Packing for Japan

A run-through of how I am preparing (both materially and mentally) for our month-long autumnal honeymoon in Japan.

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Why Japan?

Joe and I have been to Japan once before, in April 2018. It was our first big trip together, and one that stayed with us ever since. It seemed only fitting, then, for it to be also our first big trip as a married couple.

We will be revisiting all our favourite sites, but also exploring some completely uncharted territories.

The itinerary

Autumn is a peak season in Japan: the red maple leaves are considered as popular a sight as the cherry blossoms in April. With this in mind, I studied our itinerary to make the most of this beautiful spectacle, chasing nature’s changes from the North (where the leaves turn red sooner, due to the colder climate) to the South.

After a 12-hour direct flight from Heathrow to Tokyo, and a subsequent 1.5 hrs internal flight to Memanbetsu Airport, we will be finally starting our trip from Hokkaido, the utmost northern region of Japan, where we will be spending approximately one week. We will take a bullet train back to Tokyo and from there, we will be doing a loop of central Japan, counterclockwise: mountain onsens in the Nagano prefecture, historic Kanazawa, Kyoto, the Nara peninsula, art heavens Naoshima & Teshima — back up through the Japanese Alps and Mt. Fuji.

Packing for the weather

Temperatures in November are meant to be pretty mild in mainland Japan, averaging around 17 degrees. As we’ll be spending most of the month in central Japan, I wanted to avoid bringing a heavy and cumbersome winter coat with me. However, temperatures in Hokkaido (where we’ll be starting the trip) can reach a minimum of 3 degrees, so I needed to make sure I had enough to keep me warm. Onion-style layering will be key – more on that later!

Travelling light

…or at least, trying to! One thing we loved about our travelling experience in Japan is the possibility of arranging for your luggage to be forwarded to your next accommodation ahead of you, a service we are definitely planning to use (for more, info, head here).

Still, as we’ll be constantly on the move, we set ourselves a limit of one medium-sized luggage and one backpack each for the whole month. Now this might either seem like a lot or very little storage depending on where you land on the traveller’s spectrum (which goes from diehard backpacker to a full Carrie Bradshaw). For me, that required some serious Marie Kondo skills.

I’ve divided the edit below into two main chapters: what I’ll be carrying in my backpack, and what will stay in the luggage.

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Chapter one:
in the backpack

Backpack from Kapten & Son

As my close friends know, the two things I never travel without are my camera and my water bottle.

Tech

1. My 16” McBook
   No, I’m not planning to work on my honeymoon! This will be used strictly to watch movies and the occasional photo editing session.

2. Paperwhite Kindle
   As much as I am a big fan of the good old paper books, nothing beats the convenience of a Kindle when travelling!

3. My Sony a 7III (not pictured here) and its battery charger

4. USB japanese plug

5. My old Fitbit

6. My brand new Sigma 18-50mm, f 2.8 lens!
   I have been wanting to invest in a good zoom lens for ages, and what better excuse than this trip? Having always travelled with my two prime lenses (a 35 mm and a 50mm), I am excited at the prospect of combining both focal lenghts (and then some) in one lens that I don’t have to change. This new lens is slightly bulkier than my 35mm but not much more than my 50mm. Considering it does the job of all my 3 lenses, I think it’s a pretty good deal.

My sleeping kit

I saw this neat little organiser from Muji and thought it was perfect to house all the sleeping essentials we’ll need on the plane (sleeping masks and tablets, ear-plugs, plus my phone charger). The little hook means you can hang it in front of you ready for when it’s needed.

With our twelve-hour direct flight being in the daytime (leaving at 9 a.m. from the UK and landing at 7.30 a.m. local time), I am determined to give us every fighting chance to sleep on the plane. I have been bombarded on Instagram with ads for this adjustable neck scarf from Trtl, which is supposed to give you excellent head support, and finally gave in. Will let you know how it works!

The Travelling Pharmacy

Transparent TPU Pouch from Muji

If, like me, you like to be prepared for every medical emergency when abroad and/ or (like me) you are a slight hypochondriac…this section is for you. In my winey tiny bag, I managed to pack the following:

1. Aspirin

2. Painkillers/paracetamol

3. Sleeping tablets

4. Anti-diarrhoea tablets

5. Constipation tablets (because, all that rice)

6. Hydrating salts

7. Blisters

8. Foot blisters

9. Hand and surface sanitising spray

10. Sore throat candies

11. Antacid

12. Antihistamine

The external layers

Brolly from Muji and Raincoat from Zara

I’m also planning to carry with me my raincoat, an umbrella, and a day’s worth change of clothes in case anything goes wrong with our luggage (hopefully not jinxing it!)

