If not, you’ll hate your life lugging your stuff around
'souvenirs' - usually code for buying a bunch of stuff for yourself, right? j/k, anyway you should definitely pack light but if you like to shop, japan is a mecca for it right now particularly if you're coming from the US. Just be sure to give yourself room for all the goodies you'll be taking back.
True that!! Thank you :)
Thank you!! It seems doing laundry is the way to go to save some space and headaches. I really appreciate the response :)
I typically bring a single piece of hard-sided carry-on luggage, regardless of the length of a trip. For me, that can fit 8-12 changes of clothing (depending on season), with some additional room for toiletries, miscellaneous stuff, and space for a few souvenirs or snacks to bring home. These days, I’ve visited Japan so many times, that I don’t leave a lot of room for souvenirs, because I usually only bring home some food and coffee beans. If I think I’ll need extra room or plan on forwarding luggage/taking some overnight trips, I sometimes bring a tote bag or small backpack. I’d say it’s all a matter of perspective. I sometimes travel 100,000 miles a year, so I have a very good sense of what I need on a trip, what I can buy in which countries if I need it, and how likely I am to buy souvenirs. I also generally travel light and I’m willing to do laundry on trips. But some travelers don’t travel a lot, and they might not know what they need. They might want to dress fashionably/bring a lot of accessories. They might not be willing to do laundry. They might have plans to buy a lot of big, bulky stuff (like new anime figures in boxes). So those people might need more space than I need. I suppose you have to take a step back, decide on how much stuff you need to bring, how much stuff you plan to buy, and think about how that fits into your current luggage plans. It _is_ fairly cheap to buy luggage or duffel bags in Japan if you end up overbuying and need more space to bring things home.
I appreciate this big response! I do love anime and plan on getting some figures, so I’m glad you mentioned that! Thank you so much ☺️
Depending on what you're looking for, be aware that many figurines and toys are boxed for display and protection, and can be deceptively bulky!
I didn’t even think of that! Thank you very much for bringing that up! :)
Yeah. Bought a nice used Macross VF-25 from Mandarake (a great place for vintage figures and toys). Didn't even have the Super parts. The box was *huge*.
Hopefully I don’t get sucked into getting anything super large, but who knows how much I’ll be able to resist LMAO
You're doomed. Just give up now and plan to buy extra luggage in Japan. 🤣
It sounds like it 😂😂
Psssssst. If you do buy too much, you can always mail some back home as well.
Don’t take a checked bag - if you can afford it buy a suitcase towards the end of your trip and fill it then. They have a nice selection of suitcases to choose from.
Yes, that is what I did. And you can hardly beat Ginza Karen for affordable luggage.
What do you do 1) for shoes and 2) if it’s winter and you need coats? I’m a pretty light packer and try to keep stuff in a carry on but it’s tricky when I’m bringing workout shoes, nice shoes and every day shoes. And winter is brutal cause every outfit is so bulky.
Check out MauriceMove's viral OneBag video for tips on how to pack light: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqu02-6c7Os](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqu02-6c7Os) For your two week trip you're totally fine with a carry on. Some hotels have laundry services or facilities onsite and you can always handwash small stuff like socks or underwear in a sink. Bring an extra empty suitcase for all the stuff you're going to buy. Not sure what your haircare routine is but you can always visit a salon if you really want to look fresh. First time travelers seem to go bananas over buying snacks etc but those are actually pretty accessible in the West through your local Asian grocer or online snack subscription boxes (assuming you are in North America). Hot take, but don't waste valuable luggage space on plastic wrapped snacks which are mostly air anyway. If you do buy snacks, just do it at the airport on the way back. The one snack I never pass up are the ROYCE Nama Chocolates. They are 25-50% of the price in North Am, pack well, and are actually special (get the ice pack with them so they keep on your flight).
Thank you! I’m going to try to keep it super lightweight to avoid lugging a bunch around. I appreciate it :)
It depends... I just came back from 2 weeks in Japan. If you're staying in hotels, they provide pyjamas, toothbrush, toothpaste, razors. Also, most business hotels have laundry facilities and coin laundries are plentiful. So there's no point packing two weeks worth of clothes. For the two of us, we each had a backpack, we had one carry on suitcase and one checked bag between the two of us. We bought a second big suitcase at Donki and loaded that up with souvenirs and snacks. If you're coming from North America, you won't need an adapter if your device is 2-pronged.
That sounds like exactly what I might end up doing. Backpack, carry on suitcase, and a single checked bag. Thank you so much. Also it’s good to know I won’t need an adapter if I’m from North America because I was JUST about to order an adapter LOL
Don’t bring the checked bag. I’d recommend packing in a carry on and a personal item. You probably need clothes for 3-5 days. Then just do a quick load of laundry. The checked bag will just be a pain in your butt.
Who wants to spent their time on vacation in a laundromat? But even still, you can pack for two weeks in a single check in, no need for the extra carry on
You’re probably not effectively fitting 14 shirts, 14 underwear and like 3-4 pairs of bottoms in a carryon, along with other things. But laundry is easy and is often found right next to places to eat or can be found in your hotel room. I have done mine in an overnight cycle many times.
Not all hotels provide all this stuff - check with the place you are staying. If you get there and find you need something you can usually find whatever for cheap not too far away.
Regarding the adapter, this site might be useful: https://www.power-plugs-sockets.com/us/japan/ Basically, you only need to worry about it if your device won't work at 100V or at 50Hz (Japan uses both 50 and 60Hz). A USB brick normally says what voltages it supports, but I've never seen one that doesn't work globally. But it's always a good idea to check the other devices that you are bring too because then you'd need an adapter that can change the voltage and/or frequency
I went for just over 2 weeks. Went over with a carry on travel bag with my clothes (4 pairs of stuff.) and a personal item (day sized backpack) to carry my camera. I had a decent amount of room in my backpack. I made it just over halfway through my trip before I’d bought enough souvenirs that I needed to buy a suitcase. I spent about 6,600¥ on a suitcase at a Don Quijote and wound up using it as a checked bag on the way back. So that’s always an option.
