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Umbrellas - get a free one at the airport. Go up to the DEPARTURE LOUNGE, there will be a half dozen in the recycling bin.

For those viewing this video, let me warn you...he is ABSOLUTELY CORRECT ON ALL POINTS!!!  We were in Japan in October and had one of those large suitcases that had more "stuff" than we needed and was like an albatross around our necks.  We found that the best thing to do at the airport was to use the Yamato transport (I call them the Cat Transport).  If you get to the airport before 5 PM you can get same day delivery to your hotel.  They are fast and efficient.  For quick meals and snacks the Family Marts and Lawsons and 7-11s have great freshly packed meals, but just about everything you need to survive.  Check out his other videos for great and timely advice.

A power bank to keep my phone charged while out and about! That's one of my essentials, along with phone, money, and passport. 🌸Heidi

My personal tips:  
1) use your coins at vending machines or to reload your IC card at 7-11
2) 7-11 ATMs have very good exchange rates
3) pack light. There are laundry mats everywhere. The machines wash and dry. Drop in a load, go grab a bite. No one is going to steal your clothes in Japan.  
4) very large suit cases aren’t convenient going through crowded train stations or bumpy sidewalks. Stations have lots of stairs and there aren’t always escalators or elevators nearby.

I dont know if anyone will see this. But pack compression socks! It will make the flight and all the walking more bareable.❤

As someone from Texas, Japan isn't hot, it's the humidity that beats you down. Also, if you are a big body, you are very limited on clothing options so you will need to pack more clothes vs. someone small enough to wear the clothes being sold at most stores there.

Some good tips ... here are two more .... get a local pre-pay cash card as soon as you can after arriving. Suica or Pasmo are the most popular. You can use them for many things including trains, buses, subways, snacks and drinks at 7-11 / Lawson's, etc. Number 2 .... most subway and rail stations have escalators and elevators to help you avoid stairs, but you need to be patient and vigilant to find them sometimes. I developed a sore knee while visiting but managed to avoid most stairs by searching out the elevators. Remember, Japan's population is one of the most elderly in the world, so they have invested in infrastructure and technology to assist them.

You absolutely need more than one pair of shoes.  The amount of walking you do is insane and you will want to change up the pressure points when you walk from day to day

Re: no paper towels/ bringing your own hand towel. Japan/ Okinawa are islands. They have geared their culture around efficiency of resources, including waste. Their limited space dictates that they reduce garbage output as they don't have anywhere to store it, like landfills in the US. Bringing your own hand towel is deemed more sanitary as used paper towels don't get to ferment over the course of the day, reducing pests and microorganisms and cost of refilling empty paper dispensers.

I agree with most of your tips.  Nice video.

I always travel with an extra pair of shoes of a different type to change into (to air out one pair alternating days, give your feet a relief, and just in case something happens, like getting soaked in a downpour).  Never never wear new (un-broken in) shoes.

Japan is a humid or rainy climate a good part of the year.  I recommend linen, silk, or thin merino wool, and loose, ventilated clothing in layers.  To each their own, but I don't recommend shorts if you are an adult.

Wet wipes.  I always carried wet wipes (everywhere I travel), and a bandana/scarf/handkerchief to use as a towel, sweat mop, or just to sit on.

That suitcase within a suitcase technique is what I use for Japan.  I enter Jspan with a backpack worth of personal luggage, but always leave with 2 to 3 full bags of loot.  It just happens because there are too many cool things to buy.  I use the "homebase" method... like getting a hotel in one place, say, Osaka, and then going to Nara, Kobe, Kyoto, Lake Biwa from there.  Then move to a new base and do the same thing.  It minimizes the luggage schlepping and feels more relaxed having a familiar "home" to return to.

Best money exchange rate was surprisingly from 7-11.  Avoid the tempting airport and hotel exchange counters. A coin purse or a coin organizer (from Daiso) will definitely make life easier. Those little aluminum 1¥ coins are virtually unspendable.  5¥ coins with the little hole are good for temple offerings.  100¥ coins are the most useful everywhere.  Also many banks require a hanko (signature stamp) which non-Japanese do not possess.

I LOVE kombinis, but, don't forget Japanese supermarkets also for less expensive, often better food and selection.  We started shopping and eating more like a local and some of the modern service things in a supermarket were eye-opening.

My top tip, bring a small compass. A proper walker's compass, not a toy one. For two reasons: 1. Your phone in Tokyo will not know which way you are facing correctly. 2. Public maps (you are here) do not put North at the top. In fact, N could be anywhere on the map. This means when you look for the right exit from the underground station, you can easily pick a very wrong direction and waste a lot of time walking the wrong way. Likewise, your phone can pick a good route to walk from A to B, but if you start off in the wrong direction, your walk just gets longer. Side streets don't have name signs like London has, so you can struggle to find your way. Maps on leaflets can be facing any which way. So finding true North becomes really useful all the time, especially in underground passageways.

They make "travel pillows" that are empty tube shaped bags that you fill with your clothing . They act as a travel pillow and free up space in your luggage

For those going, the whole infrastructure is not designed for large or lots of luggage so make every effort to take no more than one medium size suitcase, couples should share a suitcase IMO. Stay at hotels rather than Airbnb. You will have staff as a resource who can make reservations for you and access to luggage forwarding services. Most hotels are located close to a station. Learn and follow train etiquette for Japan, this is one of the most important cultural things!!! And do travel light, I take one bag with three t shirts and an extra pair of pants and it works fine for a two week trip and I have room to bring things back.

It helps to choose some tops that are quick dry/wrinkle free in case you don’t have access to laundry facilities.  I try to book hotels that have laundry at alternate stops.  Wear slip on shoes and socks in good condition if you’re visiting shrines, restaurants or homes.  Bare feet is bad form.  Buy an umbrella in Japan - they are super super compact and lightweight and provide great UV protection.  Loft and Tokyu Hands have good selection.

The cheap clear umbrellas are generally free in many places throughout Japan. Because of this, a lot of people assume they are the free for public use provided ones. It is a common mistake that many natives complain about lol

I guess it is also worth mentioning that, buying clothes in Japan option is very much related to your body size.  if you a large person, you not be able to find anything at all.

Thanks for the great tips. One thing I would say for women is that if you're tall or wear a shoe size larger than the usual Japanese size range, it may be difficult to find clothes / shoes at a regular store. I'm 5'8" and wear size 41 (size 10 in American sizes), and when I lived in Tokyo, I had to shop at a 'Tall girls' type of shop and the special sizes floor of a giant shoe store.

They supposedly solved all the stair issues in stations for the Olympics, but it takes language skills and patience to figure out how to find escalators and elevators.

14:14 Pseudoephedrine is the active ingredient in Sudafed. It generally keeps you awake instead of making you sleepy. It can also be used in the manufacturing of methamphetamines, which is probably the reason it is illegal there. It is also the reason pharmacies keep it behind the counter now.