10 Things We Brought to Japan That We Didn’t Need (and Why You Should Leave Them Behind)

As seasoned travelers and repeat visitors to Japan, we thought we had our packing routine down to a science. Yet, even with all our planning, we brought several things that ended up being useless—or worse, a hassle. If you’re planning a trip to Japan, here’s a list of items to reconsider packing, along with our experiences and what we’d do differently next time.

Night at Ginza

10. My DSLR Camera

I’ve relied on my Canon D80 DSLR for years, and it’s been a staple on many of our trips. However, newer smartphones, like the iPhone 16 Pro Max, now rival (or even outperform) mid-tier DSLRs in convenience, video quality, and photo versatility. Lugging around the camera felt unnecessary when my phone could handle it all, including night photography and cinematic videos. Sucky part is, I never even took it out of the suitcase.

My faithful Canon 80D

9. Hand-Carry Backpacks

While backpacks can be useful, they became a nuisance for us on this trip. We already had two carry-on suitcases and two checked bags, and adding backpacks made traveling cumbersome—especially on the way home when we accumulated three additional bags. Between managing them at the airport and navigating public transportation, we wished we had skipped them altogether.

These Coach backpacks are workhorses on our travels

8. Extra Clothes

If you’re a fan of shopping, Japan is a paradise. Brands like Uniqlo and GU offer high-quality, affordable clothing, and thrift stores are packed with unique finds—many of them barely used or even brand new. If you’re planning to shop, two sets of clothes are enough to start with, as you’ll likely end up buying more there. Bringing too many clothes just eats up space.

Over packed on the clothing

7. Basic Toiletries

Toothbrushes, shampoo, shaving cream—Japan has it all, often in higher quality and at reasonable prices. Convenience stores like 7-Eleven and Lawson carry travel-sized items, while stores like Don Quijote and drugstores have full-sized options if needed. There’s no need to pack these basics unless you have a specific product preference.

6. An Extra Pair of Shoes

We brought extra shoes with the intention of having backups. Ironically, we ended up buying new shoes in Japan anyway! Japan’s shoe options, from trendy sneakers to traditional footwear, are fantastic and often cheaper than back home. Stick to one versatile pair and plan to shop if needed.

These Nike shoes are soft but gave me back pains after a whole day of walking

5. Snacks

We packed snacks thinking we’d need them, but Japan’s food scene completely blew us away. From convenience store meals to street food and Michelin-starred dining, 90% of what we ate was amazing. Save the luggage space—you’ll probably be too busy enjoying Japan’s local flavors to eat what you packed.

Snacks we bought in Japan

4. US Dollars

We brought over $1,000 in cash thinking it’d be useful, but we hardly touched it. Japan is a predominantly cashless society now, and most payments can be made using Suica cards, debit cards, or even mobile apps like Apple Pay. Keep a small amount of yen for emergencies, but there’s no need to bring so much cash.

3. Pajamas and Sleeping Clothes

We thought we’d save ourselves the trouble by bringing our own sleepwear, but Japan’s clothing stores are so tempting that we ended up buying new pajamas anyway. If you’re planning to shop, leave these at home and treat yourself to something uniquely Japanese, like a comfy set from Uniqlo. We stayed in 8 different hotels, and all of em provided us with pajamas or "Yukatas".

9H Capsule Hotel PJ's

2. Multiple Laptops and iPads

We overdid it here, bringing both laptops and iPads. They were heavy, took up space, and were a hassle at airport security. Unless you absolutely need them, stick to one lightweight device. The constant worry about breaking them during travel made us regret bringing so many.

1. ???

This one is up to you to decide. What’s the one thing you always pack but rarely use? Maybe it’s a travel iron, a hairdryer (most hotels in Japan provide one), or something else you think you can’t live without. For us, this spot is reserved for all the unnecessary “security blanket” items that we knew deep down we didn’t need but brought anyway.

Sapporo Uniqlo's exclusives

Lessons Learned

Despite being experienced travelers, we underestimated just how much Japan has to offer and overpacked for our trip. We’d left plenty of space in our checked luggage knowing we’d shop, but the extra items we brought still caused issues—both in terms of space and airline fees for additional bags.

Now that we’ve been back home for weeks, we’re already longing to return to Japan, even if just for a few days to pick up the little things we didn’t have room for. Next time, we’ll pack lighter and smarter—leaving more room for all the treasures Japan has waiting for us!

What about you? What’s the most useless thing you’ve ever packed on a trip? Let us know in the comments!