The Best Carry-On Luggage for Visiting Japan
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By now, most travelers are hip to the idea that waiting around at the baggage claim is a waste of time. If you pack smartishly, you can fit all the stuff you need in a small suitcase paired with a travel backpack like the one I have. With just one bag and one personal item, you can avoid the baggage claim and the frustration of airlines occasionally losing your luggage.
But every airline is different, every destination is different, and suitcase brands love to lie to you. That’s where this guide comes in. I’ve flown back and forth between America and Japan numerous times, and I’m here to share my knowledge of how to protect your belongings while also preventing your suitcase from being taken from you by nosy airline employees. Here’s what you need to know about flying carry-on-only to Japan.
Carry-on size limits for airlines flying to Japan
It would be nice if airlines could agree on how big a carry-on suitcase should be, but alas, they do not. You know this if you’ve ever tried to use your American carry-on on a regional flight in Europe, where the only thing smaller than the overhead bins are the seats.
If you’re coming from the US of A, there are five main carriers you should concern yourself with. Here they are, along with their size limits:
American Airlines: 22 x 14 x 9 inches (56 x 36 x 23 cm)
United Airlines: 9 x 14 x 22 in (23 x 35 x 56 cm)
Korean Air: 55 cm x 40 cm x 20 cm
ANA: 55 cm x 40 cm x 25 cm
Japan Airlines: 22 x 16 x 10 in (55 x 40 x 25 cm)
If you travel to Japan a lot, you’ll want a bag that can work for ANY of those airlines. So, taking the smallest of each dimension, we end up with 20 x 35 x 55 cm, or about 7.8 x 13.7 x 21.6 inches. That’s not a lot of space. You can probably stretch those numbers a bit, but if you do, don’t be surprised if your suitcase gets taken from you when placed in the dreaded sizing box.
There are also issues of weight, which can cause problems after your trip as you may buy lots and lots of souvenir Kit Kats and other items (gotta love that exchange rate). And those measurements also must include the handle and wheels, so be mindful of which brands include the wheels in their listed measurements and which do not (looking at you, TravelPro).
If you fly Business or First Class, there is less concern about space, so you’ll probably be okay with a bag on the larger end of the carry-on spectrum. If you fly Economy, those bins can fill up quickly, especially when airline employees don’t check and greedy passengers bring more than their allowed number of bags (I saw someone bring five shopping bags onto an All-Economy flight once). And if you fly budget carrier StarFlyer within Japan, you aren’t even allowed a free carry-on bag.
Basically, what I’m saying is: exceed the recommended dimensions at your own risk. You may find you can get away with a bag that’s too large, but you also may have it taken from you at a time when you need items inside or your layover is too short to allow time at the baggage claim.
The bag I use: SwissGear Sion Softside Expandable Spinner
Generally speaking, I am a fancy boy who enjoys the finer things. However, there have been times in my life (like, say, right now) when I could not afford every luxury. One of those times was about ten years ago, when I wanted a carry-on suitcase and hoped to spend as little as possible. I went to Target and bought a suitcase from SwissGear (not to be confused with Victorinox, the Swiss Army Knife luggage brand).
This suitcase has been a revelation. It has never broken, never failed to hold all the stuff I pack in it, and has only been taken from me by flight attendants once, and that wasn’t because of measurement but because of the cruelty of Aer Lingus. I have flown all the above-mentioned airlines in Economy class, and this bag fit every time.
Key features: The four spinner wheels mean you can slide this thing upright or drag it behind you, as the situation may warrant. Two front pockets allow you to keep shoes, swimsuits, or toiletries separate from your clothes, and the inner pockets can protect toothbrushes from getting dirty or lotion from getting everywhere. It’s expandable, so you can pack it full of stuff while shopping abroad, yet so small it can be easily stored in your other suitcases while at home.
For most of these bags, I’ll offer some pros and cons, but I have no cons with this one. It’s the one I use, and I love it. I just took a week-long trip to Osaka, and packed seven days’ worth of clothes in this baby. I had room for an umbrella and gym clothes and sandals. It’s spacious. It’s brilliant. Buy it.
Size: It says 10.25 x 14.25 x 22.75 inches, which sounds like it would be too tall, but it never has been. What’s nice about SwissGear is they don’t lie to you about the wheels, so this bag is probably smaller than other bags that advertise themselves fraudulently.
