Quick answer
Pack slip-on walking shoes, presentable socks (you take shoes off often), layers for the season, a Type A adapter and a coin purse. Check every medicine: cold and sinus tablets containing pseudoephedrine are prohibited, and more than a month's supply of prescription drugs needs advance approval. Travel with one mid-size suitcase or send it ahead by courier, because big bags need a reserved Shinkansen seat.
Documents & money
- Passport and Japan visa — Check whether yours is a sticker visa or an eVISA, and how it must be shown at check-in.
- Visit Japan Web QR codes — Register before you fly to speed up immigration and customs.
- Printed hotel bookings and itinerary
- Yen in cash — Small restaurants, temples and rural buses are often cash only.
- Forex card that works at 7-Eleven ATMs
- Rail pass or tickets — Compare the JR Pass with point-to-point fares; the pass price rose sharply in 2023.
- Travel insurance — Medical care in Japan is excellent but expensive for visitors.
Clothing & footwear
- Slip-on walking shoes — Temples, ryokans and some restaurants ask you to remove shoes.
- Socks without holes
- Layers for the season — Spring and autumn run at about 10–20°C.
- Light down jacket (November–March)
- Breathable clothes for June–August — Summer is humid and often above 32°C.
- Compact umbrella or rain jacket — Or buy a clear umbrella at any convenience store.
- Comfortable trousers
- One smart outfit
Health & medicines
- Prescription medicines, up to a month's supply — More than that needs a Yunyu Kakunin-sho (import certificate) arranged in advance.
- Prescriptions and original packaging
- Pseudoephedrine-free cold medicine — Japan prohibits stimulant ingredients found in some cold and sinus tablets.
- Leave behind: codeine cough syrups and ADHD stimulants — Restricted or prohibited in Japan.
- Paracetamol, antacids and ORS
- Blister plasters — 15,000–25,000 steps a day is normal.
- Face masks — Wearing one when you have a cold is expected courtesy.
- Spare spectacles
Electronics
- Type A adapter — Japan uses two flat pins at 100 V; Indian hair dryers and straighteners may not work.
- Power bank — Cabin baggage only.
- eSIM or pocket Wi-Fi
- Phone with offline maps and a translation app
- Camera with spare battery
- Earphones — Trains are quiet, and phone calls on board are frowned upon.
Toiletries & daily
- Handkerchief or small towel — Many public toilets have no paper towels or dryers.
- Coin purse — Change comes in coins up to ¥500.
- Small rubbish bag — Public bins are rare; carry rubbish back to your hotel.
- Fewer toiletries than usual — Japanese hotels supply toothbrushes, pyjamas, slippers and toiletries.
- Tissues and hand sanitiser
- Moisturiser and lip balm (winter)
- Sunscreen (summer) — Or buy it locally at any pharmacy.
Food & snacks
- Khakhra, namkeen and dry fruits — Vegetarian options thin out beyond the big cities.
- Ready-to-eat dal or rajma packs — Hotel rooms almost always have a kettle.
- Instant poha or upma cups
- Sealed pickles and masalas in checked baggage
- Vegetarian card in Japanese — A printed card saying no meat, no fish and no dashi helps in restaurants.
- Leave behind: meat products, fresh fruit and vegetables — Seized at animal and plant quarantine.
What should you pack for Japan's seasons?
Spring (late March to April) and autumn (October to November) run at roughly 10–20°C, ideal for a light jacket over layers. June to August is hot and humid, often above 32°C, with a rainy season in June and July. Winter in Tokyo and Kyoto sits around 0–10°C, and Hokkaido and the Japan Alps are far colder. Pack for the season and buy the rest locally: Uniqlo, convenience stores and pharmacies sell everything from thermal layers to hand warmers and umbrellas.
Shoes off, often
Temples, ryokans, some restaurants and fitting rooms ask you to remove shoes. Slip-on walking shoes and socks without holes save time and embarrassment, and you'll walk 15,000–25,000 steps a day.
Medicines are strictly controlled
Japan prohibits medicines containing stimulants, including pseudoephedrine, which appears in some cold and sinus tablets, and restricts codeine. You can bring up to a month's supply of prescription medicine without paperwork; more needs a Yunyu Kakunin-sho (import certificate) arranged before travel. Carry prescriptions and original packaging.
Luggage on trains
On the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen, bags with total dimensions over 160 cm need a reserved seat with an oversized-baggage area at the time of review. Courier services (takkyubin) forward suitcases between hotels for about ¥2,000–3,000 (₹1,160–1,740) per bag, usually next day, so you can ride with a daypack.
Food and customs
Meat products, fresh fruit and vegetables are seized at quarantine. Vegetarian food is limited outside big cities, and dashi (fish stock) hides in many dishes, so pack dry snacks and ready-to-eat meals.
See the Japan visa guide, pick a season with our Japan month-by-month guide, add travel insurance, and browse other packing lists.
Frequently asked questions
Can I carry Indian cold medicines to Japan?
What plug adapter do I need for Japan?
Can I take large suitcases on the Shinkansen?
How much cash should I carry in Japan?
How we checked this page
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Written and fact-checked by the Elitech Travels editorial desk in New Delhi, drawing on our consultants' day-to-day booking work and the official sources below. Rules, fares and fees change — always confirm anything critical with the issuing authority before you travel. Our editorial policy.