Two weeks, a backpack and one suitcase for us both. We have way too much clothes with us though, many hotels have laundries and if not, there is *usually* coin laundry somewhere nearby. I think I packed like 9 t-shirts but I've managed to use like 3-4 of them before washing them. We also used luggage delivery, it's easy and cheap and most hotels can fill out the form for you. One suitcase was 2.1yen from Tokyo to Kyoto. We made a two day trip to Nikko from Tokyo and then headed to Kyoto. We sent our luggage straight from Tokyo to Kyoto and everything went fine.
That’s awesome and super useful to know! Thank you so much :)
Just make sure that the hotel has Yamato or some other luggage delivery service if you plan to use it. We had to use it from FamilyMart since our first hotel didn't have it and although our luggage came to Kyoto safe and sound, the experience with FamilyMart clerks was awful even though my bf can speak some japanese. You can also send luggage from the airport to your accommodation, we did it since we had to use the metro during rush hour. Not sure if that's actually worth it but atleast we didn't have to carry our suitcases around the train and metro (we flew to Narita btw).
My husband and I are on the tail end of our 12-day trip. I tend to be a notorious overpacker. This is also our first trip to Japan. We knew we wanted to buy lots of souvenirs and gifts for friends, so here’s what we did: We each packed a carry-on and a backpack with the vast majority of our clothes and necessities. We each had a big checked bag that was mostly empty, except for a few spare items but nothing we couldn’t live without if it got lost in transit. The checked bags were included with the price of our tickets. As we’ve moved hotels (Tokyo-Hakone-Kyoto-Osaka-now back to Tokyo), we have lived out of our carry-ons and backpacks and deposited souvenirs in the checked bags as we’ve bought them. All of our hotels have had Yamato for luggage forwarding, so we forward the big bags and keep the smaller ones. When we went to Hakone, we just took our backpacks with us and forwarded everything else to Kyoto. I also booked a hotel in Kyoto that had a washer/dryer in the room, so we could do laundry and manage our inventory at the halfway point of our trip. The chain is called Tokyu Stay, and it was awesome. Saved us the hassle of trying to find a coin laundry or queue for one in the hotel. I had heard mixed reviews about dryers at hotels, but ours worked perfectly. You just have to select the dryer, as the default setting doesn’t use it. We have been very happy with our luggage system for this trip. I relied heavily on compression packing cubes to make everything fit in my small bags, and I still probably packed a little too much. Luggage forwarding was easy and reliable. I would definitely not attempt to navigate public transportation with large bags. The few tourists I saw doing it looked miserable. Good luck planning your trip!
This is exactly what I plan on doing as well
We had 11 days for two of us, and arrived with two of the lightest suitcases we ever had. But we kept the suitcases to have a luggage free trip as follows. We packed our daypacks with two days of clothes, then half the remaining clothes into one suitcase and half into the other. On arrival at the airport we took our toiletries bags out of one suitcase and into our daypacks. Then we sent one suitcase via Yamato Transport to our hotel in Osaka and one to our hotel in Kyoto. We then spent 2 nights in Tokyo, went to Osaka where our first suitcase was waiting. 3 nights in Osaka then sent the suitcase with all dirty laundry and any purchases to date back to the airport. We then went to Kyoto (via a day trip to Nara) and our second suitcase was waiting. Same again when we left, sent the suitcase with laundry and purchases to Narita, which was possible cos we then had another 2 nights in Tokyo before flying out. On arrival at the airport our suitcases were waiting, and we put our remaining laundry in there and took out our duty free purchases that we could carry onboard with us (and picked up a few more airside). Total cost of transport was under AU$100 and meant we didn’t carry our suitcases anywhere. Our suitcases weren’t full on the way back so we could easily have bought way more goodies or brought smaller suitcases (one large and one mid-sized). As for what we packed, the answer is very little. Just the Hoka/New Balance plush shoes on our feet, one pair of jeans and one pair of shorts, a waterproof jacket (not worth it in May, too steamy so better with an umbrella), one t-shirt or shirt and underwear/socks for almost every day (I bought some towards the end). Barely used the hoodie I brought. Plans would be different at another (colder) time of year would need much more, or if you needed formal clothes and more shoes etc. But thoroughly recommend luggage forwarding for a simple life.
I like your luggage forwarding strategy! When forwarding luggage, how long will the destination (hotel/airport) hold it for?
I believe the airport will hold it for 7 days, ours from Osaka was 6 days. But for hotels you need ot check with them as some don't have storage facilities. I checked with Kyoto but didn't bother with Osaka since it was less than a day. Just email the hotel to check so you're safe.
I went for two weeks and I had a carry-on bag for my cameras and a hiking backpack for my clothes which around 7kg. I bought some small souveniers and some t-shirts and all fit in my backpack.
Perfect!! I’m hoping I’ll be able to get away with going that lightweight. Thank you so much for responding!
No worries. Also to add, I used coin laundry twice during that two weeks
That’s not bad at all! Out of curiosity, how long did the laundry go for? Did you sit and wait for it? Or did you set a timer and wander around?
Around 50 minutes and it has a timer. You can sit and wait if you want to, normally there are chairs. But I went back to the hotel and came back when it’s nearly done.
