5 Tips on Packing for your trip

Here's 5 tips that I think are helpful to consider when packing:

1. Read the weather reports
This is important because it determines the amount and style of clothing you need to bring with you. You don't want to catch a cold when you are on vacation. If you are going for shopping purposes, pack comfortable clothes and shoes. Chances are you will have swollen feet on the second day you are there.

2. Bring Water Bottles
Why do you need to bring water bottles? The reason is that Japan is very dry. And most of the time you would be walking, since you are going to do all the tourist thing. Tap water is drinkable, so it says on a little sign on top of the sink in the hotel room's bathroom. But I wouldn't recommend drinking tap unless it has been boiled. And if you boil the water, you have to wait for it to cool and then put it in the bottle. That's why you buy large bottles (1L, 2L) of water. You can just get them in convenient stores and refill your water bottles as you need it, and you would save a little cost on water.

3. Bring your own medicine
I think this is common sense that you should remember to bring some medicines for emergencies. If you are traveling in North America, it wouldn't be a problem if you forget. But in Tokyo, you would need to read the labels. And you don't know what medicines you should take or if you are allergic to it or not. So to save a lot of grief in advance, pack some medicines. Bring common medicines such as Tylenol, cold medicine, stomach flu medicine, indigestion medicine, etc.

4. Bring Cash and Traveler's Cheque, Leave Visa for expensive stuff
You might think that it would be inconvenient and might cause a lot of grief if you bring cash, but it will actually save a lot of time. If you are going to stay at a big hotel (3 stars and up), you might not need it, because they would probably accept visa, but if you are staying at a small hotel or business hotel, they probably only take cash, and you need to pay them upfront. Also, if you are going to buy train tickets, or Suica cards, you need to pay cash. Small restaurants and fast food stores don't take visa, and it's a hassle to find an ATM, and plus you have to pay the transaction fee. Why not just have some cash at hand? You could probably find a great rate for currency exchange if you ask around. You can cash traveler's cheque in any bank in Japan. Save the visa for more expensive purchases, but use cash to pay for small things.

5. Electronics: Are you sure they are not going to blow up?
Make sure you can use your chargers in Japan by checking the manufacturing info. If you are taking a laptop with you, make sure you bring a electricity current converter (it's the plug thing that allows you to use your electronics safely). Because Japan uses different levels of electric current than Canada. You don't wanna see it explode (I'm exaggerating).