Packing List for Japan in Spring: March, April, May (Female)

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If you’re wondering what to pack for Japan in Spring this packing list has a ton of advice for you. Spring in Japan is the season for cherry blossoms enthusiasts, with almost the entirety of the island nation bursting with pink and other colorful flowers.

Cherry blossom season in Japan is probably the best time to visit, with all the famous attractions made even more beautiful.

This spring packing list for Japan helps you decide what to wear during cherry blossom season. It’s suitable for a 2-4 week trip. It assumes you’ll spend most of your time touring the sights in the cities, and light exercise in national parks.

Unless you’re super keen to lug a heavy suitcase around, we recommend multi-tasking your clothes and using your hotel’s laundry services if you need them. Japan is a stylish country so you’ll get away with packing fashion forward items and continuing the style you have back home.

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What’ll you’ll learn:

1. What and how many items to pack for Japan in spring
2. A brief season and weather overview
3. Health and safety tips
4. Accommodation suggestions and things to do

What to Wear in Japan in Spring

1x warm boots: These will keep you warm on chilly days, and are especially needed if visiting close to winter.

1-2 pairs of flats: Either both enclosed, or one enclosed and one open toed. Alternatively if you plan to do a lot of hiking make one of these a sneaker, or use your boots for hiking if they’re appropriate. Don’t be afraid to pick some cute flats, especially if you’ll be spending a lot of time in the cities.

4-5 x socks

6-10 pairs of underwear

3-5 bras

1 x pair of gloves: Check the average forecasts for your dates and pack these if temperatures are set to get low.

Woolen hat / beenie or felt hat: Again, check the average temperatures to see if this is needed. I personally would take a woolen hat just incase it gets cold.

Cardigan x 2

1 x jacket/ coat: Check the weather reports for the cities you’ll find to determine if you’ll need to make room for a coat. I’d definitely recommend one if visiting the North in Spring, or if visiting/ close to winter.

Tops x 4-7: I’d pack one pretty tank top and then a few ones with mid or longer sleeves (I personally am obsessed with blouses as they’re light and stylish). You’ll look out of place in scant tops, however showing a little stomach in the cities is fine. Make sure you have atleast one that is good for light hiking if you plan on visiting national parks.

dresses x 2-3: add more dresses and less tops if you so fancy. Personally I’m a die hard dress girl so I’d back majority dresses and only one pair of pants – its all up to your individual style.

Bottoms x 5: If visiting closer to summer, or in the far south you can get away with just 1-2 pair of long pants, and a mix of skirts and shorts. If visiting the north or closer to winter you’ll want to have atleast 3-4 pairs of pants.

Leggings x 1-2: 2 if you don’t have any appropriate hiking clothes and plan to be outdoors in nature a lot.

Stockings x 1-2: In case you’ve underestimated how cold it would be you can still these under your skirts and dresses.

What Else to Pack for Japan in March, April and May

Technology

Camera + lens + batteries + charger. I recommend the Sony a6500 + 19mm f/2.8 lens

International plug Adapter for Japan

Phone charger

Portable battery charger for charging batteries on the go – super handy if your phone dies on a train.

Memory cards – I’d recommend 2 or 3 8GB or 16GB ones as opposed to one big one. This helps lower your losses if you loose one or they get damaged

Medical

Any medicine you need + prescription

General first aid kit

Makeup & Toiletries

Regular makeup + compact makeup bag 

Toothbrush and toothpaste (travel sized)

Travel sized shampoo and conditioner

Deodorant

Travel sized laundry detergent or solid soap

Everything Else

2+ bank cards. As a personal rule I never leave the country with only one bank card. You need a back up incase your card is stolen or eaten by the machine. It’s handy to have one in each of the major payment systems, Visa and MasterCard.

Photocopy of your passport incase anything happens to the real thing. Leave one photocopy at home and pack one in your luggage.

Lock for lockers if staying in hostels, or even just to lock your bag or suitcase when you’re not in the room.

Luggage

Suitcase: Japan is quite modern, especially in the bigger cities so you wont have much trouble lugging a suitcase around here. Choose one with wheels, see options here.

Backpack: You’ll have no trouble getting around Japan with a backpack, I’d recommend this 65 Litre.

Japan: Weather and Seasons

Visiting in a different season?

Find the best packing list to fit your trip below.

What to pack in Spring in Japan (March, April, May): Spring is a beautiful time to visit Japan, with cherry blossoms popping up almost everywhere in the nation. The weather is probably the coziest during this time and that combined with the colorful flowers makes it the best time to visit Japan in my opinion. Continue reading for more information on what to wear in Japan in spring.