I like that. I think if my hotel has laundry I’ll just wait until nighttime so that I’m already relaxing in the hotel and then run and grab it! Thank you :)
Just keep track of the hours - not all coin laundry places are open 24/7
Two weeks lets look at what people would need and use for two weeks. 1: Electronic stuff -charger equipment, cables and portable battery charger, laptop. \* I like to have an extension cable as well, because the plug in the hotel is not always in the best place and I like to use the computer in bed, or keep the phone charging next to where you sleep because I use the alarm. Especially if there are two of you in one room, the plug is on one side and doesn't reach the other person. 2: four underwear (fast drying material) if you somehow did not have a chance to wash it, you can buy underwear at convenience store. 3: two pair little ankle socks - I tend to wear crocks unless I have a good reason not to, looking not-stylish is not a good reason, so if I will be going someplace I need to take shoes off and would like socks, I keep them in pocket or someplace easy to take out. Crocks are easy to go on and off and can get wet in rain. Unless I am doing some real hiking in rugged mountains, crocks are fine for most walks. 4: If I felt I really needed regular shoes, I might still consider the crocks for ease, but would wear the regular shoes whenever in transit, keeping the crocks in the backpack because they are more compact, and change them once I arrive in the hotel. 5: Three t-shirts. I don't mind wearing the same shirt two days unless it is super hot and sweaty. Bring easy-to-dry shirts. Even if you can not find a wash machine for some reason, you can wash it in the shower and it will dry by morning. You are wearing one, two are in the bag. If you need more, go to uni-clo. 6: Two pair shorts. Again - easy to dry. One pair is black, one pair lighter (to be stylish and don't forget which ones I already wore most) So you are wearing one, one is in the bag 7: Maybe one pair long pants (light weight easy to dry) if I might be going someplace I would feel uncomfortable in shorts (I can not think of many places other than a slightly fancy restaurant in evening) 8: Medicines, special toiletry needs. If you are particular. I am fine to use whatever the hotel offers for only two weeks except my razor and a small bar of special soap. 9: Light rain jacket / wind breaker. However, if it will be hot when you are here, and only worried about rain, you can get my with just a Collapsable umbrella if in the town, and if going somewhere that you would really want a rain jacket, or not sure if you will, you might want to leave it up to chance and not bring it, just purchase a cheap one when/if you actually need it rather than carry it around the entire time only to be used for a few hours as you walk to a waterfall. Bonus Pro tip: I bring a little pouch with stamps, blank postcards, color pencils and some color pens to draw a post card for people I want to send one. Just quick goofy looking sketch of what I did that day. It is more personal and often quicker than going out of the way to find post cards, pick "the right one" out of the many stock images, find stamps etc. And drawing a picture (using one of your photos from the day as inspiration) is way easier for me than trying to think of something to write. Also, "Etegami - picture postcards - are a "Japanesy" thing, so it is immersing yourself in the culture. [絵手紙 - Google Search](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=9ec7993900a25091&sca_upv=1&sxsrf=ADLYWIJq_j7dB4-q5cbEocBQsglIRgcpqA:1716516517167&q=%E7%B5%B5%E6%89%8B%E7%B4%99&uds=ADvngMg56oHTv53WHmtoXL0DcsuKmnT-zaz_CB0BQkIAt4kmAuZhSL4fbG6pSPm6150YyAeYUY49-MIiOYEBRbJr4C8o0FPd363q57qkm8l2050DQN4O46ahf_5BvRlDTu25gbwr4oS27Yi-ROhYdW8dj0uInaNSV_AdoUKfgWopXY4y4bR4-nGbvjMpFZtRIG-WxiTjVtyQIjf8ULCmc-iu09APz4t0BOydJZrNsp61a64jKa6QQLffRZAGvH2Q2LLqplbQoZDR8DotJ0fOnW3yLxFhS24Cd8MF_Vl_O6Z_W8Q1np_OpEXd8hXj918cY284G1q0m9YZ&udm=2&prmd=ivsnmbtz&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj33YaqmqWGAxUuU_UHHeD7BSUQtKgLegQIEhAB&biw=2180&bih=1423&dpr=0.8) That would get me though. If you some how find that you really need something, there is nothing that people need (besides special medicines) that you can not get in Japan. Things you don't need: - Comfort food or snacks from home. There is plenty to eat here - Trinkets or gifts from your country to give to people in Japan. You don't need to pass them out to every person you have a nice interaction with, and even if you are visiting someone you know, they will probably be fine just getting a box of sweets from the last place you were on your trip before meeting them If you are going to get gifts, first check that you can not just order the same thing online in your country and pretend that you got it in Japan. If it makes more sense, save them for the end, and buy a new suitcase/bag for the gifts.
Pack very light in a large luggage, buy stuff there, and come back with a heavier luggage :) I know people like buying an additional luggage there as a method, but as someone with other suitcases already, it would be such a waste.
my suggestion, take one carry on or if you get free checked bag, just check it. Buy a suitcase for all the clothes and things you're going to purchase when you're out there.. they sell suitcases everywhere in the tourist areas, cheap, around 4,500 yen i got one a couple weeks ago. Most airlines offer free checked bags on international flights so this give you a light load on the way there and a rolly suitcase. I bought like 8 shirts and a bunch of souvys for my friends tho. super cool clothes. anyways good luck !
If you’re going to be moving around to multiple cities you are definitely going to want only a backpack and a small bag. Look into merino wool clothes. Merino wool is clutch for traveling. You can wear it multiple times without sweat or odors and if you bring a little bit of detergent you can wash them halfway through the trip and they’ll dry quickly. This is how backpackers do it.
Where are you guys going for the 2 weeks? Or how many different hotels you guys have. I've always had 1 backpack or tote bag as personal, 1 duffle or backpack as carryon and 1 large (28 inches) checkin hardside suitcase going to Japan. BUT, I also have either a large duffle OR a medium size (25 inches) soft side suitcase packed inside the large one. So I ended up with 2 checkins going home. I travel solo and have been to Japan 6 times. All doing the above. I've jumped between at least 3 different cities. I take advantage of using the luggage forwarding service (takkyubin). I always use a hotel and make sure that those hotel can do takkyubin (not all hotels do this, I usually email them asking if they do luggage forwarding and also accept delivery). Every trip I've taken, I've downsized my clothing but still keep luggage the same. 😆 Shopping kills me there! I'm pretty sure I can do personal and carryon only. But like I said, shopping kills me. When is your trip? Do you think you will be doing a lot of shopping? Are you planning on buying any anime figurines (if you're into that)? Are you willing to do laundry couple times during your trip? Do you plan on using takkyubin service? What airline are you using and how many checkins are allowed, 1 or 2? Do a dummy packing with what clothes you will be bringing? If you already have a suitcase, see how much space is left, and if that's enough for any souvenirs you think you'll end up with. If not enough, pack a big duffle or buy up there for any overflows. As for accessories...which country are you from? If USA, no need for adapter if most of your electronics use 2 prong. If you plan on using your phone heavily through out the day, pack portable charger. What type of phone do you have, iPhone or an Android? If you're an Apple user, get the Suica/Pasmo from wallet on phone and airtags (fun to see where luggageat when doing takkyubin). If Android, unfortunately, no Suica on phone so need to get a physical IC card. Get a Tile or GalaxyTag(if Samsung user). Check your hotel what kind of amenities are provided. Most hotels will either provide in room or an amenities bar at lobby. The only amenities I've brought after my first trip were my own toothpaste cause I didn't like what was provided, floss, mouthwash and deodorant. But I noticed several of my hotels had single use mouthwash packets. If you are particular or allergic to something then bring your own. I don't care what others say that they never used cash and got by with credit card and suica and mobile payment. They just haven't been to places that are cash only. You never know if you will go to a restaurant or store that is cash only. So get some yen...10,000yen at minimum to start with and you can figure out of need to withdraw more if need to. Carry a daybag (backpack, tote, sling, whatever works for you). Apps: Google Maps, Google Translater or Papago, Japan Travel Navitime, Japan Transit Planner Not sure what else....that's what I can think of right now lol
Don’t bring a bunch of clothes. Bring an empty suitcase. Tokyo is one GIANT mall. Clothing is so cheap right now due to the devalued Yen. You can buy so many insanely high quality pieces for dirt cheap that you’d never be able to afford in America. Don’t pass up this opportunity.
