What To Pack For Japan: Japan Travel Essentials
OK, so I secretly love ‘what to pack’ posts. I’m a type A planner with lists full of lists, so reading what other people are packing for Japan makes me happy. It gives me ideas, and often means I add new things to my own list. The problem is, I usually don’t need them!
The list of things you need to pack for your trip to Japan is probably much smaller than you think. And the less you have in your suitcase, the more room you’ll have to bring those epic Japanese souvenirs home.
So here’s my tried and tested list of what you actually need to pack for Japan: the Japan travel essentials that we take on every single trip, without all the fancy or aesthetic fluff you really don’t need!
Heads up! This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click and make a purchase, I might earn a very small commission – at no extra cost to you. This helps to keep the blog going. Thanks for the support!
Essentials
They might not be glamorous, but these essentials are the first things you should pack for Japan. You won’t be able to make the most of your trip without them!
Passport. This should go without saying but make sure your passport is valid and that you have a visa if you need one (if you’re travelling from the UK or the USA, as well as many other countries you don’t need a visa right now).
Cash. Of course, Japan is a modern country and you can use your credit card in many places, but it’s still a ‘cash is king’ culture and there are many places where you can only pay for things with cash. Smaller restaurants and shops for example.
Mobile Phone that connects to the internet. For so much more than making calls! We use ours for maps, storing tickets, and using as a translator. Don’t leave yours at home. And you’ll need wifi too. Consider either a portable wifi device or we always use an esim. This is the link to the one we use.
JR Rail Pass. If you’re going to be doing a lot of train travel in Japan then it might be better value to buy a JR Rail Pass: you can only buy these from outside of Japan.We’ve packed for Japan with and without these, so it’s a personal preference. I’ve written an article here to help you decide if this is the best value option for you.
Packing Cubes. I swear by packing cubes, especially if you’re packing for a family. Each person can have their own cube for each hotel you visit. We do this because it means that the cubes for Osaka (for example) don’t have to be opened until you get there. Packing cubes for family travel just makes sense! You can get these from anywhere: we’ve even tried Primark ones. But I swear by the Antler compression packing cubes that have an extra strong compression zip so you can pack more in. You need these if you shop as much as we do in Japan! They’re not cheap, I won’t lie, but I think they’re worth the investment. The link to these is here.
Chargers and Adapters. Many hotels in Japan have USB charging points, but if not you’ll need an adapter so that you can plug in and charge your electronics. We use this universal one that works for every country (so we don’t have to keep buying new ones!) On the subject of chargers, these are one of the easiest things to forget to pack! You’ll need chargers for your phone, power bank, Nintendo Switches or other electronic entertainment, and anything else that needs to be charged. Carry them in a separate packing cube or drawstring bag so you don’t lose them.
Power Bank. I don’t know where I would be without this! Because we use our phone so much all day long, my phone typically needs charging at least once throughout the day. So I always carry a fast changing, lightweight but powerful power bank with me. The one I use will charge my phone from empty to full at least twice, then I charge it when I charge my phone each evening. I wouldn’t travel anywhere without this one!
Travel Insurance. You shouldn’t be travelling anywhere without travel insurance – the one thing you hope to never need, but that you don’t want to be without if something happens. I’m not an expert so I won’t recommend the best policy, but if you’re interested, I can tell you we use Aviva.
Clothes and Accessories
It’s the same old advice when it comes to clothes and accessories for Japan: wear light layers so that you always feel comfortable in the changeable weather! I also always try to make sure all my clothes are in the same colour tone so that they can be mixed and matched. Pieces that can’t be worn together simply don’t get worn as much!
Comfortable Walking Shoes and Slip on Shoes. Trainers are our choice for walking, though I know some people prefer walking boots. We also take slip on shoes on days where visiting many shrines, or doing a lot of shopping, so that we don’t have the hassle of tying and retying our shoe laces 30 times a day!
Sandals. If you’re visiting in late spring or summer, you may want to take sandals. I know this is contentious (maybe people say you shouldn’t wear sandals in Japan because Japanese people often choose not to) but I couldn’t be without my Birkenstocks when it’s hot! I have a few pairs but I’m currently wearing these big buckle ones in tan.
Layers. No matter how long you’re staying, you don’t need to pack more than one weeks worth of clothes. It’s too much to carry from city to city! We use the laundry in our hotel once a week when we pack for Japan instead. Items that we pack (for me, Mike, and the boys, we all wear variations of the same thing) include:
- Lightweight cotton t shirts x 7
- Sweatshirts/Hooded tops/jumpers x 3 (more if you’re visiting in winter)
- Shorts (no matter the weather, as you have to wear these for Teamlabs Planets, if you’re visiting) Take more in the summer.
- Jacket (lightweight for spring/autumn, heavy weight for winter, water proof for summer)
- Socks x 7
- Underwear x 7
- Pyjamas x 2 (most hotels provide these if you want to pack lighter, but we always like the comfort of our own)
- Jeans x 2
- Joggers (for the boys), cotton trousers/long skirts (for me) x 3
- Button down top (for the boys) fancier top (for me) x 1 for nicer restaurants
- Baseball cap/knitted hat, depending on the weather
Travel jewellery box. I love mine, and I pack a couple of chunky necklaces and pairs of bold earrings. This makes it easy to mix up my outfits or to look a little dressier when wearing my uniform of black t shirt and jeans. Adding a big earring can give a plain top a whole new look!
