Pack less than you think. Japan sells baby supplies on every corner, hotels do laundry, and luggage can be shipped ahead — so the suitcase only has to carry what Japan can’t replace.
(Prices below are in yen; ¥1,000 is roughly $7. Rates move, so treat every figure as a size rather than a quote.)
What has to come from home?
A short list, and none of it is bulky.
- Your child’s usual medicines in the original packaging — fever reducer, allergy, anything prescribed. Japanese equivalents exist, but doses and brands differ. A normal family supply generally travels without extra steps; large quantities may require an import certificate (Yakkan Shomei).
- A baby carrier, even if the stroller comes too. Some stations are long flights of stairs, and trains get packed.
- Slip-on shoes for everyone. You will take shoes off daily.
- Headphones for the tablet. Trains are quiet, and sound played out loud is the one real faux pas.
- Snacks your child already trusts, enough for the flight and day one.
- Passports — each child needs their own — plus any visa your nationality requires. Check the expiry dates now.
What can I buy after we land?
Nearly all the baby gear, usually cheaper than carrying it.
- Diapers — Merries, Pampers, Moony, sized by weight, in every drugstore
- Formula, including ready-to-drink liquid formula, so there’s no measuring at 2 a.m.
- Jarred baby food from 5 months up, in drugstores and supermarkets
- Wipes, rain covers, umbrellas, sunscreen — konbini and ¥100 shops cover the rest
What do I set up on my phone before we fly?
Three things, about fifteen minutes at home.
- Visit Japan Web — one registration covers the whole family and gives you the QR codes for immigration and customs.
- An eSIM or roaming plan, bought before you leave. Airport SIM counters have lines, and jet-lagged kids don’t wait.
- Offline maps of your cities, plus a translation app. Google Maps transit directions work well in Japan.
What will we be wearing?
That depends on your cities more than on the month — Japan runs from Okinawan beach weather to Hokkaido snow in the same week, so check the forecast where you’re actually going. One rule holds everywhere: layers over bulk, because trains and shops are heated and cooled hard and outside is not. April alone can swing between 8°C and 22°C (46–72°F) inside a week; there’s a block on cherry-blossom season in What to Watch Out For.
How do we move all of it?
Mostly, you don’t carry it.
- Ship the suitcases ahead (takkyubin). Any konbini or hotel front desk sends a bag on to your next hotel for roughly ¥2,000–3,000, usually arriving the next day. You board the train with a backpack and a child instead of three suitcases.
- Do laundry mid-trip. Most business hotels have coin laundry, and every neighborhood has a coin laundromat. Pack for 5 days, not 14.
FAQ
Should I bring our stroller or rent one there?
Bring yours if it folds small and you already like using it. Otherwise you can borrow as you go: airports lend strollers inside the terminals, malls and many attractions lend them free, and rental services deliver to hotels in the big cities. Our spot pages note stroller rental wherever a place offers it.
What about a crib?
Hotels usually have a crib or bed guard, free or for a small fee, but stock is limited. Request it when you book rather than at check-in.
Cash or card?
Both. Cards work at chains and stations; cash is for small restaurants, shrines, and coin lockers. Withdraw yen at 7-Eleven ATMs — they take foreign cards and have English menus.