What Not to Pack for Japan: Carry-On Only With Kids

Two weeks in Japan, three of us, and nothing but carry-on bags. We already shared everything that went into our luggage in What We Packed for Japan (Family of 3, 14 Days, Carry-On Only), but a few lessons stood out once we got home. There are three things we'd leave at home, and three we'd never travel without. Plus, one tiny trick that made repeating outfits a lot more fun.

If you're packing for Japan with kids and trying to keep it light, start here.

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At a Glance

✔ Family of 3, 14 days, carry-on only

✔ About one week of clothes each

✔ Laundry once, at the end of our Kyoto stay

✔ Luggage forwarded between cities (even our carry-ons)

✔ 3 things to leave home, 3 we'd pack again, and 1 bonus tip

How We Made Carry-On Only Work

We packed about a week's worth of clothes for each of us and planned on doing laundry once. That happened at the end of our Kyoto stay, right around the halfway point of the trip.

The other piece was luggage forwarding. Even with carry-on-sized bags, we sent our luggage ahead between cities and traveled with just our day bags. For our overnight stays in Hakone and Miyajima, we packed one small overnight bag and forwarded everything else to the next hotel. That meant no hauling bags onto crowded trains or through huge stations like Tokyo and Kyoto.

3 Things to Leave at Home

1. The Hair Straightener

Woman with her hair clipped up on a humid day in Japan — *Japan's humidity had the final say on hair days.*

We packed a small straightener, and it barely came out of the bag. Japan's humidity had other plans, so most days ended with hair clipped up instead. Between long sightseeing days and early starts, there just wasn't much time for styling anyway.

If you do bring one, check whether it's cordless first. Japan's airlines have strict rules about hair tools with built-in batteries, so check your airline's rules before it goes in your bag. A plug-in straightener avoids that issue.

2. Jean Shorts

Jean shorts with an X over them to indicate they are not a good choice to pack for a Japan trip. — *Two dryer cycles later, still damp. They are also heavy and take up lots of space in a bag.*

Jean shorts felt like an easy, versatile choice when we packed. In reality, they were one of the least practical things in the bag. They were heavier to carry, took up more room than lightweight fabrics, and felt warm and stiff after a long, humid day of walking.

Laundry day sealed it. At the end of our Kyoto stay, we used our hotel's guest laundry and soaked in the hotel's onsen while the machines ran, which is honestly one of the best ways we've ever spent laundry time. When we came back, everything was dry except the denim. We ran the dryer a second time, and the jean shorts still came out damp, so they spent the night hanging in our room.

Next time, we'd pack lightweight, breathable fabrics that dry quickly. When you're planning around one laundry day, clothes that dry fast make everything easier.

3. Sandals

Sandals seem like an obvious pick for a warm-weather trip, but we're glad we left them at home. You'll walk a lot more in Japan than you expect. We regularly hit 20,000 to 30,000 steps a day between train stations, temples, and neighborhoods, and sandals just aren't made for that kind of mileage. Your feet will feel it by the end of the first day.

And if it rains, sandals mean wet, gross feet with no easy way to dry off before your next stop. Comfortable sneakers were the right call for us every single day, which brings us to one of the things we're so glad we packed.

3 Things We're So Glad We Packed

1. A Lightweight Shawl

oung boy wrapped in a beige travel shawl on a street in Japan — *The most-used item in our bags, and even our son borrowed it.*

This was the MVP of our luggage. Mornings often started cool, especially when we headed out early, and restaurants and trains could be chilly with the air conditioning. A shawl solved both problems without the bulk of a jacket. Once the day warmed up, it folded right into our day bag.

It worked as a scarf, a light blanket on the plane, and an extra layer at dinner. Our son borrowed it more than once, too.

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My lightweight travel shawl

2. A Passport Bag

Traveler wearing a crossbody sling bag at Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto Japan — *Passports, wallet, and essentials, always within reach.*

Visitors to Japan are required to carry their passport at all times, so you'll want a secure, easy way to keep it on you. We used a Béis Sport Sling and kept our passports, wallet, medications, lip balm, and a phone charger inside.

It meant we never had to dig through a backpack while navigating a train station or checking in at a hotel. For any international trip, a small crossbody or sling for your valuables is worth the space.

3. Two Pairs of Shoes (and Only Two)

Two pairs of sneakers packed for a trip to Japan — Ladies and gentlemen, this is why we pack two pairs of shoes LOL

With all those steps, a second pair of shoes earned its space many times over. If one pair got soaked in the rain, the other was ready while it dried. Switching pairs also gave our feet a break from the same pressure points every day.

Two pairs each was the sweet spot. More would have been too much for carry-on only, and one pair would have been risky.

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Bonus Tip: Pack a Few Necklaces

The same travel outfit styled with three different necklaces" — *Same outfit, two looks, zero extra space.*

When you travel carry-on only, you repeat outfits a lot. We packed four necklaces and two pairs of earrings, and they made a bigger difference than we expected. Swapping a necklace changed the whole feel of an outfit, which kept things fun, especially in photos, when you're wearing the same few tops for two weeks.

They take up almost no space, weigh next to nothing, and are one of the easiest ways to make a small wardrobe feel bigger.

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Final Thoughts

Two weeks carry-on only in Japan taught us that we need far less than we think. Skip the straightener, the denim, and the sandals. Bring a shawl, a passport bag, and two good pairs of sneakers. And tuck a few necklaces in your bag.

Pair that with one laundry day and Japan's luggage forwarding service, and packing light with kids is easier than it sounds.

What Not to Pack for Japan: 3 Things to Leave at Home (and 3 We're So Glad We Brought)