Are you taking protective clothing and your own helmet? If so, how will you transport them on the plane? For onebag, you may have to wear your jacket or boots on the plane.
Can you find a full face or modular to rent? Most of the rentals I’ve seen in Southeast Asia and even Hawaii were 3/4 helmets at best.
If you search, you can probably find the old thread here where I asked some similar questions about moto-onebaggjng before a motorcycle trip to the Philippines.
Japan produces a lot of basic yet very high quality items. Packing light is easy there as every city has a Don Quixote and a Uniqlo that has everything with the added bonus that it’s cheap there at the moment.
They have the best most convenient convenience stores in the world which are an attraction in themselves.
If you have any allergies or need special medications make sure you bring them and also check they are legal - I think Sudafed is illegal there for example. don’t be like my friend who has a fish allergy and didn’t think to research it before hand (fish products are a common seasoning in most foods).
Don’t pack any cologne or perfumes Japanese hate it. Make sure you keep yourself clean and groomed.
I think they’re expecting this September to be quite warm depending on where you’re going. Check the forecasts as well as the Momji forecast if you want to see some foliage. Obviously mountains and lakes in the north will be colder etc. one thing everyone should consider is Japanese sizing is quite small compared to the west. They do have plus size options but they are very limited and a faff to sort out. If you’re tall or wide or have massive feet take this into account when packing. Otherwise Uniqlo will have enough to accommodate most average western sizes.
I know there’s a big motorcycle scene there but I’ve never experienced that part of it.
I like Anker A10 sleep buds for long flights but they’re tiny (good for side sleeping). Be careful not to lose them like I did. My set up was those with a Turtl neck pillow, a second memory foam pillow, decent light blocking eye mask and I slept quite nicely that way.
I’m looking at the Osprey Fairview for my next visit it comes highly recommended for most situations.
Be aware that there is limited space on a lot of transport like trains whatever. You have to book luggage space in advance. Try and avoid bringing large bags on things like subway cars. It’s extremely safe unlike other cities but awkward bringing a heavy bulging bag on crowded commuter trains.
Two very very handy things are their luggage lockers at most train stations- you can leave stuff safely there. It’s designed to be convenient and easy to use. Also you may wish to use the luggage forwarding service. It’s very reliable for example you can drop your bag in Tokyo and have it delivered to your hotel in Kyoto the same day. It’s not very expensive look for the Logo of a black cat carrying a kitten in its mouth. Yamato Express delivery.
Also post office staff are extremely helpful and if they can’t speak English you can use google translate. If you end up carrying too much you can go to a post office, they’ll have boxes for sale and free tape. Some services will pack your parcel for you and you can post these home or where ever.
Also Japan is suffering from over tourism and understaffing. Plan your trip out and book anywhere busy well in advance if you have a specific budget and want to stay in a popular area.
Also - pack shoes that are comfortable walking in for long periods of time. There’s LOTS of walking. Make sure you can take them on and off easily too as you’ll be required to do so in places such as people’s homes, religious sites, some hotels and restaurants etc. you don’t want to be faffing with lots of laces all the time of possible.
R/Japantravel has lots of good advice. Websites such as Gaijinpot and Tokyo cheapo are very helpful.
No problem! I utterly adore Japan. I spent a lot of time planning my last visit so always happy to share. If you look on GetYourGuide or Viator I think there’s a special tour that takes you to local motorcycle meet ups. I haven’t done it and I expect there’s a way for you to do it for less but thought you might like to know it exists.
Are you taking protective clothing and your own helmet? If so, how will you transport them on the plane? For onebag, you may have to wear your jacket or boots on the plane.
I'll take protective pants and boots with me, the jacket and the helmet I will rent there since I'm not really sure if I can take my helmet onboard.
Can you find a full face or modular to rent? Most of the rentals I’ve seen in Southeast Asia and even Hawaii were 3/4 helmets at best. If you search, you can probably find the old thread here where I asked some similar questions about moto-onebaggjng before a motorcycle trip to the Philippines.
