Traveling Light in Japan
Travelling around Japan is far more enjoyable when you pack light, and thankfully Japan makes it easy to with many conveniences not found in every holiday destination.
Some of my best excursions up mountains or out to islands were only possibly because I had travelled light or left my luggage behind.
There's lots of reasons why it's best not to have a huge suitcase:
Many hotel rooms are very compact.
On most trains luggage racks are found over the seats, so you need to be able to lift your bag up high and fit it. If you want to bring large bags on the Shinkansen you will need to reserve a special seat with an oversized baggage area.
Most city buses and trams don't provide any luggage racks at all.
Train stations are full of stairs and escalators, finding and using the elevators takes significantly more time and it is best to leave the elevators for those who absolutely need them.
People in Japan tend to travel light anyway, so bringing a large suitcase on board can be seen as inconveniencing other passengers.
With that said, here's my tips on packing light for hassle free adventure based on travelling around Japan multiple times!
Guide
Choose your Bag
My first choice is always a good backpack. By having my bag on my back I can get in and out of train stations much easier than if I had something with wheels.
Not only are there shorts sets of steps all over train stations, but the tactile pavement bricks on platforms and pavements to help visually impaired people make anything with wheels a nightmare.
My bag of choice for a few years has been the Osprey Farpoint 40, a bag which has cult status among one-baggers. It's just large enough to still count as cabin bag size on a long haul flight - the straps can be zipped away behind a cover. The daypack is small but does the job.
Neither are perfect, there can be some quirks depending on what way you pack it but no bag is perfect! My main point here is - avoid wheels and heavy cases!
Just off a flight in Fukuoka Airport with my Farpoint 40 Backpack + Daypack!
Amenities & PJs
My washbag is always smaller when travelling in Japan, as Japanese hotels of all levels provide amenities far beyond what I have seen in any other countries I have traveled to, and they are usually fully restocked each day.
Even in a cheap capsule hotel I received a pack with at least a toothbrush, toothpaste, disposable slippers, pyjamas to use for the night, and showers are always fully stocked with body wash, shampoo, conditioner and more.
While it can be wasteful when they over provide, recently I have noticed the business and mid-range hotels are providing just optional amenities in the lobby to cut down on waste. You can take as many or as little as you need to bring to your room.
The fancier the hotel the more amenities (and better quality) provided, sometimes from very fancy brands. Sometimes these amenities are gendered, so I have had the experience of the hotel having to swap out amenities when we (two men) turn up to check in!
A yukata is provided in a ryokan for the duration of your stay. Wear it for relaxing around the inn and town!
Small toiletries are also available in any convenience store - my personal choice is to go to Lawson for the high quality MUJI toiletries.
Doing Laundry
A trolley in front of a row of washers in a Japanese coin laundry.
Photo by Muhammad Irfan on Unsplash.
I always pack just enough clothes for a few days as washing machines and dryers are easily found in Japan and cheap to use.
I've written a whole guide on Doing Laundry in Japan here. It's super handy when there is laundry facilities in the hotel as you can throw on your robe or pyjamas and wash all your clothes at once. It is normal to walk around the hotel in your robe in most Japanese hotels!
Peak time is usually evenings, so I think it's best to go during the day if possible. Often public baths and a coin-laundry are co-located so you can wash yourself and relax while your clothes are washing too!
Hands Free Travel
Ditch your bag when you can. Whether that means putting it in a coin locker, leaving it at a hotel before check-in, or using the super convenient TA-Q-BIN luggage forwarding service.
I had travelled a few times around Japan and never used luggage forwarding, until I had to because I was cycling the Shimanami Kaido cycle route one way. It was so convenient I couldn't believe I'd never tried it before, and ended up using it a few more times on the same trip which meant I could squeeze in some sights I wouldn't have otherwise visited.
Public Baths
A quintessential Japanese experience that many miss out on because they didn't stay at an onsen town - but public baths are found everywhere, inexpensive, and you don't need to bring anything with you.
While an onsen has to use natural hot spring water, a sento uses heated water from the public water supply.
Public baths provide many personal amenities as it is essential you wash yourself thoroughly before and after bathing. Changing rooms have hairdryers and you can rent a towel there so you don't have to bring anything but yourself, as you'll be bathing nude! This can be really handy when you've ditched your main bag for a while or need to refresh on the go.
Sento in Okama Prefecture
Konbini to the Rescue
Of course in a city you can get anything you find yourself missing in an emergency, and you're never too far away from a Uniqlo. But the ubiquitous convenience stores carry more than food and toiletries - plenty of them have clothing too. Perfect when you get caught out with something unexpected like the weather or don't make it to the laundry when planned.
FamilyMart have really upped their "Convenience Wear" range, even staging a fashion show!
The striped socks in the FamilyMart brand colours are popular - I've spotted plenty out and about, and they've even done ones in the pattern of their famous Famichiki (fried chicken) bags.
The t-shirts are 100% cotton and I was happy enough with the quality - similar to what you might get from Uniqlo.
FamilyMart's famous socks - ¥429
You could put together your own Salary Man costume from 7-Eleven!
Lawson carry a small selection of MUJI goods, and the larger Lawson stores may have some MUJI clothing like underwear, socks and t-shirts.
I think 7-Eleven are lagging behind the others at the moment, and while they do carry some basic clothing essentials, it's more likely to be aimed at a salaryman - think white collared shirts, ties etc.!
Souvenir & Present Shopping
I have a long standing rule with my souvenirs and gifts I bring home - they have to be flat! I pack all my gifts into the same part of my bag (usually the laptop sleeve as I rarely travel with a laptop) and by only buying flat ones my bag doesn't balloon in size as I travel around.
Great inexpensive flat gifts that don't take up much space to bring back are:
Tenugui (traditional cotton hand towels)
Furoshiki (decorative material used to wrap gifts over and over again)
Folding traditional fans
Chopsticks
Imabari Towels (hand towels from Ehime prefecture, but found easily all over Japan)
Omamori (amulets from Shrines and Temples)
I've written a guide to buying traditional gifts & souvenirs you can check out for more ideas!
Traveling light in Japan not only makes your journey more convenient but also allows you to get around faster and easier, opening up new places to go and experience!