Going to Tokyo for about 9 days and I'm wondering what would be the most necessary things to pack?
This is a sightseeing trip with some shopping added but I plan to only have a small rolling suitcase (which I will check-in) plus small crossbody purse plus a backpack or tote that I can carry on board.
I find that when I travel by car I haul around too much so want to avoid that.
Does anybody have any ideas or things they found out about what they needed in Asia? My trip to Turkey taught me that I should always have ibuprofen with me and that as long as I have my wallet and ID the luggage doesn't really matter but it's a pretty long trip so want to get ideas.
Apart from basic clothes and comfortable shoes I plan on taking my camera.
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Posted 1 year ago #
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this i carry ON me no matter where I travel:camera & spare batteries/charger /memory card, any meds you need, spare undies and change of clothes (unexpected storm or lost luggage),hat,sunglasses&sunblock(if needed for sun protection), wet wipes, cell phone, and some cash. this would easily fit in a backpack. you might possibly need a camera bag depending on how big your camera is.
maybe others can chime in for specific overseas needs.Posted 1 year ago # -
Onebag.com
Can't recommend it enough. I spent two weeks in NZ in 2009 with a carry-on (backpack) and crossbody purse. And I still had stuff in there I didn't use. Didn't have to check any bags on the plane, so I breezed through customs, didn't have to wait at the baggage carousel wondering if my bags were damaged in transit, and didn't have to worry about lost luggage.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Thank goodness for the rolling bags small enough to be allowed in the cabin. Not only do they make the whole nastiness of airports a lot easier - Nithy mentions breezing through customs and it's true - but they also force you to consider very well what you're going to haul with you. All liquids have to fit the regulations and there can't be too many of them either (yay for a minimalistic bathroom cabinet!) and so on. I usually fly tourist and am not allowed to carry both a rolling bag and a backpack (latter is too big to classify as small handbag), but if I bring all my stuff into the cabin there's no need for a bigger second bag.
I've never been to Japan but I imagine you'd bump into a lot less problems in case of emergency than when travelling somewhere in Cambodia, Thailand or similar; they're known for their efficiency after all and so I'd never pack too much extra other than a couple of bandaids, a few ibuprofen pills as well as my own migraine meds. I'd research the local tap water quality and possibly bring my aluminium (yes, it's not aluminum where I come from :P) Sigg bottle (empty through customs of course).
I've noticed that my library has e-books in the travel section too and would download one of those if I could find one alongside with other litterature.
Posted 1 year ago # -
if you cannot buy it in tokyo, then it probably isn't for sale anywhere at all!
having said that, i always carry painkillers, because when you need a painkiller the last thing you want to do is be scouring a foreign city for one.
i don't remember the last time i needed a painkiller while travelling, but i clearly remember the last time i needed one and there wasn't one to be had.
what a miserable flight that was.
but i digress.packing light is an art, and one i am continually working on.
here are some random thoughts, in no order:
1. have a travel wardrobe of separates in basic colours that mix and match (i like red, white, gray and black).
ideally, they should be crushable, light, quick-drying things, which usually means synthetics. i sneak in a few cotton/silk/linen items too and mix and match, as i cannot bear wearing all synthetics.
layering is the key to versatility, and if you stick to basic colours, everything will go with everything. and you get to avoid carrying heavy garments, like big coats. i can operate in most temperature ranges with a camisole, a t-shirt, a cardigan and a pashmina.
be prepared to do laundry en route, especially, if like me, you dislike wearing anything two days running. the synthetics and silks will dry quickly.
i find i am most comfortable with 3 days worth of clothing on hand. one to wear, one drying, and one spare. and i can rotate these for months, literally.2. stick to one or two pairs of shoes and wear the heaviest pair on the flight
3. a sarong is an invaluable item to have on hand.
4. a silk sleeping bag liner is great if you tend to be chilly at night. it packs up very small, but will warm you up by 5 Celsius immediately.
5. always carry a change of clothes, all your documents/id, electronics and chargers, jewellery, prescription glasses, onto the flight.
6. i have a feeling that you cannot carry an empty sigg bottle onto a plane....it won't pass the 100ml LAG regulations. i always check a bag, because i like to have tweezers, scissors, 500ml water bottle on hand, and they won't let those on board international flights.
7. pretty much everything i need to do on a laptop can be achieved with an iphone....i no longer lug around a laptop.
8. email all your travel details and passport details to yourself, or have a program like evernote. something you can access from any computer anywhere.
i use tripit and i love it.9. technology has definitely made long flights much more bearable.
ipod, kindle, noise-cancelling headphones....these have all lessened the stress immensely for me and are well worth the space they take up in my luggage.10. some handy iphone apps: http://iphonetopia.net/2009/08/top-tokyo-travel-iphone-apps-japan-travel-iphone-apps/
11. i really like gotoobs...refillable, no-leak, squeezable, silicon bottles to carry toiletry products.
Posted 1 year ago # -
re: bandicoot's #6: I've had an empty bottle in the hand luggage many times, but it's only been in Europe. Maybe it's different 'over there' where you are?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Lived for two years near Tokyo, so I hope this will help:
Tap water is safe to drink in Tokyo. Bottled and canned drinks are readily available in vending machines, which are everywhere. Unless you REALLY love a specific water bottle, leave it at home. Bottled water is available in vending machines and convenience stores (7-11 and Lawsons.)
Leave your umbrella and rain gear at home. Umbrellas can be purchased when you arrive in Tokyo, for about $4 - 7 and up. Most rain gear is too warm for wearing in Tokyo except in the winter.