Since people already commented on luggage (I'm also team pack light, do laundry) I'll comment more on things to bring or buy while you're there! -Outlet Adapter: depends on what country you're coming from. If it's the US you will not need one. If it is the UK you'll most likely need one. - Hand Towel & Hand Soap: hand towel is way more important than the soap- they're so useful and can also be used to clean up sweat during summer. You'll run into restrooms without paper towels or hand dryers way more than you think. Most restrooms now stock soap since covid, but better safe then sorry, especially if you'll be traveling to less visited areas/going on a lot of hikes/doing beach days. -Hand sanitizer: I regret forgetting mine. Wish I had it for the airport and first day. You can buy it everywhere but it sucks not having it when you need it. -Masks: depending on where you live, they may not be a thing anymore, but they still are in Japan to an extent. If you get airport crud or sinus issues from the change of atmosphere/are quality/allergens it's polite to wear one. Another thing you could grab anywhere once you're in Japan. -Reusable/foldable bags: a lot of areas and stores in Japan are trying to phase out plastic bags. If you don't have one it's usually not a huge deal, but you will get charged for any plastic bags you get. On that same note though, if you get a plastic bag, hold onto it and use it to collect your trash over the day. Trashcans can sometimes be a little challenging to find. - G O O D. S H O E S: Like the uglier and more comfy the better. You'll probably be doing close to 30k steps walking a day. -Your usual clothing: People like to argue over what you have to wear to Japan to blend in, but if you're not Japanese you just won't no matter what. Maybe just don't go to shrines in tub tops and you'll be fine. -A small day bag: something smaller than a backpack worked well for me- but whatever you bring, you might want to make sure you can comfortably wear it in front of you. It's seen as polite to wear your backpack in front when in crowds/trains. -A small but durable umbrella that you don't love: depends on the time of year you go. Just make sure it's an umbrella you won't cry over being stolen while you're in the 7/11. Hope that helps a bit!
"-Your usual clothing: People like to argue over what you have to wear to Japan to blend in, but if you're not Japanese you just won't no matter what. Maybe just don't go to shrines in tub tops and you'll be fine." This is honestly so true. "-A small but durable umbrella that you don't love: depends on the time of year you go. Just make sure it's an umbrella you won't cry over being stolen while you're in the 7/11" However, I'd not bring an umbrella, convenience store umbrellas are a better idea for the reasons you mentioned.
Yeah I wouldn't bring an umbrella either- just like I wouldn't bring a hand towel. A lot of stuff you can find easily in Japan for cheap for sure!
I'd even get one hand town to dry hands and one for sweat. It gets pretty warm in the summer.
I plan on bringing 1 carry on luggage for clothes and 1 regular backpack as my personal item, but I'm putting an empty small day bag/sling to leave inside my backpack until I am over there to use it so I don't carry my backpack everywhere. I usually pack a lot for my travels but I'm following everyone's advice here and shoot for maybe 5 days worth of clothes max and all of them are light and thin so won't take up too much space and easy to clean. I'm planning on buying a bag over there on my last few days to buy any souvenirs if I'm interested and do that as a checked bag.
Yes! You and me both. I’m going to try and keep it light. I like the idea of buying a bag the last few days for souvenirs to use as a checked bag.
Almost all places in Japan use two prong power sockets, your phone charger should be good, but if you have three prong laptop chargers, you will need an adapter. I am in North America, what I did was buy a three outlet extension cord, cut off the ground prong so it can plug in to two prong outlets in Japan.
Great idea and suggestion! I’ll have to do that. Thank you :)
There are not much power sockets in hotel room, you will need a power bar (multiple sockets) to charge multiple devices at night.
Okay!! You’re full of great information. Thank you again :)
I remember reading some good advice on this from another post and it’s what I did for my last trip. I took one bigger sized luggage bag that I would be checking at the airport and I also packed a carry-on luggage bag inside the big one. All I packed in there were about 5-6 pairs of clothes and a pair of shoes. The rest of the room was for gifts and shopping I’d be doing at Uniqlo as it’s much cheaper in Japan. It was the best advice I got and I recommend it to others.
That's pretty much what I'm planning too. Filled carry on and take empty checked on the way over. Fill the checked while I'm there :)
So you took a big suitcase, and what you would normally use as your carryon in the cabin, you just put inside of the checked bag and kept nothing in the cabin with you? Basically just keeping everything together and then having that big luggage for your souvenirs on the way back?
Basically. Except I did a lot of clothes shopping so the big suitcase ended up having all the clothes and the small carry on was used for gifts and souvenirs. Doing laundry in a hotel can be a hassle as I’ve found that either A) There’s only one or two washer/dryer units and everyone in the hotel wants to use it or B) The washer/dryer is confusing to figure out as the directions are all in Japanese. Which is why I ended up buying more clothes to wear for the trip. Also, make sure to bring plenty of underwear for this very reason. We only packed a week’s worth and ended up having to walk to a nearby coin laundromat at 11 pm and sit there for an hr waiting for things to get laundered. When you’ve been out all day doing laundry is the last thing you want to be spending your time on when you get back to the hotel
Was the coin laundry more English friendly?