The best part? It’s only $110 on Amazon right now. For a bag this reliable, spending four times as much would still be a bargain. Get this thing, and you’ll probably use it for 10+ years like I have. When my mom was traveling to Japan, I ordered her to get the larger one, and that one worked great for her, too. We are now a SwissGear family.
Price: $110 on Amazon
The fancy-pants choice: TUMI Alpha Large Dual Access
I was surprised when I walked into the TUMI store in Singapore last month: almost every suitcase was a hard-side bag. It seems the market has spoken, and people want bags that can only be opened when laid down flat and that have no outer pockets. Don’t ask me why that is, but it’s true. There are fewer soft-side choices of all sizes than there used to be. But when looking at carry-ons, I see no reason to do that. If you’re carrying on a bag, surely you want exterior pockets to access your stuff more easily, right?
Anyway, the big knock I used to give TUMI’s carry-on was its length. Because it was tall and thin, the big exterior pocket was so deep that if you put your laptop (or anything) in it, you’d have to reach your arm waaaay down to get it. Since it’s not practical to pile things on top of one another and still be able to access them, this made the big pocket kind of useless.
After checking out this bag in person, I can say that the newest version has (somewhat) solved this problem. Instead of offering one tall pocket like other TUMI options (some of which are quite ugly and weird), this one has three pockets, so you can keep organized and have the stuff you want accessible. I still don’t think it justifies its price, but if you want the top brand on the market, this is it.
Pros: Built-in USB port, removable garment bag, spinner wheels, and TUMI Tracer service. All the high-end amenities are here.
Cons: May be a bit long for the smallest overhead bins, especially with that Tumi handle that can protrude a bit. Also, it’s really, really expensive. Price alone should discourage all but the most status-driven travelers.
Dimensions: 22" x 16" x 9"
Price: $795-995 on Amazon depending on color.
The hard-to-find surprise: Samsonite Black Label Signature Spinner 55
I hope this doesn’t make me sound like too much of a cool rebel, but sometimes I make little notes on my phone when I see luggage I like. After our trip to Singapore, I found a note on my phone about this bag that just said “GREAT HANDLE.” I think that speaks for itself.
Pros: Built-in combination lock, optional engraving, three internal zippered pockets, a worldwide warranty, and other features you generally associate with luxury brands.
Cons: 83,600 yen ($516.50) is a lot to pay for a Samsonite suitcase. You’re not exactly getting a cool brand name here. If you’d rather go cheap, Samsonite also offers another carry-on that isn’t as cool but is only about a quarter of the price.
Dimensions: 24.5 x 36.5 x 54.5 cm
Price: 83,600 yen on their Japanese site.
The blogger’s choice: Travelpro Platinum Elite Softside Expandable
If you’re a regular reader of travel content, then you already know about this one. It’s the suitcase flight crew use! Miles hackers adore it! Optional suiters and USB ports, oh, my! Yeah, well, they also don’t include the wheels in the measurements, so this one is really only for those who fly business class or US domestic. It’s a nice bag, but I don’t have a need to charge my phone via my suitcase. If you do, go ahead and buy it.
Pros: The toiletries bag and suiter are tempting. Luckily, I live a life where I can dress like a slob. If you’re the type of person who wants wrinkle-free dress clothes, I can definitely see the appeal here. And the 8 spinner wheels should allow for maximum maneuverability, which is important when lumbering through crowded stations like Shibuya and Shinjuku.
Cons: Trust their measurements at your own risk. The power bank is not included, making that feature kind of meaningless. And while they do a good job of selling its water and stain resistance, zippers, and two inches of expandability, you can also get those things from cheaper bags. The choice of whether to buy this suitcase really comes down to whether you like all its little additions. There was a time when that level of interior organization would have sold me, but I’m typing this in my pajamas, so I simply don’t need that stuff.
Dimensions: 23.5 x 14.5 x 9 inches. Again, trust those measurements at your own risk.
Price: $390 on Amazon, available in 9 colors.
Sometimes looks are everything: London Fog
I want to take a sidebar and talk about London Fog. You probably know this brand from raincoats and Mad Men. Well, as it turns out, they also make suitcases. Sort of. I think the London Fog suitcases on Amazon have merely licensed the name, and therefore, the quality can’t be judged by the brand. I have not used them, and don’t know how durable they are.