Yes I can choose between fullface or open face helmet. Obviously I'll take full face and in that case it's a shoei helmet.
I have similar plans but undecided date. How much are you getting the motorcycle on rent for per day?
I'm renting a Yamaha mt03 for 13.500 yen .. it's about 85 USD i think .. not going through 14 days with it tho. Probably only 7 days.
Japan produces a lot of basic yet very high quality items. Packing light is easy there as every city has a Don Quixote and a Uniqlo that has everything with the added bonus that it’s cheap there at the moment. They have the best most convenient convenience stores in the world which are an attraction in themselves. If you have any allergies or need special medications make sure you bring them and also check they are legal - I think Sudafed is illegal there for example. don’t be like my friend who has a fish allergy and didn’t think to research it before hand (fish products are a common seasoning in most foods). Don’t pack any cologne or perfumes Japanese hate it. Make sure you keep yourself clean and groomed. I think they’re expecting this September to be quite warm depending on where you’re going. Check the forecasts as well as the Momji forecast if you want to see some foliage. Obviously mountains and lakes in the north will be colder etc. one thing everyone should consider is Japanese sizing is quite small compared to the west. They do have plus size options but they are very limited and a faff to sort out. If you’re tall or wide or have massive feet take this into account when packing. Otherwise Uniqlo will have enough to accommodate most average western sizes. I know there’s a big motorcycle scene there but I’ve never experienced that part of it.
I like Anker A10 sleep buds for long flights but they’re tiny (good for side sleeping). Be careful not to lose them like I did. My set up was those with a Turtl neck pillow, a second memory foam pillow, decent light blocking eye mask and I slept quite nicely that way. I’m looking at the Osprey Fairview for my next visit it comes highly recommended for most situations. Be aware that there is limited space on a lot of transport like trains whatever. You have to book luggage space in advance. Try and avoid bringing large bags on things like subway cars. It’s extremely safe unlike other cities but awkward bringing a heavy bulging bag on crowded commuter trains. Two very very handy things are their luggage lockers at most train stations- you can leave stuff safely there. It’s designed to be convenient and easy to use. Also you may wish to use the luggage forwarding service. It’s very reliable for example you can drop your bag in Tokyo and have it delivered to your hotel in Kyoto the same day. It’s not very expensive look for the Logo of a black cat carrying a kitten in its mouth. Yamato Express delivery. Also post office staff are extremely helpful and if they can’t speak English you can use google translate. If you end up carrying too much you can go to a post office, they’ll have boxes for sale and free tape. Some services will pack your parcel for you and you can post these home or where ever.
Also Japan is suffering from over tourism and understaffing. Plan your trip out and book anywhere busy well in advance if you have a specific budget and want to stay in a popular area.
Also - pack shoes that are comfortable walking in for long periods of time. There’s LOTS of walking. Make sure you can take them on and off easily too as you’ll be required to do so in places such as people’s homes, religious sites, some hotels and restaurants etc. you don’t want to be faffing with lots of laces all the time of possible. R/Japantravel has lots of good advice. Websites such as Gaijinpot and Tokyo cheapo are very helpful.
This should help https://boutiquejapan.com/japan-travel-tips-packing-for-japan Bring a battery pack you’ll need it.
Wow thanks! That's a lot you gave me here. I definitely will keep your words in mind!
No problem! I utterly adore Japan. I spent a lot of time planning my last visit so always happy to share. If you look on GetYourGuide or Viator I think there’s a special tour that takes you to local motorcycle meet ups. I haven’t done it and I expect there’s a way for you to do it for less but thought you might like to know it exists.
I just realized I haven't planned anything for the last 5 days 😄 probably gonna check this out
https://www.reddit.com/r/RideitJapan/s/d7ScFrORpr
https://www.facebook.com/share/pzYsBq5ExM5MLNQv/?mibextid=K35XfP
For motorcycling you want kreiga, they aren't cheap but they're great.