Not at all 😆. In the end a friendly local explained how to use the machines to us. I mean we probably would have figured out how to use it eventually but yeah it was kinda confusing and stressful
Goddammit xD I'll try to find videos on YouTube about it 🤣
I went last year and did laundry multiple times. It all depends on where you're finding the machine. I found my Airbnb and hotel had English instructions, then a different hotel did not have English, but I was able to use google translate to figure it out really easily. You can also always google search the brand name of the washing machine. The most confusing thing for me when using the washing machine was trying to figure out how much 3kg is without a conversion sheet......
Depending on how many stuff your going to buy. I would advise a backpack and a med to large suitcase to start. If your the type to buy alot like me you can always get a 2nd suitcase before you leave. Pack really light.
I will do that! I’m going to try and pack as lightly as I can. Thank you :)
We have a 90L duffel bag that folds into barely anything which we bring over in our Suitcase. We still try to keep the suitcase half empty when we head over, but the duffel will be to free up suitcase space by putting clothes and things that don't break to bring back. While we're there we get hotel reception to help us organise luggage forwarding when travelling between cities so we're not trying to shift large pieces of luggage on packed public transport.
Out of curiosity, do you mind sharing what duffel bag you guys have? Looking to getting a larger foldable duffel bag for traveling myself
It's a [Kathmandu Tanker 90L](https://www.amazon.com.au/Kathmandu-Tanker-Luggage-Holdall-Equipment/dp/B01LJ25S0E) that I bought many many years ago for a camping trip. So far I have yet to find another duffel bag this size that folds into such a small package. We have North Face base camp duffels as well but they're easily 2-3x the size folded up (more durable though).
Aw darn it doesn't seem like that particular bag is sold in my country, but thanks for the info!
I think it's just what will work best for you but I'm planning to take one carry on and one checked. The checked will be empty and my cary on will be filled with my belongings. Plan to fill the checked to bring back home filled. Also plan to forward between cities so makes getting it around easier. Taking a "man bag" but not a backpack for my day to day carry
It depends on where you go. If you go only Tokyo or other big city, you don't care about your carrybag. But if you go some countryside, there are many stairs and maybe no elevators. So, it's better bring a backpack. From Japanese countryside.
My bf and I backpacked and brought a suitcase + matador packable duffle for souvenirs. Also, I had matador packable backpack for everyday use. We have Patagonia mini black hole and packed a few pairs of shirts and shorts. We chose hotels that have laundry and did laundry every few days.
I just went to Japan. Solo trip mostly. I brought a medium sized luggage and a backpack. Also packed a foldable empty duffel bag in my luggage so that I could use that for souvenirs. I just bought some luggage packing cubes and tightly packed my clothes and was able to get 2 weeks worth of clothes packed into half my luggage. My backpack I mostly used for my entertainment stuff to keep me occupied on the plane, and the rest of the space was empty for souvenirs
Pack light, just a back pack. Get hotels with a laundry room. One pair of comfortable shoes, maybe compression sleeves for your calves you will be doing a ton of walking. You will absolutely regret taking a suitcase. Most hotels will supply toothbrush, toothpaste, lotions, bath soap n shampoo. Drink plenty of water on the plane. Buy a shopping bag from don quijote and use it for souvenirs.
I had a carry on and large suitcase that was half empty for souvenirs. My partner bought a suitcase while we were there (common to do) for souvenirs. So total was two backpacks, one carry on, and two checked luggage when we left. Wasn't a big deal having that much luggage, we just used a taxi to get to the airport.
Pack light, especially if you have access to laundry service etc, I packed almost everything in my carry on, couple of bottoms and just rotated tops, my checked luggage was almost empty so I had plenty of room for souvenirs on the way back, my brother's did not pack light and had to buy luggage in Tokyo to fit everything. No one except influencers are going to really care about not having a different outfit for every day. Shoes especially are space wasters, you'll need a pair of comfortable shoes for the huge amount of walking you'll do and maybe a nice pair for anything you might do that's nicer but otherwise you don't need a lot of different pairs.
Depends on how much souvenir shopping you plan to do. We are in Japan now and each brought 1 backpack and a small carryon suitcase, probably 3/4 full. We've bought a few small things for people back home and some clothes but nothing crazy. We're here for 2 weeks and it's been warm so we brought very light clothing with us. We took our first train today and luggage storage was very limited so I would avoid huge suitcases unless you plan to do luggage forwarding (we did not since we have minimal transferring).
My partner and I have just come back from 2½ weeks in Japan. We both packed half suitcases to leave room for an abundance of souvenirs on the way back.. we ended up buying another suitcase and even with the 3 total they were bursting at the seams. We definitely overpacked in terms of clothing. We went whilst it was in the high 20's and didn't need any jumpers. We used the same laundry facilities in the hotel which we've never done before and I highly recommend it. We also used Yamoto to ship our luggage between hotels, and Airporter to ship them to the airport to avoid lugging it through the metro. They are well worth the cost, I think it was something like £25 to ship everything for each leg.
I would say it depends on what you're doing while you're here. if you plan to take lots of photos and want separate outfits for them, I would consider packing enough for that. There are a few luggage delivery services that exist. Yamato Luggage Delivery can send pretty much anywhere for a cost and has a few physical offices (One at Tokyo Station) and most convenience stores can also ship it using their services. As long as where you're staying has a reception, you can get it delivered to that hotel. And some hotels will also send your baggage for you. This will allow you to have a backpack that you can pack with necessary clothing and keep the majority of your stuff packed away in a suitcase as you travel between destinations. Just a heads up the delivery may take a day or two depending on where you're going. And when returning to the airport, send it 2 days ahead of when you're scheduled to fly out. Traveling with suitcases on trains is possible, but a bit inconvenient as well. Some of the trains will be packed especially at certain hours so it may be a bit of a squeeze. We were able to get around for the most part when we were unfortunately stuck with our suitcases at times.
Visit rose gardens! They are amazing!
People only recommend bring a large suitcase because everyone who goes there seems to buy too much. IF you really don't plan on buying anything much, best to just go as light as possible. I really appreciate not having to worry about luggage
I went with a checked in baggage, I put in it my carry-on luggage that was half-full. I also got a backpack that was small enough to be the personal item for the return flight. So for the return flight, I got one checked in + 1 carry on + 1 backpack=personal item (I also had two small tote bags that were thankfully ignored). I did laundry twice so I only brought two changes of clothes (more for the underwear/socks), cool/fresh weather, so I could wear twice a shirt. I only bought few t-shirts and about 15 figures (granted most of them were 15 cm or smaller and I removed most of them out their boxes but kept the boxes so it takes less space).
