Traveling is probably one of the most rewarding things you can do for yourself. You will get to enjoy the different cultures, fashion, food, trends, and most of all the great people of that country. Making the trip whether business or pleasure you will need to be ready for everything the trip throws at you. Here I want to share my Do’s and Don’ts with my endeavors in Japan.
Japan…. Sounds fun and exciting doesn’t it? Well, it can definitely be the time of your life, but go unprepared and it will be one of the worst experiences you will have. Recently I was talking to a travel agent friend of mine, and she mentioned Japan is the hot go to spot right now. And so, it got me thinking, “yea I know a thing or two about Japan” especially the perfectly balanced seasons. I myself brought up in the good ole’ LA, I only know nice weather year-round, so when I started taking business trips to Tokyo, Japan I was blown away at how cold it was in Winter. This time I’m specifically going to share my thoughts on how to travel to Japan in the Wintertime. I will share my experiences about the other seasons of Japan in the future.
Before I get into it I would like to emphasize that it’s just advice coming from a middle-aged man that did a lot of business traveling to Japan. During the 5-year span of traveling to Japan I would say 60% was in the Wintertime, 30% was in the Fall or Spring and 10% was in the Summertime. Being an Angeleno that I am, I wasn’t used to all the crazy and spontaneous weather.
Let me begin with a story of when I realized the importance of forecasting and preparing for a trip. 2015 I had my first business trip to Tokyo in January. I had gone to Tokyo before in the Winter, but it was always December.
I remember packing a week prior to the trip and realized I needed a new pair of sneakers, and I already had some decent pairs of casual dress shoes. I went shopping and got myself a very nice pair of brand-new Nike sneakers ($120). I packed a lot of useless things and forgot to pack all the important things. Little did I know at that time I was in for a rude awakening.
My Flight was to land early at 5am in Tokyo that day, but there was a major blizzard. We were delayed over an hour because they had to clear the runway of snow. Finally, when we landed, the Airport was so packed because of the backed-up flights, it felt like forever just to get our luggage. Once out in the airport lobby I went to get a bus ticket and they told me it’s going to take 3 times longer to get to my destination because of the snow. I finally got on the bus, I felt so relieved thinking all my troubles were over, boy was I wrong. 2 1/2 hours later I got to my destination in Tokyo. The city I arrived in was especially heavily snowing.
The bus terminal was literally white and ankle to shin high in snow.
I got my luggage (which I stuffed with BS stuff) and started dragging it towards the hotel I was staying at. I must have walked only 10 minutes before I realized I wasn’t going to make it to my hotel in this deep snow.
To make matters worse I had stepped in a muddy puddle….” Fuck!” I yelled. My new Nikes were drenched, and my feet were wet. keep in mind the puddle wasn’t even that deep. I decided to just walk into a nearby yakitori restaurant to chill until the blizzard had calmed.
The snow had now melted on my Jacket, and I was drenched wet all over my body. I was cold, and angry. This was not happening…
Anyways, I decided to stay at the restaurant and have a hot meal. I ordered some booze and some soup so I can get warmed up.
I got to say Alcohol makes everything all right!
I must have been at the restaurant for more than 2 hours, when I noticed snow mobiles clearing the roads. I decided to head to the hotel before the roads got packed with snow again. It took me around 15 minutes walking slowly to the hotel. Finally! Checked into my hotel.
I turned on the heater and just got undressed as soon as possible and jumped straight into the shower. Ahh… have to say that was the best feeling in the world, a nice hot shower! After I settled in I got thinking on how important it is to forecast, plan, and prepare. The following business trips, through trial and error I was ready for anything. Let me give the readers a rundown of how I got prepared and the convenient useful gears I traveled with.
To begin, my first mistake and should be the first thing checked before planning for the trip is climate, weather. Obviously if going in winter It’s going to be cold, but I took a thick hoodie. The hoodie I took was very thick but not weatherproof, all the melted snow seeped through and I was drenched which made it more cold. This is just a small example of what to plan for. If you google any city around the world and type in the month and year you are going, there are many sites that tell you the forecast for the whole month. As you near your trip date you can check the weekly weather forecast, which should be more accurate.
