Trip to Japan
Pack for Japan the smart way: cash and IC cards, strict medicine rules, etiquette, shinkansen and seasonal quirks. Tell us if kids are coming and the list adapts.

[ ] Check visa rules
    Many nationalities enter visa-free for up to 90 days, others need to apply ahead. Rules change — verify current requirements for your passport before booking.
[ ] Buy travel medical insurance
    Japanese healthcare is excellent and very expensive for visitors. A doctor's visit without insurance easily runs into hundreds of dollars.
[ ] Check your medicines against import rules
    Japan is strict: pseudoephedrine (found in common cold meds) and several everyday drugs are banned. Prescription meds beyond a one-month supply may need a Yakkan Shoumei certificate arranged in advance.
[ ] Get cash yen
    Plenty of places — from ramen shops to temples — are still cash only. ATMs in 7-Eleven and other konbini reliably accept foreign cards; don't count on card payments everywhere.
[ ] Pack a coin purse
    Yen means mountains of coins: vending machines, temple offerings, small purchases. Without a coin purse they end up in every pocket.
[ ] Set up a Suica or Pasmo IC card
    One card covers metro, trains, buses, vending machines and konbini nationwide. Suica lives in Apple Wallet and tops up from your phone — no need to hunt for a physical card.
[ ] Do the math on the JR Pass
    Since the big price hike the JR Pass no longer pays off for everyone: run your route through a fare calculator first. Individual shinkansen tickets often come out cheaper.
[ ] Make copies of your documents
    Passport and insurance photos to cloud storage, paper copies separate from originals. You're required to carry your passport in Japan.
[ ] Pack a first aid kit within the rules
    Fever reducer, painkiller, plasters, your regular meds — each checked against import rules first. Japanese pharmacies are great but tricky without the language.
[ ] Comfortable shoes and hole-free socks
    20k-step days are normal. You'll take shoes off a lot — temples, ryokan, some restaurants — so your socks will be on display.
[ ] Check the season before packing
    Summers are hot and humid, August–October is typhoon season (watch forecasts), Tokyo winters are sunny but windy. A compact umbrella earns its place year-round.
[ ] Get a plug adapter for type A sockets
    Japan uses flat type A plugs at 100V. European and UK plugs need an adapter — pack one or a universal travel adapter.
[ ] Arrange an eSIM or pocket wi-fi
    An eSIM (Airalo, Ubigi and similar) is cheaper than router rental and works on landing. Pocket wi-fi makes sense for a group with many devices.
[ ] Download offline maps and a translator
    Google Maps handles Japanese transit brilliantly. Add Japanese to your offline translator plus photo translation for menus.
[ ] Book accommodation early
    For cherry blossom season (late March–April) and autumn leaves (November) rooms sell out months ahead and prices double. Off-season is far calmer.
[ ] Reserve shinkansen seats
    Oversized luggage (over 160cm combined) requires the special baggage-area seats on many lines — reserve ahead or face a surcharge.
[ ] Look into takuhaibin luggage forwarding
    Services like Yamato forward your suitcase hotel-to-hotel in a day or two for little money. Riding the shinkansen hands-free is a different life.
[ ] Tattoos? Find tattoo-friendly onsen
    Many public onsen and sento still refuse guests with tattoos. Search out tattoo-friendly baths or book a private one (kashikiri) in advance.
[ ] Learn the basic etiquette
    No phone calls on trains, no eating while walking, queue precisely. It's not a formality — everyone around you actually does this.
[ ] Carry a small trash bag
    Public trash cans barely exist in Japan — people carry their rubbish home or to a konbini. A small bag in your backpack solves it.
[ ] Remember: no tipping
    Japan has no tipping culture anywhere — leaving money confuses or offends. Staff may chase you down to return what you 'forgot'.
[ ] Keep your passport handy for tax-free shopping
    Purchases over ¥5,000 at many stores are tax-exempt right at the till — but only with your passport.
[ ] Check kids' transit fares
    Under-6s ride free, ages 6–11 pay half fare, shinkansen included. Kids can get their own discounted IC card.
[ ] With a stroller, scout metro elevators ahead
    Stations often have exactly one elevator hidden in a far corner. Transit apps mark elevator exits — check before you ride, not at the stairs.
[ ] Plan food your kid will actually eat
    Small restaurants may have no kids' menu. Konbini save the day: onigiri, yogurt, fruit and familiar snacks on every corner, 24/7.
[ ] Kids' first aid kit checked against import rules
    Child-dose fever reducer and your usual remedies — each verified against Japan's import rules. Finding exact equivalents locally without Japanese is hard.
[ ] Pack quiet entertainment for trains
    Japanese trains are silent, and a loud kid draws every eye in the car. Headphones, coloring books and stickers are a shinkansen parent's best friends.

Checklist from Unload: https://unloads.me/c/japan