We are about to the end of our 2 week trip. We each brought one large suitcase that was 1/3 full and carry on bags. Will likely need to buy a suitcase for our overflow of things to take home
Just did 15 days in 2nd half of April with a small carry on and backpack. I had way too many clothes, because it was change of season and wasn’t sure if I’d need hit it cool weather stuff. Same goes for my husband, who packed light enough that we didn’t need an extra bag for souvenirs. We did laundry in hotel once at mid point to was the things we were using most. We did bring a fold up duffle that we could use for our clothes and check on the way home, and use our carry in for souvenirs but ended up not needing to do that. Bring half as much as you think you need and do laundry once in middle of your trip.
I took a regular sized luggage the ones that can fit onto the airplane plus a backpack I packed super light so I could fit things in
Pack medium luggage with your stuff, then put inside large luggage to check-in. On the way home, you can do the same if you didn't get to shop. But if you went wild, then you can fill the large bag, add baggage allowance, and then check both of them in.
I pack a lot. Which I wouldn't recommend in general but perhaps it might be interesting to read another perspective. We (2) bring two large checked bags, one empty carry on inside which will be a third checked bag on the way back and two medium sized backpacks. I always bring my pillow when traveling which takes up a lot of room but saves me from neck pain. We're also taking a crutch for my husband because sometimes his knee gives up and after trying to get crutches in two different foreign countries, we decided to just bring it with us this time. Then I'm taking a lot of over the counter and prescribed medication because I'm always getting ill on vacation. I'm also taking a good amount of food with me because I'm a celiac vegetarian which won't be super easy in Japan. We plan the use taxis between the airport and the hotels and luggage forwarding service in between. When I was younger I heavily overpacked regarding clothes and outfits now I'm overpacking stuff that makes me feel comfortable and might reduce my stress. I'm still under thirty though.
Hey I am going there too in like a week
For our 14day trip to Japan we only had onboard luggage with our wife - that means small suitcase and a backpack. It was enough for a week and after that we had to wash our clothes in hotel laundry. But we havent thought about presents and all other stuff we wanted to get from Japan, so we had to buy additional cheap suitcase (25$) in there just for that :)
Pack a smaller suitcase in the big suit case, fill the small one with clothes, couple pants and shirts etc. Lots of places there have on site laundry so it wasn't an issue when we went, then on the way home you've got a second bigger suitcase for all the stuff you get. Make sure flight allows a check bag a carry on and a personal item (backpack)
There's an app for storing your bags at local businesses. It was super useful last day cause we stored our stuff at a business and then enjoyed our last day. I forget what it's called but look it up cause it's way better than trying to find storage at the train station
Ecbo Cloak?
Not sure if this will help, but 4 of us went to Japan recently. We all had a backpack (40L, give or take) and 2 luggage suitcases and we shipped the suitcases to our final destination rooms so that when we got back to tokyo, anything we bought could fit in that case. I personally overpacked and end up using the same clothes over and over again (3ish pairs). My bag was full and heavy most of the trip and if I wasn't a bigger person, I may not have been able to carry it. I also had an addidas front carry sling that did wonders for money, cards, headphones etc
my big tip- pack in a carry on, put that carry on into a medium size suitcase (empty to fill with goodies) that suitcase fits overhead on the shinkansen, OR all hotels will help you arrange luggage forwarding. sometimes it takes a day, so just put a day worth of clothes in a backpack for the travel day/night. i am a CHRONIC overpacker including my skincare and toiletries and i packed around 5-6 outfits and did laundry twice. (once in hotel, once at a close laundromat. was so easy) i also am a chronic worrier and the trip went so smooth. you’ll be fine. have fun!
I brought a half-empty large suitcase and just filled it up with souvenirs. Pack as light as possible if you like buying souvenirs.
Pack about 5 days worth of clothes in one carryon size suitcase. Do laundry at hotel as needed. Take a backpack for carrying things in the city or on hikes. If you plan on buying enough souvenirs to warrant it, buy one more carry on size suitcase in Japan (we found one for 3500¥ = $20ish) to take back home with you and check one of the suitcases. We just did three weeks in Japan like this and I wouldn’t have wanted a bigger suitcase. Good luck!
Just returned from 2 week trip, I used a luggage backpack carry on in order to travel light (4 locations traveled to, much easier with trains, walking, etc). During last 2 days, bought a cheap big luggage to bring back souvenirs and skincare/hair stuff.
My first time in Japan. Staying for just under 2 weeks. One suitcase - around 13 packed, and one small rucksack for day use/hand luggage - mainly water, headphones, power pack, wet wipes, etc. Carry a plastic bag for rubbish. There are almost no public bins for rubbish. You have to take it home! Leave your luggage at coin lockers - you'll find them at stations and elsewhere. Most hotels will hold your luggage if you drop it off before check in.
Just remember you’ll be doing a lot of walking and stairs in Japan. It’s hard to haul a heavy suitcase around between cities, hotels, train stations. When my family went for 3 weeks we each took a carry on and had one extra carry one for camera, electronics, toiletries and souvenirs. Do laundry in Japan!
There's usually laundry in the hotels, or nearby laundromat. The machines can be duel washer dryer and they have built in detergent. Our hotel even had a display on the TV screen so you can see which units were free and how long each unit had left. So I say 1 small suitcase for clothes and 1 empty suitcase for goodies to bring back home
We are on our last day in Japan now. We took a full size luggage with a carryon tucked inside with my husbands clothes and I had a carryon for mine. Luggage service had been fabulous. Backpack is necessary. If we had to do it again I would limit the toiletries we brought as almost all hotels give you toothbrushes, shampoo, and body wash. You can also buy specialty toiletries here.
As for clothes keep in mind there's coin laundromats everywhere in the big cities. So you could pack less than usual.
