Documents

Passport with at least six months validityDon’t forgetMost countries refuse entry inside six months of expiry, and airlines check it at the gate rather than the border.

A photo of your passport, saved offlineDon’t forgetIf the passport goes, the copy is what gets you an emergency one. We do not sell this — put it in your phone before you fly.

Travel insurance you have actually readDon’t forgetCheck the motorbike and adventure-activity clauses specifically. We do not sell insurance and cannot advise on it.

A wallet that holds a passportEverything you need at a border in one place, so you are not holding up the queue.Worth knowingSold as a wallet. We make no fraud-prevention claim: contactless skimming is rare and cardholder liability is capped under Australian rules.A$45

Clothing

Packing cubesYou can find a clean shirt without unpacking the whole bag, which matters more the longer you are away.A$39

A thermal base layerDon’t forgetDeep winter: about 10°C by day and 2°C overnight. That is colder than most Australians pack for.A$85

A laundry bag that zipsTwo weeks in, the laundry problem is a smell problem, and a drawstring does not solve it.A$19

Toiletries

A clear liquids bagDon’t forgetThe single most common reason an Australian gets pulled aside at security.A$9

Refillable toiletry bottlesBuying travel-size toiletries every trip is the most avoidable cost in packing.A$25

Laundry detergent sheets14 nights means washing something. Sheets are not a liquid for security purposes.A$25

A travel clotheslineHandwashing only works if there is somewhere to hang it.A$19

Tech & Power

A Type A or B adapterDon’t forgetThe lowest mains voltage in the world. Flat pins, and your hair dryer will run weakly or not at all.Worth knowingElectrical goods sold in Australia have to carry RCM marking for electrical safety. We do not put an adapter on sale until the unit we ship carries it. Check the plug pins match your destination before you fly.A$19

Check your hair tools are dual-voltageJapan runs at 100V. An adapter changes the plug shape, not the voltage, so anything that is not dual-voltage will run weakly or fail.

Long charging cablesThe socket is never near the bed.A$29

An eSIM, activated before you flyLanding without data is where most trips go wrong in the first hour.

Health

A small first aid kitBlisters on day two of a walking trip are the most predictable injury in travel.A$35

Prescription medication in its original packagingDon’t forgetBring a doctor’s letter for anything controlled. Some countries are strict about medicines that are ordinary here.

Compression socks9h 50m each way. The evidence supports reduced swelling and reduced symptomless DVT on flights over five hours — that is the claim, and the whole claim.Worth knowingClaims limited to the Cochrane evidence: reduced symptomless DVT and reduced leg swelling on flights over five hours. Not a medical device and not a treatment for any diagnosed condition. Speak to your doctor if you have a clotting history.A$29

A refillable water bottleTap water is excellent and free everywhere, including public fountains. A filter bottle here would be dead weight. There is no reason to carry a filter here.A$29

Comfort

A packable daypackOne bag for the flight and one for the day, without carrying two bags the whole trip.A$55

Luggage tags that are not blackEvery third bag on the carousel is black.A$25

An eye maskCabin lights come on for breakfast two hours before you want to be awake.A$25

EarplugsThe engine drone on a long sector, and every hostel afterwards.A$15

A packable neck pillowA foam one takes up a third of a daypack. An inflatable one takes up nothing.A$29

Heat packsStanding still outdoors is where the cold actually gets you.A$25

A phone tripodOtherwise every photo is of one of you.A$35

Destination-specific

Type I to Type A adapters are genuinely hard to find at airp…Type I to Type A adapters are genuinely hard to find at airports outside Australasia — buy before you go.

Japan is far colder in winter than most Australians pack forJapan is far colder in winter than most Australians pack for. Tokyo in January sits near zero overnight.

You carry your own rubbishYou carry your own rubbish. Public bins essentially do not exist.

Shoes come off constantlyShoes come off constantly — at temples, ryokan, some restaurants. Socks without holes, and shoes you can slip off, genuinely matter.A$19

Cash still matters outside the big chainsCash still matters outside the big chains, and many ATMs reject foreign cards. 7-Eleven ATMs are the reliable ones.

Documents

Passport with at least six months validityDon’t forgetMost countries refuse entry inside six months of expiry, and airlines check it at the gate rather than the border.

A photo of your passport, saved offlineDon’t forgetIf the passport goes, the copy is what gets you an emergency one. We do not sell this — put it in your phone before you fly.

Travel insurance you have actually readDon’t forgetCheck the motorbike and adventure-activity clauses specifically. We do not sell insurance and cannot advise on it.

Clothing

Packing cubesYou can find a clean shirt without unpacking the whole bag, which matters more the longer you are away.A$39

A thermal base layerDon’t forgetDeep winter: about 10°C by day and 2°C overnight. That is colder than most Australians pack for.A$85

A laundry bag that zipsTwo weeks in, the laundry problem is a smell problem, and a drawstring does not solve it.A$19

Toiletries

A clear liquids bagDon’t forgetThe single most common reason an Australian gets pulled aside at security.A$9

Refillable toiletry bottlesBuying travel-size toiletries every trip is the most avoidable cost in packing.A$25

Laundry detergent sheets14 nights means washing something. Sheets are not a liquid for security purposes.A$25

A travel clotheslineHandwashing only works if there is somewhere to hang it.A$19

Tech & Power

Check your hair tools are dual-voltageJapan runs at 100V. An adapter changes the plug shape, not the voltage, so anything that is not dual-voltage will run weakly or fail.

Long charging cablesThe socket is never near the bed.A$29

An eSIM, activated before you flyLanding without data is where most trips go wrong in the first hour.

Health

A small first aid kitBlisters on day two of a walking trip are the most predictable injury in travel.A$35

Prescription medication in its original packagingDon’t forgetBring a doctor’s letter for anything controlled. Some countries are strict about medicines that are ordinary here.

A refillable water bottleTap water is excellent and free everywhere, including public fountains. A filter bottle here would be dead weight. There is no reason to carry a filter here.A$29

Comfort

A packable daypackOne bag for the flight and one for the day, without carrying two bags the whole trip.A$55

Luggage tags that are not blackEvery third bag on the carousel is black.A$25

An eye maskCabin lights come on for breakfast two hours before you want to be awake.A$25

EarplugsThe engine drone on a long sector, and every hostel afterwards.A$15

A packable neck pillowA foam one takes up a third of a daypack. An inflatable one takes up nothing.A$29

Heat packsStanding still outdoors is where the cold actually gets you.A$25

A phone tripodOtherwise every photo is of one of you.A$35

Destination-specific

Type I to Type A adapters are genuinely hard to find at airp…Type I to Type A adapters are genuinely hard to find at airports outside Australasia — buy before you go.

Japan is far colder in winter than most Australians pack forJapan is far colder in winter than most Australians pack for. Tokyo in January sits near zero overnight.

You carry your own rubbishYou carry your own rubbish. Public bins essentially do not exist.

Shoes come off constantlyShoes come off constantly — at temples, ryokan, some restaurants. Socks without holes, and shoes you can slip off, genuinely matter.A$19

Cash still matters outside the big chainsCash still matters outside the big chains, and many ATMs reject foreign cards. 7-Eleven ATMs are the reliable ones.

What to pack for Japan

Japan · 31 things

Documents

Clothing

Toiletries

Tech & Power

Health

Comfort

Destination-specific

Why this list is different

Your cart

Japan · 31 things

Documents

Clothing

Toiletries

Tech & Power

Health

Comfort

Destination-specific