Suicas & Shinkansens – Japan – Day (-1).

The Journey Begins: Japan Awaits

Wow, so finally “the” day is here. We will travel to Japan. It’s 11th March, 2026, a Wednesday. I, my wife, and my two kids—excited we are—and tomorrow we are on a plane to a faraway land, to the land of histories, wars, empires, and immense possibilities.

Since childhood, this has been nothing short of a fairytale—listening to stories of Japanese greatness, their technology, and inventions. To start with, I have always been a fan of the Sony Walkman—I used to have one and made my friends envious during school days. And those VCRs and VCPs—nostalgia overloaded.

Planning, Preparation, and Family Travel

Months of planning and effort have been put in place to make this trip happen. Albeit, it has never been easy to travel with young kids—if I quote my experiences to Dubai, the Philippines, and other countries—nevertheless, these trips have been of immense exposure to them, even though they won’t remember these trips in their exact forms once they are grown-ups.

All Set to Go

Anyway, we are ready. Visas secured (applied via VFS – Singapore), tickets booked (ANA), hotels reserved (Agoda and Booking.com), train tickets booked (Shinkansen via Klook), winter wear packed, diapers are a must (LOL), and even the toiletries.

We are trying our best to travel light—2 mid-size suitcases and a cabin-size trolley. These we bought from a travel carnival at Singapore Expo at throwaway prices. And, of course, a foldable mini stroller. Total weight not exceeding 60 kgs, though our airline permits us 100+ kgs.

Planning Tools and Travel Companions

ChatGPT has been of substantial help—suggesting everything from donuts to detergents, trains to trams, and almost everything in between.

We created a WhatsApp chat group—Name: “Japan Trip – March 2026”—for ease of communication. Just to note, we are two families travelling together. Hotels have been booked keeping convenience in mind—like time to the nearest train station, eateries, attractions, nightlife, and shopping streets, of course!

We have three cities in our itinerary—Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. Lucky us—we are embarking from two of the top-ranked airports in the world—Changi Airport (Singapore) and Haneda Airport (Tokyo). We have 12 days.

The Emotions Before Takeoff

Butterflies in the stomach—ever existing in me—the travel anxieties, and at the same time, we can feel a gust of happiness and excitement to explore and see a new country we have never been to.

It’s a 7+ hour journey and a daytime flight at 10:45 AM SGT. It’s ANA (NH) 842.

Weather Expectations and Packing Strategy

Based on our research, the temperature would be around 6–15 degrees Celsius. For someone like us who are accustomed to Singapore temperatures, that’s pretty cold—and 6 degrees is literally freezing.

We bought a couple of pairs of inner thermals from stores like Decathlon, carried Columbia winter jackets, and ordered some from affordable online sites, as we knew those would be of seldom use post the Japan trip until we plan another one to colder countries.

I didn’t carry many shorts or half-sleeves, which I usually do on trips to Southeast Asia or places like Dubai. Two ripped jeans, a couple of fitted full-sleeve checked woolen shirts, and some T-shirts were packed in a little corner of the suitcase—which my wife and kids allowed me (LOL).

Another reason we didn’t carry much of these is based on the fact that the Airbnbs and hotels we booked in Japan provide washer-dryers.

My Final Travel Checklist

As usual, I have a final checklist a couple of hours before I get into the taxi for any trip, which I think I can share:

  • Passports
  • Visa papers (if required)
  • Hotel emails or PDFs (printouts if needed—though mostly it isn’t)
  • Credit cards
  • Some currency in SGD (Singapore Dollars) + some local currency for the country you are traveling to (depends on how much you need)
  • A small backpack (usually a Nike Training Gymsack for me)
  • Adapter and charger (country-specific)

What I Packed for Myself

  • Sunglasses
  • A cap or a hat
  • Fitted full checked woolen shirts
  • Jackets, thermals, full socks
  • Baggy ripped pants
  • Travel briefs
  • Sweatpants
  • Sneakers (my favorite – Onitsuka Tiger)
  • Shorts
  • T-shirts

The Countdown

So, here we are—in less than 24 hours, we will embark on a journey of a lifetime. A new place, to write a book of memories, friendships, and cultures.

I am thrilled.

Stay Tuned

Stay tuned!

I will be sharing the experiences of each day in my next blogs. I will try my best to publish at least 2 blogs each week.

Arigatou gozaimasu!

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