At a glance
Check, before a trip from Japan, what you can take on a plane and use abroad.
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This is a tool for checking, before a trip, "Can I take this item on a plane?" and "Can I use this electrical product at my destination?" The checks are based on documents such as those of Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), each shown with its source and retrieval date.
The checker is designed for trips departing from Japan (taking electrical products from Japan, on flights leaving Japanese airports). Checks for flights departing from airports outside Japan are based on MLIT's rules, so also check the rules of that country and your airline.
The English site also has guides for visitors to Japan (power, phone, medicine, food, luggage, trains and duty-free), based on the official sources listed on each page.
It only covers "Can I take it? Can I use it?" It does not check entry procedures (such as ESTA).
Run by one person, an office worker.
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Tabirule is run by one person, an office worker at a foreign-owned company.
It started when a colleague had souvenirs confiscated on entering a country. That surprised the author, who began reading the official rules.
The author used to travel abroad a lot for work, which led to the idea of a site like this.
Checked against official pages, with sources and dates.
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- We check the rules against official pages and documents from Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), each airline, customs and other authorities. Each page lists its sources and the date we checked them at the end.
- Where airlines differ (such as carry-on size and weight), we check each airline's official page and put the results in a table.
- Before we publish a change, we check the text against the sources. "Last updated" at the bottom of each page is the date we last changed its text.
- If you notice a mistake or outdated information, please tell us through the contact form. We will check the documents and fix it.
Some links are affiliate links; they don’t change our checks.
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The "PR" links go to Japanese online stores (Rakuten Ichiba and Amazon.co.jp). On the English pages, some "PR" links go to travel services (such as eSIMs, luggage storage and airport transfers) through an affiliate network, and we may earn a commission if you buy or book through them.
The "PR" links are examples of products whose store pages show the conditions (plug type, supported voltage, container size, etc.). Kindle e-readers are examples from the series the writer uses. The operator has not used or tested the other products.
The travel services in "PR" are described from each company's official website, not from our own use. Product specs are based on the store page on the date we checked. Check the latest information on the store page before buying.
The check results and guide content do not change depending on whether there are affiliate links.
As an Amazon Associate, tabirule (Travel Rules & Tips, tabirule.com) earns from qualifying purchases.
Airlines may be stricter. Follow their staff.
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The checks are based on official documents, but airlines and airports may have stricter rules. In the end, follow the guidance of your airline and airport and the instructions of their staff. The operator cannot accept responsibility for any damage arising from the results of this tool.
Rules may change. When we notice a change, we check the documents again and update the site.
The Japanese version of this site is the original for the checker and the rules guides; the English pages cover the same rules (a few sections, such as the airport-pickup and eSIM boxes, appear only in English).
Most of the Visiting Japan guides exist only in English; the Shinkansen luggage and JR companies pages also have Japanese versions.
What you enter stays in your browser.
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What you enter for the checks is calculated only in your device's browser and is not sent anywhere. There is no login or registration (“My packing list” is kept in this browser only when you press “Save on this device”).
We use Cloudflare for delivery and access analytics (the analytics do not use cookies).
We count only how many times our features are used (a check result shown, an item added to your list, a calendar file made, a company or airline filter used, a Wh calculation shown, a quiz finished), how many times Amazon links are clicked (by page and product), how many times partner links (Travelpayouts) are clicked (by partner), and how many times pages are opened (by page and by the kind of source, such as search or social media); what you enter is not sent.
We use Rakuten Affiliate and the Amazon Associates Program (Japan) for “PR” links; some English pages also load a script from Travelpayouts (an affiliate network for travel brands) to confirm that we own this site, and Travelpayouts also provides some of the “PR” links on the English pages.
These companies may use cookies and receive information such as the page address and its content, to show ads and “PR” links and to measure results. Their own privacy policies apply on their sites.
Videos are loaded from YouTube only when you press the play button.
How information sent through the contact form is handled is described on the contact page.
Do not copy without permission; link when quoting.
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The text, check logic and design of this site were created by Travel Rules & Tips (tabirule.com). Please do not reproduce or copy them without permission. When quoting, please include a link to this site.
The rights to the documents cited as sources (Japan's MLIT, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), etc.) and their data belong to their respective publishers.
The list of voltages and plug types by country and region is a copy of data that the IEC published.
Please use the contact form. We do not reply to every inquiry.