Sun protection. High-SPF sunscreen, lip balm, sunglasses, and a hat are must-haves for much of the year in Japan. Even in early April we managed to get sunburnt on an unseasonably hot day in Tokyo, so I recommend carrying these things in your backpack at all times.
Health and Hygiene
The toiletries we pack for Japan have gotten fewer and fewer with each trip we take. Japanese hotels tend to provide shower gel, shampoo, soap, body lotion, and many other toiletry options. So for our last trip we largely used these to save the suitcase space (with the exception of my blonde shampoo, that I couldn’t be without). It’s up to you whether you pack your own or use the hotels. But other health and hygiene products I recommend you do take are:
Deodorant. Of course you can buy deodorant in Japan, but it isn’t as strong as the ones we get at home. For this reason, we always pack our own Mitchum deodorant: tried and tested, and we know it will last all day!
Toothbrushes and toothpaste. I’m sure you could get these from the hotel, but we prefer to travel with our own.
Razor and shaving foam. On the same vein, Mike always likes to travel with his own razor!
Sanitary Products. Depending on what kind of period protection you like to use, you might wish to travel with your own. You can buy pads almost everywhere, but tampons are much harder to find in Japan.
Travellers First Aid Kit. Another thing I won’t go anywhere without! My boys are constantly running like madmen (then falling and cutting their knees) so I like to have plasters and other basic supplies at hand, plus it gives peace of mind if going anywhere remote (this is the small, handbag sized kit I carry).
Essential Medication. For us this is paracetamol tablets for the adults and calpol for the kids. Some anti-diarrhoea tablets (upset tummies can strike anyone!) and sore throat lozenges, because the dry air on the plane always seems to give us all sore throats. But if you have any conditions you know might flare (such as a tendency to catch colds, etc) then this could be the essential medication you need.
Hanging Toiletry Bag. We always struggle with bathroom storage space in hotels (one bathroom, four people and all our stuff isn’t easy to balance!) so we invested in a hanging toiletry bag. This means we can hang all our stuff on the back of the bathroom door without taking up all the counter space. (You can get these in all different colours and designs but this is the one we use: mine is leopard print, but this version is now out of stock)
Hand Sanitizer. Where would we be without it? We always carry this in our backpacks and in our hand luggage on the plane.
Packing for Kids
If you’re travelling with kids, then this poses its own unique challenges. If we’d let them, my boys would happily travel with everything they own, so they need tight restrictions. They can’t take anything that won’t fit in the backpack they carry onto the plane! For this reason we’ve invested in CabinZero backpacks because they’re so compact, but you can fit so much in!
(And because I get asked this all the time, here is the link to the boys Pokemon backpacks that they use as their day bags when we’re in Japan).
The details of what they bring vary a little but their essentials include:
Electronics. We let the boys bring their Nintendo Switches on the plane with us, particularly for long-haul flights like Japan. They generally then stay in the hotel safe until we fly home again, but we like having them as an option for when the boys need some downtime.
Headphones. The boys favour the comfort of over the head wireless headphones.
Comfortable travel pillow. This is essential on the plane to make sure the kids sleep – although some airlines will give you a pillow this is usually pretty small and not very padded. Link to the boys current ones here.
Teddy Bear. Don’t underestimate the familiar comfort of a favourite bear to make a new place feel safe. Both boys have a special bear that’s travelled the world with them, and I don’t think we’ll be leaving them behind any time soon.
Magnetic Board Game. We have magnetic hang man, magnetic bingo, and magnetic noughts and crosses. I always recommend these magnetic games because it means you don’t ahve to annoyance of crawling on the floor looking for lost game pieces.
Card Game. We also always pack card games that we can play as a family in the airport terminal, in the hotel, and even at dinner! Uno and Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza are our current family favourites.
A note book and pen. Our boys love to draw and write stories, so this is a great choice for us. Smaller kids might prefer notebooks or colouring books. I’ve designed a colouring and activity book especially for kids going to Japan that you can order here.
Lego/other small toys. The most important thing we pack! My boys each carry a tupperware tub with a Lego board glued to the bottom filled with bricks and figures. They pack with this constantly. When they need 5 minutes to play this is their first pick!
A book. There are few greater pleasures that relaxing and unwinding with a good book. Even if the kids don’t read their books on the plane (the lure of the in-flight tv is usually too good) they love to relax in the hotel with their book after a 20,000 step day.
Snacks. My boys are hungry snack monsters! I always make sure that they have some snacks in their backpack in case they want to eat at the most inopportune moments!
Have I forgotten anything? Is there anything I’ve left out that you would consider an essential? What do you pack for Japan? I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas!
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Heads up! This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click and make a purchase, I might earn a very small commission – at no extra cost to you. This helps to keep the blog going. Thanks for the support!
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