I've climbed Mt Fuji twice as well as Mt Hiei and a few others in Japan. You don't need warm clothes unless it's raining because you'll be sweating your ass off. I always climbed with good boots, but it's not a requirement. Most of my climbing partners just used sneakers.

Taking suitcases by train is not an issue other than during rush hour, so plan your timing accordingly. You'll never get it into a rush hour train in Tokyo. Shinkansen have no real room for big luggage though. So you'll have difficulty (aka be ojama) if you can't fit it in the overhead.

Fanny-pack.

While it's certainly doable to travel with a large suitcase it's certainly much easier with smaller bags.  I'd dump the large suitcase and take large lightweight sports type bags.  It's not as if you'd have to do much walking with them I'd expect and if not full can be easily folded up and stored in another bag.  Also make use of the coin lockers in stations to store stuff when travelling or better yet if staying in a hotel get them to hold it for you.  I've had hotels hold stuff for a few days even after I've finished staying with them.  This link might help you:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2274.html

As for Mount Fuji I suggest all you need to take is some some light waterproof coverings and a decent head torch if doing at night.  The climb itself is quite easy.  I did it many years ago in jeans, sneakers and a light jacket.  It was stinking hot at the bottom with not a cloud in the sky.  While climbing during the night the weather took a sudden turn and a storm came in.  In a very short space of time it was incredibly cold, wet and windy and to top it off we were on a very tight budget and my travelling companion refused to pay the extortinate prices to stay in one of the little huts.  We ended up sheltering in some toilets for a few hours.  Then top was clouded in so didn't see sunrise and on way down i was blown over by the wind (was seriously that strong) and twisted my ankle and had to travel down on one of the horses which was quite humiliating.

Was one of my best experiences in Japan though.  The pluses far outwayed the bad stuff that happened.  The sun did come out just after we left the top and the views are amazing.  Make sure you purchase one of the walking sticks at the botoom and get it stamped at the stations on the way up.  Makes a great souvenier even though it is a bit of a pain to get back home.

As for it not getting anywhere near 0 i'd have to differ to Jarvik's opinion:
http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Mo … i/6day/top

You don't need to take any real luggage.  If you can't fit it in a back pack you're doing it wrong.  Learning to pack light is truly a revelation and something everyone should learn to do.

1.  Clothes are washable.  Take a tiny bottle of laundry detergent and every night when you're in the shower simply wash the clothes you wore that day while you bathe.  Hang them up when you get out and by the next time you'll want to wear them they'll be clean and dry. 

2.  You need no more than two pair of pants (including the ones you'll wear over there), 3 shirts, 3 pairs of underwear and 3 pairs of socks.  See #1 as to why this is the case.   Buy yourself some travelers underwear (super fast drying, high moisture wicking, etc).  Worth every penny. 

3.  You don't need the toilet items you think you do.   The only thing you really need to take is deodorant.  Toothpaste, toothbrush, razors, etc should be left at home.  You're going to a civilized country, I promise they have those things there.

In terms of things you might want to bring:

1.  Compass.  This is so incredibly overlooked by people visiting big cities but it is unbelievably useful.  A simple compass can turn a horrendously confusing map into something you can actually use.

2.  Super absorbing "towel", like the orange ones you see on TV to dry your car with after you've washed it.  They fold up super small and yet can hold a ton of moister.

3.  Pack of sanitation/baby wipes.  Quick way to get clean because you just never know. 

4.  Pen and paper.

5.  Earplugs + sleeping mask. 

6.  Small battery powered alarm clock. 

7.  Light rain jacket. 

8.   Extra money. 

If you learn to roll your clothes you'll still have plenty of space left over after packing the above.  If you think you might be going somewhere cold then just throw in some additional layers in the extra space. 

Here's the only thing I took for my trip to Japan and I still packed to much stuff.

I agree with activeaero. I made the mistake of doing my trip with a suitcase and a backpack, and by the end, I wanted to throw the suitcase under a train. Seriously. It was horrible. (The backpack was great.)

