I Just Spent 2 Weeks in Japan, and These 5 Items Made Packing a Breeze

Regardless of how often I travel, I always find packing particularly stressful. I’m someone who likes to dress according to my mood, which is nearly impossible to predict 14 days into the future and in another country. Suffice it to say, I was feeling the stress when I set out to pack for a two-week trip to Japan in the middle of winter, during which I would be skiing and exploring the cities. Trying to narrow down my packing list to fit everything into one suitcase was quite the undertaking, but I returned feeling pretty proud of my choices.

What I’ve come to realize about packing is that as long as I have the basics of my outfits covered, everything else can be more flexible depending on how I feel in the moment. For this trip specifically, that meant a great coat, comfortable footwear, and warm accessories. Since returning from said trip, I can confirm there were five items I packed that completely streamlined the rest of the outfit planning and packing. These five items acted as the backbone of my Japan wardrobe, allowing me to build most of my outfits around them. Below, I’m sharing the best travel packing tips I learned by highlighting the five items that carried me during this trip.

1. LEATHER TRENCH

When I say my coat was my outfit for 95% of the trip, I’m not exaggerating. Japan is quite chilly this time of year, so my favorite leather trench coat was wrapped around my body the entire time, making my outfit underneath almost irrelevant. If you’re headed on a winter trip, choose your coat wisely, as it’s going to do the heavy lifting in the outfit department. I packed the below Nour Hammour coat, and it was my hero piece of the trip.

2. XL TOTE

This one helped with both the physical act of packing and the trip itself. My large tote bag allowed me to bring extra stuff on the plane and then acted as my daytime bag while roaming around Japan to house all of my essentials and purchases throughout the day. I brought a small evening bag in addition to the tote, and it was the perfect bag combination.

3. STRAIGHT-LEG JEANS

Jeans are a no-brainer on a trip, and to me, a straight-leg silhouette is the most versatile. They can be paired with any shoe style and get better the more you wear them. If you can believe it, I only brought one pair of jeans with me to Japan and would actually recommend it.

4. SNEAKERS

People warned me to bring comfortable shoes, and they were not kidding. I was walking over 20k steps a day in Japan, so sneakers were my best friend. I brought other shoes with me, but to be honest, they rarely left my suitcase. My sneakers were the real MVPs of the trip, and while I personally chose my favorite pair of New Balances, any comfortable sneakers will suffice.

5. COZY ACCESSORIES

Since I was in Japan during the peak of winter, cozy accessories were absolutely essential. Plush scarves, leather gloves, and hats of all forms ensured I would be warm and comfortable while roaming around all day, no matter what the weather threw at us. Knowing my outfits would mostly consist of my coat and these accessories took the stress out of outfit planning.