What to pack in Summer in Japan (June, July, August): Summer in Japan can get quite hot, especially when visiting the middle and southern areas. Visit the Japan summer packing list here.

What to pack in Fall for Japan (September, October, November): It can start to become a bit chilly during this time of year so for a packing list for Japan in Autumn you’ll want to pack at least one warm coat. This is especially important if visiting near the end of Fall. See the Japan Fall / Autumn packing list here.

What to pack in Winter in Japan (December, January, February): Packing for winter in Japan means warm boots and coats, alongside a woollen hat and gloves to stay comfortable while sightseeing. Japan can get quite cold in winter and requires the packing of heavier winter coats and accessories, making it slightly harder to pack light. See the Japan winter packing lists here.

Where to Stay in Japan

Tokyo

• Budget: The Grids Hostel Lounge Nihombashi East is a good dorm room choice featuring wifi, laundry service and a 24 hour reception. It’s close to a train station and is one of the cheaper dorms in the pricy city of Tokyo.
• Midrange:  With prices starting from under $100 a night the Horidome Villa Hotel Tokyo is a good budget choice for private rooms. You can make tea or coffee in your room, and dial up the air conditioning to your perfect temperature.
• Luxury: Featuring an indoor pool and a gym the Peninsula Hotel Tokyo is an exquisite choice if you’ve got the cash to spend. All the rooms have a refrigerator, daily breakfast and the hotel also has a number of food choices.

Osaka

• Budget: A good choice which is close to the city center is Roots Hostel Osaka. The hostel offers laundry facilities, a lift and breakfast in the morning.
• Mid-range: For private rooms the Mielparque Osaka is close to public transport, offers laundry services and has a 24 hour reception. The hotel also has its own restaurant and a hair salon on the premises.
• Luxury: Osaka is the place to splurge on luxury if you are on a mid range budget with prices significantly cheaper than in Tokyo. I recommend the Hotel Hankyu International and would suggest picking a high room with an epic view. It’s close to public transport and houses its own restaurant and bar.

Kyoto

• Budget: Offering a laundry service and 24 hour reception (you can see by now what I value in a hotel) the Bakpak Hostel Kyoto is an affordable choice for dorm rooms in Kyoto. Close to public transport, there’s also a kitchen (for self cooking), restaurant and bar onsite.
• Midrange: For private rooms under $100 in Kyoto check out Hotel MyStays Kyoto Shijo. It’s a central hotel with nearby public transport, 24 hour reception and onsite spa for beauty treatments and relaxation. All rooms feature a safe and a fridge.
• Luxury: I love the earthy vibes of Hotel and Spa Lotus Modern so that’s my pick for luxury travelers. There are also some western brands in town however they’re around double the price. The hotel is for adults only and has a 24 hour reception which is helpful if you’re flying in at odd hours.

All other cities in Japan

• Visit the Booking.com website to get an idea of prices in other cities.

Popular Day Tours for Spring in Japan

There is so much to do an see in Japan, from national parks to city sights. Below I’ve recommended some day tours to get you started.

Tokyo

There are so many tours available to experience Tokyo that I couldn’t possibly list all my favourites here, so you can view them in their entirety by clicking here.

• Disneyland or Disneysea pass – get your head ready for those Mickey Mouse ears! Find more details here.
• Get a private sightseeing tour of Tokyo with a local to see the best sights in the easiest way possible – see the latest prices here. If you’d prefer to DIY it the 24 hour hop on, hop off bus may be a better choice (find more details here).
• Go cart tour of the Akihabara neighbourhood – optional dressing up like Mario Kart characters. Find more information here.
• Visit two of the prettiest places in Japan in a one day trip – Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi. See up to date prices here.

Kyoto

• Explore Kyoto with a half day bike tour of the sights – find more details here.
• Explore the traditional Japanese town of Miyama and the striking Amanohashidate sandbar in one day. This tour leaves from either Kyoto OR Osaka – see the latest prices here.
• Visit the famous Itsukushima shrine (orange arch over water) and the Hiroshima peace memorial on this day tour. This tour also leaves from either Kyoto or Osaka, you can find more information here.

Osaka

• For exploring the city: you can get shown around by a local (find more information here) or go it alone with a hop on, hop off bus and boat pass (see prices here).
• If you’re excited to try Japanese cuisine join up to this 3 hour evening food tour – find more details + prices here.

Other Tours

See a ton of other tours in Japan by visiting the Get Your Guide website.

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