If you really have to take a suitcase, don't forget the "last-row" trick on the Shinkansen, because it's the only way you'll be able to stow the thing. (No luggage nooks on the Shinkansen.) Find the last row of seats, and stick your suitcase behind them. That's pretty much what everyone does. If you have smaller luggage, it fits neatly in the overhead... but if you have big roller luggage, you'll have to find the last row and claim it before someone else does.

Big suitcases are a royal pain over there. The wheels get caught on all kinds of bumpy strips, and they just become a giant headache. They're for the visually impaired, but they're really good at snagging your suitcase wheels, and it's sometimes hard to avoid them. (Like railroad tracks.) It doesn't matter how much momentum you have, they'll just knock your suitcase over.

I especially hated lugging the suitcase up and down the stairs at JR Nara; they were renovating it, so no elevator/escalator. You'll run into that every now and then.

And then there was the time I had to drag it for 20-30 minutes around Osaka while I was trying to find my hotel. Again-- not fun.

When you buy a lot of stuff, go to the hotel front desk, and ask for a box. Then go to the nearest Japan Post, and send it all home. It's expensive (unless you send it 船便, then it's less expensive-- just painfully slow. 8-12 weeks.) If you can wait, that's the best way to do it.

Get wicking clothes that dry in the bathroom. Dump anything cotton-- it won't dry, ever, unless you want to find coin laundries. (Which is what I wound up doing. Fun, but I lost time and money. On the upside, I met some cool people that way.) Cotton also gives you that great "Sweaty Tourist" look, which you'll have in every season except winter. I was hot even in late Fall.

I used a bigger backpack, about the size of a carry-on. It has a big main pack, and a detachable little pack you can use for day trips. If I had had half a brain when packing, I just would have taken just it, and nothing else.

I totally agree with activeaero about the compass, the wipes, and the camp towels. They're all great choices. I kept a face cloth sized camp towel with me, because a lot of public toilets don't bother to have towels to dry your hands with. The bigger towels are useful if you plan on staying in hostels or dorms.

One small bag is perfect... probably impossible for a first-time trip, but if you can do it, it would be perfect. You're going to be in Japan, so it's not like you need stuff to keep you entertained. Just go outside for that.

Oh, and if you'll be in Tokyo, get the Tokyo Street Atlas from Kodansha. Best $20 I ever spent. Seriously.

I've always found traveling with suitcases here to be a serious pain. I usually just take a backpack, as they're easy enough to get into the overhead spaces on trains, buses, etc. and I can always stash it in a coin locker if I get tired of carrying it around.  I just bring an extra shopping/eco-bag that I can put souvenirs in for the journey home.

That being said, I've never stayed at a place that wasn't willing to hold my luggage for me before I checked in or after I checked out.  And for in between cities, you could always use one of the delivery services to ship your bags, as long as you wouldn't need anything from them.  But it's disgustingly hot and muggy right now, so aside from your climbing stuff, you won't need any heavy clothing...  And like someone else mentioned, most hostels have a place to do laundry, or will know of a coin laundry in the area (they're fairly common in cities).

I live about 40 minutes from Fuji-san...  Assuming you'll climb from the Yamanashi side (most do)... it's warm and muggy right now at the bottom, although the Five Lakes area tends to be a few degrees cooler than the rest of the prefecture.  But the climbing season ends in a couple of weeks (Aug 31), although things on the mountain usually still open for a couple of weeks after that. It will start to get chilly on the mountain after that though.  I climbed in early September in jeans and sneakers... and just took a lot of layers... and some rain gear. I didn't get cold unless I was standing still - which is likely to happen at this time of year - the mountain is fairly crowded. There are special climbing forecasts for Fuji (like this one: http://tenki.jp/mountain/point-30.html), and the local news within the prefecture also broadcasts climbing forecasts during their evening newscast (both of the stations start theirs around 6:15ish), so if you're staying in the area you can probably catch that.  Make sure you have a  head torch if you're climbing at night.  Plenty of sunscreen if you're going during the day. I got a pretty good burn coming down in the morning.  The Fujiyoshida website has information on huts and things, if that interests you: http://www.city.fujiyoshida.yamanashi.j … climb.html
If you have time be sure to hit up an onsen (there are a number of nice ones in the area) and get a bowl of hoto or Yoshida udon (local specialties).

