A travel opportunity is always greeted with a plan. Here’s a few tips on what to bring when you travel in Japan!
Three days before departure…
It almost always begins with the packing.
This is my List:
- Passport and Vaccination Card
- Several Good Pair of Pants
- A Reliable Smart Phone
- A Bombproof Bag
- A great travel camera
- An Awesome DSLR Camera
- Extra Memory Cards
- An all around lens or similar
- A good pair of travel shoes
- Airtags so you don’t lose your stuff
With all the excitement of going to Japan, almost any traveler would be blindsided with JAPAN! Despite all of excitement, a trip to Japan isn’t a walk in the park especially if it’s your first time.
By the way, this bag, is the only bag you’ll ever need if you’re going to travel anywhere in the world and I mean it!
The places I plan to go to in Japan
- Nagano (high elevation, mountainous, cold)
- the Alpine Route (cold)
- Kanazawa (on the Sea of Japan, it is know to be cold)
- Kyoto (Central Japan; should be cool in October and November)
- Osaka (same as Kyoto)
- Hiroshima (same as Kyoto)
- Yamaguchi (the southern tip of Honshu, should be cool)
- Fukuoka (on Kyushu, should be cool in October and November)
- Kumamoto (should be cool in October and November)
- Beppu Onsens in Oita (should be cool in October and November)
- Kagoshima (should be cool in October and November)
- Tokyo (should be cool in October and November)
- Chiba (should be cool in October and November)
- Ibaraki (should be cool in October and November)
What will make this trip even more interesting is that I will be traveling alone.
Why these places?
I hear that the peak of the fall season is one of the best times to see these places. To add to that, I never traveled around Japan in one shot. Given these places, I already have an idea of what to bring in terms of staying comfortable.
Where Will I Stay?
Hotels, hostels, and everywhere in between.
What Not to Lose During Your Trip
Most important item to bring is your passport, your vaccination card followed with credit cards that give you travel insurance. To keep it all organized, get a passport cover.
As with cash, remember that Japan is still a cash based society so bring some paper. I carry around 20,000 yen (about $180) at all times in my wallet just in case. I will hide the rest of my money in two separate place in my pack. As for the total amount of money, I’ll be carrying approximately $1000 in cash and I’ll withdraw if I ever need extra.
Another thing of importance is the JR RAIL PASS, if you decide to get one. If you lose this, your trip in Japan will be miserable.
One last thing is my college student ID. This might not be necessary but I find my student ID very handy for those discounts that are only offered to those who are still in school.
What Kind of Clothes?
You want your clothes to be very durable and light in weight. You also want to be warm so I’ll be wearing them in layers. Wearing in layers is best because depending on your environment, you can always strip out what you don’t need. The worst thing that can happen is sweating too much that your clothes get wet. Non-cotton clothes are perfect for these kinds of situations but I love cotton. So it will be 3 short sleeved cotton shirts for sleeping, 3 short sleeved polyester shirts for traveling, 2 long sleeve polyester shirts to keep warm, a lot of underwear (the sport type), and 5 pairs of wool socks.
As for pants, I will be wearing convertible pants and bring an old pair of jeans!
One Good Jacket to Rule them All!
As for overall protection, I will be bring my favorite Goretex Jacket. It’s the best jacket I’ve had for hiking, and traveling! It is heavy duty but warm, water-proof, and durable.
Shoes?
Comfortable Shoes are important and you never go cheap with gear that touches the ground. Since my mobility is dependent on the type of shoes I’ll be bring, I need to be wearing a really good pair! I wouldn’t want my shoe to fall apart while hiking some place in Japan. So why not something all-around? Running Shoes would be the perfect choice! It is waterproof, good for all-seasons, already broken-in and rugged.
Communications/ Mobile Devices?
A reliable phone such as an iPhone. I like android too but most people in Japan use iPhone. If you ever have a problem with your phone or need a quick repair, there’s always going to be an iphone repair shop around the corner.
I review worthy products independently but may earn affiliate commissions from links on this page. Thanks for your support! Also, Adamgo.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Buying from my links help make me write more reviews. Thank you! Adamgo.com