Do bring medications and basic toiletries. Most hotel rooms proved toothbrushes, a very small amount of generic toothpaste, and usually a comb. However, I always liked having my own.
Do pack a watch, or other time piece. When the train guide says the train leaves at 7:31 am, it Leaves The Station at 7:31 AM!
If you need regular batteries (AA, AAA etc.) these can be easily purchased in Japan, so bring perhaps one pack of what you need, and top up when you have the chance.
CHECK whether your cell-phone will work in Japan! Until recently, the Japanese system was different from most of the world, and outside phones often did not work. If yours doesn't , there are companies such as Rentaphone which will rent you a Japanese cell-phone and make it very easy on you (delivered to your hotel for when you check in, return in a prepaid envelope, etc.)
Learn to love Internet Cafes, they are all over Tokyo, and most have a bilingual 'point and choose' sheet. Saves you from carrying surplus hardware.
Check this site: http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/ (Japanese National Tourist Organization.) Book hotels, times and fares for trains and buses. Maps, guides, all sorts of stuff.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I've also lived in Tokyo for while. It's true that you can get pretty much anything in the world there!
I'd strongly second the one-bag suggestions above. Hauling bags around the Japanese train networks is not fun.
Apart from that: painkillers and good bandaids for emergencies, eyedrops and a pashmina for the flight, definitely try to get your phone to work (Google Maps will be a life-saver, as the street numbering in Tokyo is... interesting), and take a small facewasher or napkin. Public bathrooms often don't have paper towel etc to dry your hands on, as most people carry a small towel.
The other thing I'd say is to dress smartly as well as comfortably. In Tokyo, even casual outfits are styled to within an inch of their lives. (And unless you're Asian, you're going to get a lot of glances regardless, so they might as well be admiring your natty scarf.)
Oh, one other thing. I really wouldn't bother prepaying for a Metro pass or anything like that. There are a bunch of different train networks, and there's not a pass that will work for all of them (AFAIK). Just buy the minimum ticket at a ticket machine before every trip (the machines will do English), and then go to a "Fare Adjustment" machine at the end of your journey. It'll calculate how much extra you need to pay – total genius.
Posted 1 year ago # -
i have watched people's water bottles removed from their hand luggage on flights all over australasia and into the USA and into europe.
i didn't fly within europe or the uk last year, so cannot comment there. i haven't had a problem on domestic flights here either.
any containers larger than 100ml are not allowed, whether empty, full, or partially full.
apparently they don't want anyone mixing up flammable stuff on board.Posted 1 year ago # -
Maybe ibuprofen with diphenhydramine (generic Advil PM) for pain/sleeplessness/allergies, unless the authorities confiscate diphenhydramine at the airports?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Thank you! I knew I would get good advice in this forum.
I would like to take my iphone with me so I will look into the apps, found one that allows you to take pic of Kanji which it will then translate.
It sounds like I need to go even lighter than I thought and looking at the directions for my budget hotel I should!
BTW nothing's so annoying as knowing what the Turkish word for pharmacy is but not being able to make it understood that I'm looking for ibuprofen,Another question for those who have lived in Tokyo: is Tokyo a walking city at all? It's always sounded to me like it's a train city mostly.
I'll take a look at onebag and go from there.
Any more thoughts?Posted 1 year ago # -
Interesting about empty bottles, as ninakk says, in europe they are not banned and I've never had a problem.
It's getting quite confusing when various airports seem to be applying diferent rules.
I'd only suggest adding some Immodium, it's another thing you really don't want to have to be searching for in a strange city.Posted 1 year ago # -
I've never had a problem with empty bottles in US airports either.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Ojorojo asked: Is Tokyo a walking city at all?
Yes, but it's a Really Big walking city. Each area is well set up to walk in, but you'll want to take the train or subway between areas. Some of my personal favorites: Asakusa, Ueno, Akihabara and the Ginza. I use to joke to my family that Japan has six directions: North, South, East, West, Up stairs and Down stairs. Tokyo itself is relatively flat, but you will be walking up and down a lot stairs quite a bit.
Check whether your budget hotel has, or is near, a coin laundry (the word in Japanese is a Katakana (loan word) version of this.) They are wonderful for reducing the amount of clothes you need to bring. You'll need to save up 100 yen coins for the machines, but you can buy soap easily in small packets.
A quick note on Sunglasses: Take them with you if you like, but I'd recommend going with a hat instead. The Japanese tend to equate sunglasses with the Yakuza (Japanese mob) and can get a little... reserved when they see them.
Do you have any food allergies?
Posted 1 year ago # -
No food allergies but will be taking my Zyrtec. Are you thinking of anything in particular?
Glad to hear about the walking as I'm planning on being out and about all day.
Onebag had great suggestions and made me rethink bag I'll be taking.
Budget hotel is one of the Sakura hostel branches so I should have access to laundry room.Posted 1 year ago # -
Great website for uncluttered packing: http://www.onebag.com/
Topics covered:
* What To Pack
* What To Pack It In
* How To Pack It
* Packing ListPosted 1 year ago # -
@netleigh - I agree re the immodium. I have memories of walking across a very dark island in Thailand, at night, no torch, asking in hotels and shops for immodium when my GF got sick. Took a while to find it or explain the problem. We are NEVER travelling without it again...or a torch!
Posted 1 year ago # -
Joless, I hope you are safe at home still?
Posted 1 year ago # -
I canceled my trip and I'm so sad about what's happened. At my office we had the news on all day and it's was so terrible to see the destruction. The Japanese people will persevere but what a trial to go through.
Posted 1 year ago # -
ojorojo: glad to hear you are safe.
Posted 1 year ago #
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