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Chapter 2:
in the hold luggage

Skincare

Since meeting my skincare friend/guru Ksenija (who will be joining us here soon, keep an eye out!) I can never go without my skin regimen. Luckily all my must haves come in nice and small sizes, so I managed to squeeze it all in another small pouch. As you may notice, SkinCeuticals is my go-to brand. It ain’t cheap, but results come fast. Here we have (in order of appearance in my routine):

1. La Roche Possay Toleriane cleansing gel

2. Skinceuticals Silymarin CF (a brightening vitamin C serum)

3. Skinceuticals H.A. Intensifier (a hyaluronic acid serum)

4. Skinceuticals A.G.E. Eye cream

5. Aurelia Balancing ultra-light moisturiser

6. Skinceuticals Advanced brightening UV defence suncream (SPF 50)

7. SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3 (only use at night)

and

AnotherDay from ByMatter, which is technical skincare for your clothes, hence why it’s featured in this section. It’s a fabric spray that contains pro-biotics that actively eat away smelling-causing cells – allowing you to use your clothes (you guessed it) another day. Truly a godsend when travelling, I am never without!

Note:
If you are interested in trying Another Day, I have a cheeky discount code for you! Use Venetianmatters10 at checkout for 10% off

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My interchangeable wardrobe

As we are only travelling with medium-seized luggage each for the whole month, I’ve tried really hard to be considerate of my wardrobe choices, picking outfits that I can mix and match easily. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a “capsule wardrobe” (is there even a max limit to classify as such?) but the key is to stick to a tight palette: you’ll see the same colours pop up again and again across the different categories (lots of autumnal, earthy shades like terracotta, mustard, bottle green and blue)

Jackets

1. Field Jacket from Olive Clothing

2. Light blue linen jacket, Olive Clothing

3. Oversized bomber jacket from Zara

4. Brown man utility Jacket, Uniqlo

Uniqlo Heat Tech items

As temperatures are meant to be pretty mild in mainland Japan throughout November, I have decided not to take any big coats with me. However temperatures in Hokkaido (where we’ll be starting the trip) can reach a minimum of 3 degrees, so I invested in a few of the legendary lightweight but warm shirts from Uniqlo (with varying degrees of warmth).

1. Warm padded quilted vest, Uniqlo

2. Brown Ultra Light Down long vest, Uniqlo

1. Fleece half zipped long sleeve top, Uniqlo

2. White Heattech ultra warm ribbed top, Uniqlo

3. White Heattech fleece, Uniqlo

4. Grey Heattech scooped neck long sleeve top, Uniqlo

1. Heattech ultra warm leggings, Uniqlo

2. Heattech thermal leggings, Uniqlo

Long sleeve T-shirts

1. Dark orange ribbed high neck top, Uniqlo

2. Mustard heattech extra warm turtle neck top, Uniqlo

3. White cotton long sleeve top, Uniqlo

Short sleeve T-shirts

1. Light blue cotton t-shirt, Cos

2. White cotton t-shirt, Cos

3. Red t-shirt, old &Other Stories

4. Mustard t-shirt, Uniqlo

Jumpers

1. Beije premium lambswool jumper, Uniqlo

2. Mustard premium lambswool jumper, Uniqlo

3. Red premium lambswool jumper, Uniqlo

4. Patterned wollen jumper, Olive clothing

5. Navy soft knit cardigan, Uniqlo

Trousers

1. White high waist jeans, Whistle

2. Brown cotton work trousers, Toast

3. Green Gabi cotton trousers, Toast

4. Soft black Gabi cotton trousers, Toast

Accessories

1. Belt from Toast

2. Small pouch that attaches to the belt, bought a long time ago in Deal

3. The IT Uniqlo bag (fits pretty much anything, from my camera to my water bottle)

1. Khaki barret, Olive clothing

2. Wollen beanie in Rust, bought in Rye. Tbco does a very similar one here

3. Thermic gloves

1. Silk scarf from Sunspel

2. Wollen scarf in Rust, Tbco

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Socks & Tights

I have been recently convinced of the power of coloured socks and tights to elevate a look. Gone are the days of 50 shades of grey stockings. Both Arket and Calzedonia have a lovely selection of autumnal colours at the moment.

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Shoes

I have to say, I never really had a soft spot for shoes (the way many women do). I’m keeping things fairly paired back – a pair of slippers, two comfy sneakers and one pair of water-repellant boots (that I’ll be wearing on the flight, as they are the bulkiest) should do. Right?

These slippers from The Simple Folk are perfect for travel – they flatten down easily thanks to the leather woven mesh.

1. New Balance orange and red

2. New Balance Light blue & grey

3. Tretorn black rubber boots

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Further readings

If you are planning a trip to Japan, I’d recommend the following readings for useful tips to plan your journey. I found them invaluable when planning mine!

Ben Richard’s blog

Iya Gallery Blog

Monocle guide to Tokyo

Monocle guide to Kyoto

The Monocle book on Japan

Etiquette guide to Japan

Lonely Planet Japan