But look at these things. They’re gorgeous. You want to stand out in a crowd? Want to be able to spot your suitcase easily at the baggage claim? Want to make an impression in the hotel lobby as you arrive for a high-society shindig? Nobody else is gonna have a suitcase that looks like this. Take your pick. Look good. And let us know how the suitcase holds up, because I’m genuinely curious.
Nottingham 20 Inch Expandable Spinner: $114 on Amazon.
Newcastle 20 Expandable Spinner Carry-on: $119 on Amazon.
Cambridge Houndstooth: $147 on Amazon.
Brentwood IV Midnight Blue: $319 on Amazon.
Durability at a mistake price: American Tourister 4 KIX 2.0
When I graduated from a prestigious university you probably couldn’t afford, my mom gave me a graduation present of American Tourister luggage that she said was quite expensive. It included a monster 29-inch suitcase and a big rolling suiter bag, both of which I used for about a decade before moving to Japan. In fact, the big one is still in my closet, right now, with my SwissGear carry-on tucked inside it.. I can vouch for the fact that these suitcases are incredibly durable. They can withstand a lot of moving and banging over the years. Unfortunately, looking at Amazon, it seems the ones I have are no longer available.
As for expensive, that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore (if it ever was). I stared at the price of this carry-on in disbelief. That’s a steal. I hope it doesn’t mean the quality has gone down. If I were on a budget, instead of some no-name Amazon brand, I would go with American Tourister. I’ve had great experiences with them, and for the price, I doubt you can do much better.
Pros: Three front pockets, two interior pockets, and tie-down straps.
Cons: It’s a little bulky, and the handles don’t look great for when you have to lug that bag up a flight of stairs, which can happen a lot in Japan if you choose the wrong train station exit. But the price is right.
Dimensions: 23.5 x 14.5 x 9.5 inches.
Price: $68.25 on Amazon.
Let ‘em know you’ve got money: Briggs & Riley
A second sidebar? Why not! Let’s talk Briggs & Riley. If you mention Tumi, then the next name to bring up is Briggs & Riley. It’s not as ubiquitous as Tumi, but in many ways superior (and just as expensive). Their basic carry-on option, the Baseline Essential (Amazon price: $722), is more of a stout friend than Tumi’s long bags, while offering many of the same features. Just reading the Amazon listing makes me want this. If I didn’t love my SwissGear, I’d spoil myself with a Briggs & Riley. It even has pockets on the back! And a built-in suiter!
But this is a post about international travel, so I want to highlight something that makes B&R special: they have multiple sizes to choose from just within the realm of carry-ons: the 22-inch Essential, the 21-inch Global Carry-on, the 19-inch Compact Carry-on, and the 16-inch Underseat Cabin bag. I can’t go through all the features on every single one, but if you travel a lot and are concerned about getting a bag that will definitely be allowed on board and fit in the overhead compartment every time, consider one of B&R’s smaller choices. They’ll give you the most flexibility when it comes to flying on many airlines around the world.
The only hardside choice on this list: Away
This is another one the review boyz go nuts for. I’m a softside guy through and through, but if you’re set on a clunky thunky bag, this is the one to get. Please do not buy some nice-looking hardside bag like Delsey Paris. Those are so poorly-constructed that Amazon won’t even let me link to them with an affiliate link. Away gets good reviews for a reason: other hardside bags are trash, and theirs aren’t.
Please note that Away has two sizes, a carry-on and a “Bigger Carry-on.” This is the larger one. Make sure you don’t get that one if you’re trying to fit international size limits.
Pros: It comes in 8 colors and has an included laundry bag. Plus, the handle has supposedly been stress-tested to deal with 1,500 pulls at 60 pounds, and the zippers are built to withstand 8,000 uses. It’s small, has a TSA-approved lock, and spinner wheels.
Cons: The cons for this are the cons for any hardside bag. It doesn’t have much give, and nothing is accessible unless you lay the whole bag down flat and unzip the whole thing. For me, that’s a reason not to buy it. For you, that may be no big deal.
Dimensions: 21.7 x 14.4 x 9 inches.
Price: $275 on Amazon.