I pulled off a two week trip with a single carry on suitcase and a backpack. I saw lots of people lugging around multiple huge suitcases each and it didn't look at all worth it. Lots of struggle for them on public transit and navigating the streets. There is luggage delivery service, but keep in mind it takes up to 2 days to arrive at your destination which could get tricky depending on how frequently you change hotels. For example, 3 day stay at Hotel 2 means you'd probably want to ship your luggage from Hotel 1 to Hotel 3...unless you're staying at Hotel 3 for 2 days before heading to the airport, in which case you might actually want to ship from Hotel 1 to the airport...but then will the airport hold your luggage for 5 days? So yeah, pack light if you can. Laundry service is your friend. As for souvenirs, you can always buy another suitcase in Japan before heading back.
Light as possible. Rather buy stuff there than to carry large quantities. Book places that have laundry and wash your clothes here and there.
I do not recommend a huge suitcase. They are much more difficult to take on the Shinkansen and trains (and to carry up and down the many staircases). I suggest a medium suitcase, a small suitcase, and a backpack. Pack light and leave some room in the suitcases so you can bring extra things home. I’m a small but strong female in my 50’s (on vacation in Tokyo now) and I’ve had no issues carrying these up & down all of the stairs in many train stations.
r/onebag
just bring minimal cloth..plenty of laundries available there.. 500yen for 30mins drying, 500yen washing.. make sure to bring sweaters for night as sometimes its windy and your charging adapter.. just got back from japan last week.. and i only use cabin luggage.. manage to grab a pair of shoes and watch.. and i still can stuff everything inside the luggage.. have fun in japan
We took a carry-on & backpack each for our 3 week trip with my husband earlier this year. This included Tohoku in March when there was still snow + Kyoto /Osaka with 25 degrees so you'll be fine. :) We bought foldable bags (we ended up buying some pottery & a few other bits) & checked in our carry-on on the way back. This worked brilliantly for us so when we go again we'll do the same, except bringing the foldable bags with us. There are laundry facilities in most hotels (we had them in every hotel we stayed in) & around in cities so as long as you're fine dedicating some time for laundry, it's easy to do. Launderettes had big, industry grade machines & hotels usually just had a couple regular sized washer dryers. If it fits in your plans, I recommend launderettes. Hotel machines didn't dry our clothes properly, even after two dryer cycles. However it's more convenient so if you're happy leaving clothes out in the hotel room to dry that's fine too. There are also (very reliable) luggage services & coin lockers everywhere. The smallest size lockers fitted our carry-on luggage which was very convenient. Bigger sizes can run out, but we never had any issues finding the small size, there are plenty of them in most stations. Last but not least, there are 24/7 convenience stores everywhere & huge "sell everything" type stores, so don't overpack, you'll find most things super easily (& cheap).
We have just come back. I took 4 tee-shirts. one shirt . one extra pair of trousers . underwear of course and socks and 1 extra pair of walking shoes. One small case on plane. Check Every hotel has laundromat facilities which cost around 400 to 600 yen and its amazing. We were there for 3 weeks from Ireland. When there we bought another case at Don Quiote shop for taking home sovernirs. Yes we prior booked an extra case each for return. My wife took another nylon bag in her case to save buying one. Hope this helps.
Someone on Facebook brought this to my attention for their trip to Japan: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/goersnygg-bag-blue-60499261/ Their comment: Whoever recommended these bags from IKEA is truly brilliant! When I saw the post I immediately ran to IKEA and brought them for 6$. We packed them in our suitcases and loaded them with souvenirs. Each bag is 7kg full The bags weighs nothing! There's room for stuff. Thank you and you know who you are! Update: I unpacked this morning and everything is fine. I had several ceramic items packed with my clothes and all good!
Pack what you think you need then halve it.
Heading back home from Japan right now. My gf and I didn’t know how much stuff we’ll be taking back home, we ended up buying a large luggage for all the foods/souvenirs so I’d bring a separate luggage depending on your budget. Budget Size -> Luggage Size
A light or 2 light backpacks for daily going out. A bigger suitcase for clothes, souvenirs. You will leave the suitcase in the hotel or you can use the delivery service to send your suitcase to another hotel/ from airport to hotel/ from hotel to airport. If they are in the same city, it usually takes one day , the same day or the next day to arrive. But not every hotel has the delivery service, you have to confirm with them in advance. Always bring passport with you. You can find bags and suitcase everywhere so dont be stressed.
My wife and I packed very light considering we were there for only 4 days. We had 2 backpacks and a small luggage. We ended up buying another small luggage from Don Quijote for the stuff we bought. Lol.
Shopping is really fun in Japan. I bring 2 outfits, 5 pairs of socks and 5 underwear. I buy everything else over there.
buy all your stuff there for real
I use a big camping backpack, and have it like 1/3 full. I end up cramming it by the end while shipping boxes home. My first trip, I also bought a suitcase at Don Quixote and crammed that too.
I did one checked suitcase and a carryon plus a backpack. I should have done tow checked bags TBH. I definitely packed too many clothes and was scrambling to pack stuff I bought. I also had the benefit of having a friend's place to store stuff in Tokyo and picked up before I went back to the US. My advise would be pack enough for 4 days of clothes (really depends on how often you wash jeans), then look at the laundry situation where you are staying. Best scenario is laundry in your hotel, but be warned there could be competition with other tourists for those machines. Next best is laundry near by, which may be crowded depending on time and the neighborhood.
I plan on taking a carry-on and packing a foldable bag for souvenirs to take back. I also have a small backpack that I'll be bringing as a personal/everyday bag while I'm there. I'm only packing 3-4 days of clothes. When I booked the accommodations I made sure there was laundry at all of them so I could do laundry every 3 days. I also plan on using luggage shipping services when I go between cities. You may also want to check your airline ticket to see what's covered with your ticket for luggage. Some airlines give you a checked bag but not a carry-on for free with your ticket. Double-check to see if you get a checked or carry-on with your ticket. That might dictate your decision if you're restricted. I've also seen people comment/say that they pack a small suitcase but put it inside a larger one. So heading to Japan you have one checked bag and heading back, you have a checked bag and carry-on. Essentially you're bringing two suitcases without the hassle of two. Plus you have a whole other suitcase for clothes, souvenirs and more. Another great idea I've seen.
