In order to make room for all of the previous items, what should you take out of your luggage?

If you're a normal or small sized person who can fit into Japanese brands, don't bring too many clothes to Japan. Whoever told you that clothes are expensive in this country lied to you. Not only do shops regularly run sales, shops online have some unreal prices even for brand name goods (check Zozotown—only if you can resist compulsive shopping). People sell all kinds of clothing through websites like Mercari, and second-hand stuff mostly looks like it just came out of the shop. I arrived in Japan with one suitcase and a huge backpack; after four years, I would need 20 larger suitcases and backpacks to bring everything home!

If you want a guide to cheap shopping in Tokyo, read my recommendations here.

If you're a fan of stationery like me, you might be tempted to bring your favorite pens or notebooks with you (like Linus' security blanket). Don't. The ¥100 shops will fill your bookshelf with cheap stationery in seconds. I swear they just fly into my shopping bag every time I'm there. We have plenty of stationery related articles here, but if you want to see what ¥100 shops have in store for you, click at your own risk.

What about you? is there anything you wish you had brought from home when you moved to Japan? Anything you had to toss because it was just a waste of space? Share your stories!