Preparing your trip to Japan is both an exciting, as well as an overwhelming task. Going to Japan is like stepping into a new world. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or setting foot in this incredible country for the first time, careful preparation can help to make the most of your adventure. In this short but comprehensive guide, I’ll delve into the essential items that should find their way into your travel bag, helping you to have a more comfortable trip. So before you get on that plane, start your journey here, with the 10 essentials for your trip to Japan.
- Google Maps!
Google maps is your best friend during your trip through Japan. Providing you with details on how to travel from one place to the next, how much it costs, delays and so on. It has been my biggest help figuring out the cheapest routes, most complicated routes, the prices and the duration. Of course, travelling Japan without Google maps is doable, but I promise you, using Google Maps is my number one tip to make your travels to Japan more comfortable and less complicated. And some extra advice: download an offline map of the area where you are going. You cannot plan routes offline, but you can see where you are on the map at all times :). - A public transportation card
Suica, Pasmo or Icoca, if you can get your hands on one of these you’re bound to save some time using public transportation in Japan. What Google Maps doesn’t take into account is the time it takes to by a ticket at the stations. If you’re unfamiliar with buying tickets, it takes some time to figure out where you’re going, how much it costs and how to find the right machine. Simply swiping a card makes things much easier and less time consuming! Unfortunately, at the moment there’s a chip shortage in Japan so it’s hard to get your hands on an IC card. Fortunately Pasmo started selling Pasmo Passport for tourists, and Suica came up with the Welcome Suica, both only available for tourists. These IC cards are not just useful for public transportation, they can also be used in many shops like convenience stores. Read more about IC cards on Japan-guide.com. And be aware that they don’t work for the Shinkansen or other trains that need a reservation. - Google Translate
If you have any food allergies or follow a vegan/vegetarian/gluten free diet, good luck! Just kidding.. it’s doable, but not without your best friend Google Translate. Yes, Google is taking over the world, but in this case I don’t mind because it’s also saving my life by helping me find vegan food. You can simply download the Japanese and English language and use Google translate offline for anything you want. Of course it can also be used for other things than food. - Tiny towel/handkerchief
It might sound weird, but having a tiny towel with you in Japan is incredibly useful. I would say, do as the locals do and get yourself a nice souvenir towel. Why? Most public toilets and wash basins in Japan don’t have something to dry your hands, so this is where a pocket towel comes in handy. But not only for this.. Summer in Japan is incredibly hot and humid. Having a towel with you while strolling through the city or on your next hike is super useful for wiping away sweat or cooling yourself down by wetting it and putting it in your neck. So get yourself your first souvenir and buy one of the plenty cute hand towels when you arrive! - Chopsticks
Another one in the category useful and souvenir. You will notice that every time you go to a convenience store or cheap restaurant, you’ll get single-use wooden chopsticks. As easy as it is, it is also terrible for the environment. So get yourself a pair of reusable chopsticks (for example from a 100-yen shop like Daisen) and use them throughout your trip in japan. It’s not only useful, but also more fun and delicious to eat with your own choppies. - Bring appropriate clothes
Next to bringing the right clothes for the season you’re travelling in, it’s also important to dress appropriately for the places you are visiting. While nowadays there are so many tourists in Japan that the rules are enforced less and less, respecting the culture of the country you visit remains, in my opinion, one of the most important things when travelling. By respecting the local culture you avoid creating a bad reputation for other tourists while at the same time gaining respect from the locals. One of the ways to do this is to dress appropriately. Japan is a country with a long history of Shintoism and Buddhism (the two main religions in Japan) and therefore many beautiful temples and shrines are probably on your to-go-to list. When you visit these places, be respectful and cover your shoulders and knees. - (Plastic) Garbage bag
A what!? Yes, a garbage bag… Japan is known for being a very clean country. And while it may be a surprise to you, this is not because there are bins everywhere… because there aren’t. When you arrive in Japan, you’ll soon notice that there are no bins to be found anywhere, except the ones next to vending machines where you can dump your plastic or glass bottles (no other garbage please!). This is because Japanese people seperate their garbage thoroughly. They have several categories of garbage such as plastic, bottles and cans, glass, paper, burnables… And next to that, they also clean their garbage before throwing it out. So what Japanese people do, and what I would recommend as well, is bring a garbage bag every day for your own garbage so that you can throw it out when you get back to your hotel/hostel. If you are in need of a garbage bin though, usually the nearest convenience store will have one. - Diet card
If you are on a diet, or if you are vegan, vegetarian, gluten intolerant and not good at speaking Japanese, I would say bring a diet card. You can find diet cards on the internet, such as this one, or just make your own with one sentence “I cannot eat/I’m allergic to” and then pictures of all kinds of things with the Japanese words below it. If you are really allergic to things, this can save your life (make sure you write on the card that these ingredients can put you in the hospital in that case). - Bring your own menstrual hygiene products
This one is for the girls! Depending on what you use, it can be hard to find the right menstrual hygiene products. Personally I’d say just bring a cup and you’re done, but that’s what works for me. So just bring your own. If you don’t, you’ll find pads for sure, and period underwear at Uniqlo sometimes, but the rest will be harder to find. - ESim
If your phone is compatable, then get an ESim. Mine isn’t, so unfortunately I had to buy one of the crazy expensive simcards in Japan (say 40/50 dollars for a month of data). An Esim will be much cheaper, and I believe you can even use it in nearby countries if you’re planning to visit some other places.
In my experience, these are ten things that you need to make the most out of your trip to Japan. If anything is missing on this list, let me know in the comments to help your fellow travelers!