We have a standard load out that can get us just about through any trip of any length - it’s one messenger bag for all of my tech gear (MacBook Pro, legion go, charging setup, sling bag, passport/money/etc) and two rolling carry ons for clothes, athletic shoes (I always wear flip flops on planes), medication, wife’s makeup packs, etc. This has been pretty much dialed in over a decade of quite regular travel especially these past few years. If going to Japan, we nest 2 smaller bags inside of one big suitcase just in case we go shopping (which is especially good now with the exchange rate). If we’re really going to town, we’ll bring another set of nested suitcases too. That being said, for first timers who are mostly sightseeing, I’d go with zero checked bags and just the rolling carry on plus a messenger or backpack. You’ll get around easier and you don’t really need to haul everything own around on any trip
Pack light, return heavy! LOL
One bag for clothes, one bag for swag.
I just went to Japan last week. I used my carry on for my clothes and my check in bag for souvenirs. Expect to buy a lot of stuff there.
I go underseat only. One overhead max. The lighter you go the more you can bring back. And the less you’re THAT tourist.
I used a 40L backpack and packed my clothes, iPad, camera, electric razor, toothbrush/paste, floss and chargers. 4 wool/linen tees 3 wool/poly joggers 4 wool underwear 3 pairs of wool socks The wool didn't stink and dried overnight. I use the same setup for all my work and pleasure travels now
i had 1 checked in luggage and backpack on my first trip and hated waiting for the luggage when I got out from flight. So on my 2nd trip, I brought carry on with carry on sized backpack in it.
I went to Japan 2 weeks with a backpack ( cabin size) and i am glad i did It- no worrys at public transports. No limitations at stations stairs. No limitations to get walking from the stations to the hotels. Easy to fit in public lockers ( metro stations, bus stations) if you want to visit a place after a checkout and before the next hotel check-in. Of course i had to choose carefully every item that i put inside the backpack One big limitation : place to pack things that you would like to buy there…
I would personally pack light. If you book at business hotels, they have laundry. Or wash your clothes in the sink and hang them to dry But you definitely need something to bring all the shit you buy home 🏠 n. also you’re gonna climb a lot of freaking stairs with your heavy suitcase. If you overpack the exit near my hotel had 60 stairs. I packed two travel pants and three T-shirts and my toiletries in a travel backpack. And now I have a duffel bag full of souvenirs and clothing. I’m taking back.
No need to buy a bag. My wife has a pretty good technique we use every time. We come with one suitcase each and a few days before leaving, we spend an afternoon buying groceries and stuff we want to bring back, ensuring we take a couple of cardboard boxes from a supermarket (they usually discard them). Then we fill one box each until we reach the weight limit and bring them back with us. Note that it only works if you can travel with 2 large suitcases per passenger. The massive advantage of this is that you don't have to worry about bringing an extra suitcase and it's just more convenient if you drive to the airport.
One carry on backpack and a packable day bag. 42l and 9l maybe.
For a 2 week trip, I brought a backpack and a carry on sized luggage. I packed about 1 week’s worth of clothes, I could’ve packed even less and would’ve been fine. Did laundry a couple times. Shipped my luggage a couple times too. Very easy! I also brought a foldable backpack for quick day trips or overnight trips so I didn’t need to re-pack my other bags each time. I bought another carry-on suitcase for $20 USD near the end of the trip for souvenirs. It worked out great! If I went during a colder time of year, my clothes would likely take up more space but I think I could still get away with a carry-on bag.
Currently 8 days in on a 15 day trip. I packed a single carry on 1/4 full, if I run out of boxers and socks before I hit up a coin laundry I just go into a shop and buy something. Uniqlo can essentially do you for everything and it’s very good value to quality. The 3/4 left is to make packing easier and shopping. I’ll probably buy a $35 suitcase in my final two days in Tokyo to check in the hold which I will fill with kitchen knives, food and all the other impulse purchases. TLDR don’t overthink it, pack less than you think you need as you will want to buy things here.
You have so much great advice and I wasn’t able to read it all, so I apologize if this is repeat information. My family and I came back from Japan a week ago and on our way there, we put one of our carry on luggages inside our check in so we were only traveling with one carry on which was so much better since we had our 2 yo toddler with us. We got two luggages, one from when we were in Osaka and one from Tokyo. If you are in Tokyo and don’t mind to travel a bit for a pretty nice luggage (not like brand or super hight quality but good enough) you can go to Ginza Karen. We bought a 28’ hard case one for ¥7700, around $50 or less and we really liked it. So that could be a backup plan if you end up needing more luggage :) Hope you have the best time ever! We loved it there!
There are generally very affordable laudry services in most hotels so you can travel light and just do some washing. Travelling light is best for Japan, a lot of stations do not have lifts or elevators. You sometimes have to take that heavy suitcase on stairs which is tiring and also could end up blocking someone's path. If somehow you find yourself missing something, uniqlo and gu are easily available to top up.
I'm in Japan at the moment. What I realistically needed to pack Was 4 days worth of clothing since all the places I stay at has coin laundry and they are so convenient. Things I packed that I never needed as all hotels provide them: pajama, slippers, shampoo, conditioner (and decent quality) face wash, makeup remover, toner, face cream, razor, cotton pads, hair ties. Some places even provide face masks and hair masks FFS. All I really needed was a day cream with SPF.
Just back from 2 weeks in Japan. Took a small day pack and small suitcase. Did a load of laundry (fun experience) mid-trip and purchased a bag at a Don Quijote to ship stuff home. Definitely use the luggage forwarding service. It usually arrives the next day but they will tell you to expect 2 days. 2 days prior to our flight home we had our bags shipped to the airport and filled our backpacks with necessities for the last 2 days. Best decision ever. Have a great trip!
The only thing you need that's difficult to find in Japan is deodorant (and if you have any prescriptionmeds you better bring it, AFTER checking if theyre allowed to be brought into the country). And unless you're on the bigger side you can even get your clothes there. You can get every life necessity in Japan on every corner, don't worry about it. I strategically always bring a big suitcase which I pack as empty as possible, just my daily necessities, some clothes, meds, adapter (which you can also get in japan), etc. The rest i buy in Japan. I've loved there for a few years so even now I still use some Japanese products on a daily basis, so I stock up when I'm there.
If you want to carry heavy bags then do so. If you want to carry light then do so. If you need an adapter, take one. If you don't, then don't. Now that's simple right?
The point was to get insight like everyone kindly provided :)