u/CallAParamedic

I've moved to 1. a personal-sized backpack bag (*not carry-on sized)

AND

2. a small waist pack (with phone, wallet & passport, cables, battery bank, earbuds, misc small toiletries [lip balm, eye drops, travel toothbrush] which can go under my waistband / hoodie / etc to avoid the whole drama at the gate with upcharges for bags and bin access once aboard.

Many airlines, especially in Asia, have recently mandated your battery bank be at your seat - not even allowed up in a bin above you anymore - and I think this safety trend will expand to most / all carriers.

The smaller waist pack also keeps things together, avoiding loss and seat pocket yuck.

I'm not pushing one brand over another (My backpack is the - ECOHUB 16" - / my phone sling is the grey - TRAVELON Pi Phone Sling - both off of Amazon Canada) as there are many competitors, and if your needs are a larger bag, go for it, but I find learning to travel with less has really cut stress and costs.

[A REPLY TO KINGSURIN's POST of 2 DAYS AGO]:

To those gatekeeping and downplaying / denying racism exists in Japan, generally writing it off as not understanding Japanese restaurant reservation procedures, etc., here's my counterpoint:

I've been here 29 years [since 1997]; I was on the bengodan [legal team] as a specialist in international treaty law for the Otaru onsen lawsuit; I periodically advise clients on racist treatment received in Japan [all pro bono, as I'm not a registered attorney in Japan]; AND I've experienced BOTH racism and general xenophobia in my years here.

1. RACISM DOES EXIST.

2. Xenophobia, too.

3. Hypersensitivity to perceived slights, also yes.

4. Lack of awareness by foreign residents and tourists to Japanese business practices or even simple things such as some menus listing taxes all-in (e.g the original Japanese menu and some listing pre-tax (e.g. the translated English version) causing misunderstanding of pricing practices... also yes.

But to dismiss #1 as practically nonexistent due to the concurrent existence of #s 2, 3, & 4 [while also taking a swipe at "whites" being white as creating their own racist experiences] is disingenuous and moronic.

The sheer amount of upvotes to such a post only demonstrates that some feel a strong need to defend Japan's greatness instead of admitting it's faults, and while allowing that Japan is a great place to live, it's not perfect and needs improvement.