My wife and I went to Japan this last spring and I required that we take only a backpack and a cary-on size suitcase.  I'm rather happy that we stuck to it.

Although it was our first time, I'm a meticulous person and had street view snap shots of everywhere we needed to go saved on my phone.  For us, getting anywhere we planned on was a cakewalk, but for others it seemed to be very confusing.

Now, take confusing, then add in the issue of having to lug around large suitcases, and you may have on your hands a sure-fire recipe for a breakdown. 

I suggest you roll your clothes, keep all the small things in plastic bags, and if necessary use the air-compression bags.  Now, by the end of your trip all this packing, combined with any gifts that you are planning to get, may end up growing.  My two suggestions are A) Bring a zip-up duffle that can be rolled and stored in your bag until needed.  I'm talking a light-weight canvas style.  B) Head on over to Tokyu Hands and pick up a bag when you need one.  We chose option A), but after being there I can see option B) as a nice one too.

As a hiker, look to minimalism.  I go on ultra-light backpacking trips, and you could get some good tips from Alan at http://www.adventurealan.com/.  He uses 15lbs as his standard now for a whole outdoor trip, so I'm sure you can get some pointers for your day trips.

Have fun - I wish I could be there with you.

@Zarx  Ouch! Man, I wish I had known you were leaving so soon. If you lived near me in NC, I probably could have just loaned you my big backpack.

If you can get to a bookstore, get a copy of the Tokyo City Atlas. NOW. ISBN: 978-4770025036. It's in English and Japanese, and will totally save your butt. It's not big, but it has great maps of everywhere you're going, and great maps of all the rail lines. (In English as well as Japanese.) The maps even show where the various rail station exits will dump you out. It's only 122 pages, but man it's a lifesaver if you don't have GPS. (And even if you do, it's useful.)

Also, when you're looking at maps in the train stations, remember-- North isn't always up on those maps. I got lost a few times until I noticed that.

Have fun!

Yeah, actually, that doesn't just apply to the maps in train stations, too. I also found it on just about any map I ran into over there. I noticed it the most in Kyoto, where they have freestanding tourist maps all over the place. (Or so it seemed.)

I just remember walking for about 20 minutes the wrong way on a street in Nagoya, wondering where the heck the shrine was that was supposed to be near the station... turns out I read the map upside down.

Koos83 wrote:

After reading all this I'm dreading my trip to Japan (next year) even more. I'm usually a heavy packer, as I need to bring my own pillow to prevent migraines.

Koos83, I am also a heavy packer and when I went to Japan last year, I found I packed way too much.  Think about what you will really essentially need.  They have most anything in Japan that you can find at home, so if you don't need shampoo, soap,etc, don't bring it.  Every hotel will supply it for you.  Also, clothing is another area I could have trimmed back on.  I read on another site (after my trip) to bring cheap books with you.  That way as you finish one, just leave it.  Don't bother taking it back with you.

Good luck on you trip.  I hope you have fun.

Thank you guys so much for your tips! I'll definitely take those into account when packing next year. I also want to have some space in my bags to take home souvenirs (and lots of them ) but I think I will settle for my backpack and a small suitcase, that will fit into overhead compartments for the heavy stuff. Since my pillow is a foam pillow I usually put it in one of those vacuum bags.

Thanks also for the tips on the coin laundries. That means less stuff to pack as well as I can wash my stuff there. I assume there's dryers there as well?

I'll also definitely keep Welcome Inn in mind.

So thanks again so much!

Last edited by Koos83 (2009 August 28, 2:41 pm)

I am 5' 10".  Some of the beds in Japanese hotels fit me well, others I had to sleep diagonally with my feet just starting to hang off.