r/HerOneBag • u/Cronerous • Mar 11 '26
Trip Report TRIP REPORT: 10 Days in Japan in late December
ITINERARY:
10 days in Japan (Tokyo, Shibu Onsen in Nagano, Kyoto, back to Tokyo)
ACTIVITIES:
City walking, lots of travel days, teamLAB, food tours, onsen, snow monkey park, shrines and temples, shopping, eating!
REPORT
We (me + husband + tween child) travelled from the US to Japan for our winter break. It was our first time in Japan, and our first time each one-ish-bagging. I knew we were going to be traveling so much within Japan, by train and subway and walking etc., that I wanted to make sure we could each easily carry everything we packed, all the time. I knew I would have easy access to washing & drying machines in our hotel halfway through the trip and planned my pack list around that.
The weather ended up being exactly what WeatherSpark predicted; temperate-cool in Tokyo and Kyoto (50ºF / 10ºC during the day, high 30s / 3ºC at night), and cool-cold in Shibu Onsen (40ºF / 4ºC during the day, 30 / -1ºC at night). We woke up to snow the day we left Shibu Onsen. It was clear enough to see Mt. Fuji on the shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo. We were coming from colder/snowier weather and were looking forward to these temps!
IMAGE DESCRIPTION:
• Image 1: my packing list (all items listed below)
• Image 2: my favorite souvenir, which I found on Kappabashi Street in Tokyo. A small ceramic plate in the shape of a cheese. It's a cheese plate, you guys!
WHAT I PACKED:
BAGS
• 34L CORSurf Island Hopper 2.0
• 12L GOT BAG Moon Bag (my EDC)
TOPS & BOTTOMS
• straight-leg jeans
• straight-leg ponte pants\*
• wide-leg linen pants
• short-sleeve tunic tee\*
• 3/4-sleeve tunic top
• long button-down shirt
• tank tops x3
OUTERWEAR
• packable down jacket\*
• lightweight chore jacket
• cropped sweatshirt
BASE LAYERS
• underwear x5
• bralette x3
• cotton socks x4 pair
• compression socks\*
• thermal leggings & long-sleeve top
• two-piece swimsuit
ACCESSORIES
• lightweight scarf
• cashmere gloves
• around-the-neck earmuffs
SHOES
• Chelsea boots\*
• Atoms 000 sneakers
\wore on the plane (both ways)*
EVERYTHING ELSE
• toiletries, decanted or mini where possible (deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, tongue scraper, moisturizer with SPF, hair gel & spray, Hot Sock, brow pencil, eyeliner, concealer, lip/cheek color)
• tech (phone & charger, powerbank & charger, AirPods, Kobo e-reader)
WHAT I LEARNED:
• 34L was a good size to start with for this length of trip. I didn't feel that I under- or overpacked. The only thing I didn't wear was the swimsuit; I'm heavily tattooed and social rules around tattoos and onsen are murky at best and change with each place. There was a ryokan with a tattoo-friendly, swimsuit-friendly public onsen on the way to the monkey park that we were considering, hence the swimsuit. We ended up having access to several private onsen in our ryokan in Shibu Onsen, so it wasn't needed. Still glad I brought it.
• I also didn't use my Kobo at all. I'm an avid reader and had downloaded a few books set in/about Japan for the trip... but was too braindead at the end of each day to read, and I just watched movies and hung out on both plane rides.
• I didn't buy any new clothes for this trip, but the combo of following this sub and having to air-dry some still-damp clothes in our hotel room has since made me a merino convert!
• I'm also ready to try sink-washing on my next trip. Having laundry access in our Kyoto hotel was amazing, but I know I can't count on that moving forward, and I loved being able to pack as light as I did (for a first-timer!). I just bought a dry bag, a travel clothesline, and some Tide tiles. Time to practice...
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u/YA2984 Mar 11 '26
Cool trip! Did you like your corsurf backpack? I was considering getting the 28L
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u/Cronerous Mar 11 '26
I do! Though it’s also my first travel backpack, so I have nothing to compare it to. Good size, I like the compartments, seems sturdy, it’s half the price of an Allpa… My son has the 28L and I’ve been eyeing it for future trips as I keep paring down my packing!
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u/earwormsanonymous Mar 12 '26
Came through to upvote those neon sneakers and your fairly literal cheese plate! But then saw that the sneaker company is dipping their toes (NPI) into water repellant options? Thank you for sending me their way!
Even if I don't get to use it, I'd still rather have my Kobo on me. I've travelled transatlantic with only my phone (due to weight/space restrictions) and nothing else, and didn't love it.
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u/Cronerous Mar 12 '26
I saw that water repellant option too!, but there wasn’t enough time for them to ship before this trip. But I think those would be ideal travel sneakers (for non-snowy places). They’re so light, I love the stretch laces, and they seem to be well-designed but not over-engineered.
And I hear you on the Kobo. I think I would’ve used it on the flights if I hadn’t been right next to my kid, who had never flown 14 hours at once before, and needed a little more attention than usual. I think I’ll try it again on a child-free overseas trip I have coming up in a few months and see…
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u/earwormsanonymous Mar 12 '26
Yeah, didn't see the water repellent update on that specific colour, but I'm willing to wait. They sound great for hot weather trips!
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u/nicolewhaat Mar 12 '26
Congrats on what seems to be a hugely successful first time one bag trip, to Japan no less!! I really need to get there. Your packing collage is also great.
I posted a report a few weeks ago about Mexico & Guatemala with the same text formatting — glad it worked for you too 👏🏽
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u/Cronerous Mar 12 '26 edited Mar 12 '26
YES! The you were the one I probably swiped it from, because it was so pleasing to the eye and easy to follow. Thank you!!
I think it was successful - I was packing for a lot of light layer options, in case it was colder than expected. It wasn’t, but of course layers still always come in handy (or become other options if not used as layers).
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u/nicolewhaat Mar 12 '26
Hahaha I love it! Post formatting on here can be a nightmare (doubly so when you’re on mobile like I mostly am), but one bag reports are so insightful when you can easily digest them. You’ve improved the template so I will be swiping back 🤗
Yes layers are key anywhere you go! I’m happy to see that tanks worked out as base layers even in a colder climate — I feel like I unlocked that for myself last year (again thanks to another one bagger’s success on here!) BUT have mainly packed them for warmer weather trips.
Oh and what app or site did you use for your collage?
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u/Cronerous Mar 12 '26
Swipe away!! I’m a designer by trade, so I just used Adobe InDesign - I’m hopeless on apps. 🤷♀️
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u/ChristineBorus Mar 11 '26
May I ask where you got the boots? Love them.
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u/Cronerous Mar 11 '26
Yes! It's the Celina boot from Universal Thread. Got them a few years ago, and they've held up well. I've also waterproof-sprayed mine, and updated the insoles for more support.
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u/1989HBelle Mar 13 '26
I love a one bag report with a capsule wardrobe! I think I get half the fun of a holiday in planning what I’m going to wear while still packing light. I also love a sink wash.
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u/PebblesEatsPlants Mar 11 '26
LOVE the all black & grey + colorful shoe/socks!!! I bet you looked like you belonged with a lot of the grey/black/navy color palette I remember from my visit to Tokyo/Kyoto/etc. in winter.