Apparel is one of the most important aspects of traveling. My idea of clothes packing is packing warm useful attire while still being able to pack light. The last thing you want to do is dragging along 3 huge suitcases from place to place. Most hotels in Japan will have a washer and dryer in the property or a coin laundry nearby, take advantage of this convenience. My rule of thumb when packing for the main clothes is pack for 3 days only, for example I take 1 pair of jeans, 1 khaki, and a lightweight jogger pants to move comfortably from city to city. The top wear I take 1 blazer, 1 lightweight puffer jacket, 1 sweater, 1 v neck long sleeve, 1 henley, and 3 regular white tees. With underwear & socks, you should have 6 pairs. If you’re like me you are going to need it for emergencies. Pack casual dress shoes in a shoe bag. Make sure to wear waterproof shoes on the plane because once you arrive and roam around the wet city, you want to be wearing these shoes. I will list the Brooks shoes I used when going to Japan in the wet season.
Vanity bags should be self-explanatory and should be put together to the needs of that individual. Thing you should consider is having 2 pouches.
1 regular vanity bag and 1 small vanity pouch. The small one you should put in your carry-on just in case you need to use stuff on the plane.
Anyways to make it easier I will give you the rundown of items, clothes, and gadgets that I found to be immensely helpful or even necessary to carry.
The items, clothes, etc are things I personally took and used so I can truly recommend to my readers.
Northface puffer jacket: it is water resistant and considering how light it is, it’s very warm. Lol! Wish I had this for the first time!
Check it out: North Face men’s insulated flare jacket
Brooks waterproof running shoes: no more wet socks, plus if you’re like me and like to exercise during trips it’s perfect. Great shoes!
Check it out: Brooks Men’s Ghost 14 GTX Waterproof shoes
Eddie Bauer travex blazer: don’t know if they sell the same exact one I have, but these are amazing for night out and for business casual. To add, these are very stretchy, comfortable, machine washable, and have no need for dry cleaning. It also beads moisture!
Check it out: Eddie Bauer Men’s Ultimate Voyager Travel Blazer
Packable Coofandy raincoat: always buy 1 size bigger than what you usually wear, as you will be wearing over everything else. A must in Japan with the spontaneous rain.
Check it out: Men’s Packable Lightweight raincoat
Packable eddie bauer tote bag: these bags come in soo handy when traveling, shopping, and carrying things around. Must!
Check it out: Eddie Bauer Stowaway Packable Tote
Arm & Hammer laundry detergents sheets: these I keep in a small ziplock bag, gotta say these are perfect for travelers!
Check it out: Arm & Hammer Power Laundry Detergent Sheets
Bounce dryer sheets grew up using these! Smells great and I keep them in the same ziplock as the detergent sheets.
Check it out: Bounce Dryer Fabric Softener Sheets
Anker power bank: life saver! This is a must if going on trips. It charges my ipad, my phone and my rental Wi-Fi.
Check it out: Anker Power Bank Portable Charger
Isotoner gloves with touchscreen: you can use your phone while keeping you warm in the cold.
Check it out: Isotoner Men’s Spandex Touchscreen Cold Weather Gloves
Men’s lab series SPF all in one face moisturizer: I’m a dude, the convenience of everything in one!
Check it out: Lab Series All-in-One Defense Lotion SPF 35
Hello natural toothpaste tablets: I split them up and put them in pill cases and I can brush my teeth anytime anywhere without the paste.
Check it out: Toothpaste Travel Tablets
Columbia thermal socks: I found these on Amazon, you won’t regret buying these. Warm, soft, best of all perfect thickness
Check it out: Columbia Men’s Moisture Control Socks
Seiko Coutura chronograph leather watch: this watch is my go-to travel watch, it’s comfortable for everyday wear and yet stylish for a night out.
Check it out: SEIKO Coutura Black Chronograph Watch
Samsonite omni 24in luggage spinner wheels: I have used Samsonite luggage products for a long time, and they have never let me down. This is the specific model and size I’m using now. I gave my other Samsonite to my mother and it’s still running strong.
Check it out: Samsonite Omni 2 Hardside Expandable Luggage
There were more items, but these were readily available on Amazon, so I listed them. Of course, there is much more stuff you can get that is great for traveling. I have more topics and I can get into more details on the importance of being prepared but I think you get my point. I want anyone traveling to Japan to have a wonderful experience.
To conclude I recently went back to Japan after 3 years, and for some reason it felt very nostalgic. I went to my favorite bar again in Tokyo. Nothing had changed, like I wrote in my other blog, it felt like I was reading the chapter I left off at. I had a feeling of excitement being back, but a little sad knowing I have to leave again. I guess what makes a vacation destination enchanting is because you only get to spend only a little time there. Japan is definitely my second home.
Maybe one day I will catch you sitting next to me in my favorite bar…
Life is short… let’s travel and enjoy everything the world has to offer!