“Where is your luggage, Donny?” the guide from JTB asked as I exited the airport with nothing in tow. I sighed, knowing that this one was going to need some serious explaining. You see, I had just landed at Kansai International Airport for a six-day trip across most of the region, and all I had with me was a mere backpack. Of course, the query wasn’t one I hadn’t heard before. When you’re an extreme minimalist like myself, people often become rather inquisitive when you rock up with nothing else but a comparatively small rucksack, so I guess you could say I was used to it.
In this guide, I am going to share with you some of my tips and tricks for traveling so light. While I don’t know how feasible these would be elsewhere, I’ve managed to do this style of outing basically anywhere in Japan. In fact, as I am writing this now, I am on a local train headed towards the birthplace of the famed swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. This is the fifth day in a row that I’ve been in Okayama Prefecture, and all I’ve brought with me is a hoodie, two pairs of pants, two pairs of socks and underwear, and two undershirts.
To be frank with you, I really don’t understand how people can enjoy travel when they need to worry about something as bulky as a suitcase. They are entirely unwieldy and cumbersome to move around with. Moreover, they take up a ton of space on the train, meaning that you end up being a total hindrance to the locals who just want to go about their daily lives. Do yourself a favor and toss the trunk somewhere it belongs. Trust me when I say that you’ll thank me later for the additional freedom.
Hotel Laundering
If you’re wondering how I manage to travel for so long without smelling like a sweaty sock, know that my main secret is doing laundry at the hotel. Generally, most business hotels in Japan will have some sort of coin laundry where you can wash your wear. As far as I can tell, my chain of choice, Dormy Inn, always has a washer and dryer, but some other establishments sometimes don’t have any equipment on the premises. When I stay at Dormy Inn, I’ll usually hit the hot springs while waiting.
In the case that there is no washing machine (or a nearby coin laundry facility), my backup is the bathtub. At any of Japan’s ubiquitous convenience stores, you can purchase a small package of detergent that you can handwash your clothing with. This is great when staying at a place like a ryokan that serves dinner, as you can check in, throw your clothes in the tub to soak, and then go off to eat. By the time you’re finished feasting, you’ll be able to go and rinse off your garments.
Drying your wearables can be a bit more tricky. With very few exceptions, all bathrooms in Japan have a fan that will help to whisk away the post-shower moisture that coats the walls. If you hang lighter items up in here at night, they are usually dry by the morning. However, this will often not be the case with anything heavier, so be careful when trying to wash your pants and whatnot. Occasionally, my socks are still a tad bit damp, so in these cases, I’ll just wear them the next day and let body heat finish the job.
As with the example provided in the introduction, I’ll usually bring an extra pair of jeans when I travel, in addition to the ones that I’d be wearing. From my experience, denim can usually go a day or two without being washed, so my focus is first and foremost on inner items like underwear, undershirts, socks, etc. Then, I’ll try to find a proper washing machine to do my denim sometime during the trip when staying at a Dormy Inn or other hotel with the proper equipment.
Packing Light
At the risk of sounding like the ever-annoying Captain Obvious here, one of the most important parts of minimalist travel is actually not stuffing your bag with well… stuff! At least as far as I am concerned, most of the crap that people smush into their bags when traveling is wholly unnecessary. These days, it’s easy to purchase something in a pinch while on the go if you really need it, so stop planning for potential “what ifs” and just bring the bare essentials.
Many moons ago, I covered what I always carry with me. While the contents of my bugout bag have changed considerably since then, I still don’t bring anything that I don’t absolutely need. Seeing as I am a digital marketer, it’s vital that most of the space in my bag be taken up by nomad necessities like my MacBook Air, charging cables, my camera, etc. Only once these items are accounted for will I even think of packing clothing.
When selecting what to bring along on a trip, I’ll first judge how long I am going to be gone for. Since I live in Japan, most of my travels end up being anywhere from two to five days depending on where I am going. For you readers though, you’re likely going to have a few weeks’ worth of items with you. In these cases, try to ditch what you can somewhere like a coin locker, so you can move about more freely.
Have a Home Base
For those of you coming for slightly more lengthy stints in Japan, know that having somewhere to call home for the duration can really help with any and all luggage issues. If you’re hopping from hotel to hotel, you really can’t store your stuff anywhere. While I have a solution to this problem in the upcoming section, you can cut back on the costs and headaches that stem from suitcases by having an Airbnb or something similar like a weekly or monthly apartment.
Recently, I’ve been working with a brand from Hong Kong called Weave Living that provides hassle-free accommodations to expats and tourists doing longer stays in Japan. I’ve written about how these units can be a godsend already in this article though, so rather than repeat my rant again here, I’ll just instead direct you to that piece. Suffice to say, having a home base somewhere to ditch your larger luggage at is certainly a big upside of an offering like Weave Living’s.
Ship Your Shit
One of the best things about Japan is that you can easily have your luggage sent to your next destination via a company like Yamato Transport. All you need to do is ship your luggage onwards to the next hotel and then go about your merry way. While doing so necessitates that you jam whatever you’ll need for the day into a backpack or something, forwarding your luggage on does free you up from the shackles of the suitcase.
If this sounds like something interesting, know that most hotels in Japan can assist you with shipping your luggage to wherever you’ll be staying next. Though you should avoid seeking their help during peak times like check-in and check-out, I’ve seen many staff even go as far as helping to fill out the form for struggling travelers. Should you want to go hands-free on your next trip, consider checking out this handy FAQ or doing a bit more research on the subject online.
Note that you can send your suitcase to convenience stores as well as the airport. While the costs can start to add up quickly if you overuse the service, knowing that your bigger parcels are already somewhere close to where you’re heading can make it much easier to travel light. And hey, it TOTALLY beats the alternative of trying to squish an oversized suitcase onto the Yamanote Line during rush hour.
Until next time travelers…
