Need travel gear in Japan? What to buy today and what to order to your hotel or ryokan

Japan's official tourism organisation, JNTO, says the standard voltage is 100 V throughout the country, with a frequency of 50 Hz in eastern Japan and 60 Hz in western Japan (including Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka), and that outlets take Type A plugs — two flat pins — so visitors from many countries need a plug adapter. Check the rating printed on each charger or appliance: dual-voltage devices work anywhere in Japan, but a device rated only for a higher voltage needs a voltage converter, and for something like a hair dryer it can be cheaper to buy a Japanese 100 V model than a converter.

Today: the large electronics stores sell plug adapters, voltage converters, chargers and extension leads. Order online: a Type A adapter or a multi-port USB charger is a small parcel that suits hotel delivery or konbini pickup. If you're on the move, JNTO notes that newer shinkansen have outlets beside the window seats — ask for one when you buy your ticket.

A power bank is the gadget most worth buying if your phone is your map, ticket and translator. Today: electronics stores stock chargers and batteries; online, you can choose by capacity and size and have it delivered to your hotel.

Know Japan's flight rules before you buy a big one. From 24 April 2026, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) allows at most two power banks in carry-on, each no more than 160 Wh; power banks may never go in checked baggage; and on board you may not charge the power bank or use it to charge other devices. Keep it at hand — in the seat pocket, not the overhead bin — and protect the terminals from short circuits with insulating tape, a case or a pouch, away from other batteries and metal objects. To work out the rating: Wh = mAh × V ÷ 1,000, so MLIT's example of 27,000 mAh at 3.7 V is 99.9 Wh. Airlines may set stricter rules, so follow your carrier's instructions.

Ryokan angle: a few inns have little or no power in the rooms. Lamp no Yado Aoni Onsen in Aomori is lit by oil lamps, and the inn says rooms have no power, so arrive with a full power bank.

JNTO says the rainy season begins around May to June and that August and September may bring typhoons, so a sudden downpour is a normal part of a Japanese summer. Today: konbini sell umbrellas and are open 24 hours in most places.

Order online if you want something sturdier or lighter to carry for the rest of the trip — a compact folding umbrella, a poncho that covers a backpack, or waterproof shoe covers. Ryokan angle: some inns lend umbrellas, so ask at the front desk before buying one — Kusatsu Onsen Daitokan, for example, lends them free.

JNTO describes Japan as very much a cash-based society. Banknotes come in 1,000, 2,000, 5,000 and 10,000 yen, coins go up to 500 yen, and JNTO suggests carrying a purse for your coins because their value — and weight — soon adds up. It also warns that some rural buses and taxis take only cash, and that not every ATM is open 24 hours; among the ATMs it lists for visitors are those in 7-Eleven stores and at Japan Post Bank.

Today: 100-yen shops sell a wide range of everyday goods and are worth a look; online you'll find coin cases with slots for each coin size and slim travel wallets. Ryokan angle: some inns take limited cards — Yugawara Onsen Gensen Uenoya's own FAQ lists cash or Visa only — so check the payment options before you go.

JNTO's onsen guide explains that a small towel (usually provided) is for washing or for covering yourself on the way to the bath, never for the water: fold it on your head or the edge of the bath, tie up long hair, and remove shoes or slippers before the changing room. Many onsen also sell small tattoo cover sheets, though they only suit very small tattoos. At traditional inns you take your shoes off at the entrance and may be given slippers.

Today: konbini carry toiletries, socks and disposable heat packs, and drugstores are JNTO's suggested first stop for forgotten toiletries. Order online for a waterproof bath bag, a quick-dry face towel or tabi-style socks.

Ryokan angle: at some inns the baths have no towels of their own, so you carry them from your room — our reports say so for Tateshina Shinyu Onsen and Kanazawa Yuwaku Onsen Hyakurakuso — and a small waterproof bag helps. Corridors can be tatami: at Hida Takayama Onsen Hoshokaku you walk barefoot or in the tabi socks left in your room. Older buildings get cold in winter; at Yumoto Choza in Okuhida the corridors are cold and the nearest konbini is about 30 minutes away by car, so pack warm socks and heat packs before you arrive.

JNTO's FAQ lists the usual options: buy or rent a SIM card, eSIM or pocket Wi-Fi at the airport, or reserve one online in advance and collect it at the airport; for short visits it calls eSIMs and pocket Wi-Fi especially convenient. Your phone must be unlocked to use a SIM. Major international airports have free Wi-Fi in their terminals, and some coffee chains, fast-food restaurants and convenience stores offer free Wi-Fi after sign-up.

JNTO also advises checking Wi-Fi when you book, because traditional ryokan and minshuku in the mountains or countryside may not offer it. Our reports bear this out: Lamp no Yado Aoni Onsen has no mobile signal, TV or internet, and Yachi Onsen has no mobile signal anywhere; at Tsurunoyu Onsen the signal is patchy and Wi-Fi works in the lounge; Kinugawa Onsen Hana no Yado Matsuya, where signal and Wi-Fi are weak in parts of the building, lends pocket Wi-Fi at the front desk. Download offline maps and your booking details before you set off.

JNTO's 'Hands-Free Travel' page explains that you can send luggage from certified counters, that most major hotels can arrange delivery to your next hotel, and that you can also drop bags at a designated convenience store. Limits apply — for example, up to 160 cm in combined dimensions, 25–30 kg and contents worth under 300,000 yen — and valuables, fragile items, fresh food, liquids and dangerous goods aren't accepted.

Keep power banks in your hand luggage rather than a forwarded case: MLIT notes that a power bank that can't be flown may not be accepted for air transport by courier either, so declare it to the carrier and follow its instructions. Today: you can hand a bag in at your hotel's front desk or a designated konbini. Order online for a luggage strap to keep a case shut, compression bags to make room for souvenirs, or a foldable bag to carry the essentials while your suitcase travels ahead.