This page discusses how to minimize your wardrobe, so as to be able to pack and travel light. See also the Discussions page on packing.

People in Japan tend to dress a little more formally than we're used to, so we recommend:

• Casual clothes are OK for sightseeing, generally avoid shorts, especially short shorts
• Revealing clothes are not common among Japanese women, tend towards the conservative
• Seek out clothes that travel well: wrinkle-reistant, compact
• Plan your wardrobe in advance: select items that can mix and match to create fresh looks
• You will be taking your shoes off frequently: consider slip-ons
• Be sure to break in shoes well in advance: we will be doing lots of walking
• Also because you will be taking your shoes off frequently, you will want to have plenty of clean, hole-less socks
• The mother of your host family will offer to do your laundry, at least once, probably twice. So, you can pack fewer clothes if you plan around that.

The weather is likely to be humid and hot*, but a bit cooler in Takayama, so we recommend:

• Light weight clothes, but include a light weight jacket - wear that jacket on the flight
• It will probably rain at least one day: pack a portable umbrella

* - Average daily temperature range in Tokyo is 65-80 in July. We will have some rain, but with any luck, no more than a couple of days. For more detail, visit our weather page.