The tech gear I packed for Japan
Plus: a handy file converter, AI travel hacks and CEATEC highlights
Konnichiwa from Japan!
I’m in Tokyo for CEATEC 2025 — think of it as Japan’s version of CES in Las Vegas.
I’ve been coming to this show off and on for about a decade, and I always enjoy visiting. It’s that mix of rich history and forward-thinking technology that makes Japan so fascinating.
I’ve got a lot packed into today’s newsletter — including the gear I brought for this international trip, how Japan has evolved over the years I’ve been visiting, the movies I’ve been watching, and the book I can’t wait to listen to. Plus, a few tech tips and travel tricks that always seem to surface on a trip like this.
How Japan got connected
Before I get to my bag of tech, I have to mention how far connectivity in Japan has come. On my first trip, I’ll never forget that my phone didn’t work the entire time I was here. This was before eSIMs, back when travelers rented pocket Wi-Fi devices — though I don’t remember having one. I went hours without a connection from the time I landed until I met my colleagues at the hotel.
They told me, “Wow, you seem so calm,” and I said, “Why wouldn’t I be?” That’s when they broke the news — Steve Jobs had died. I was floored. I’d somehow missed the entire news cycle during my 18 hours of travel. Even after that, the trip was tricky — public Wi-Fi wasn’t a thing in Japan yet, and I remember using a wired connection in my hotel room.
Today, my same hotel room has super-fast Wi-Fi, and both of my cellular plans include roaming automatically. Connectivity is so seamless now it almost feels too easy.
The other big change: paying for things. On those early trips, there was no such thing as tap to pay, and many places didn’t take my Visa card. I remember hunting for an ATM that would accept my debit card — eventually finding a Citibank that worked. Fast forward to today and I haven’t needed cash once. Everywhere accepts tap to pay.
Even the Suica card — Japan’s prepaid metro card that doubles as a universal payment method — has gone digital. You used to have to buy one from a machine that only took cash. Now you can purchase and reload it right from your iPhone in Apple Wallet using Apple Pay. I pulled up the same Suica card I used in 2022 and recharged it in seconds.
Navigating Japan with AI & Google Maps
But wait, there’s more. Add Google Maps and AI into the mix, and international travel has never been easier.
Google Maps has long been an essential tool for getting around—especially when it comes to public transit. In many major cities, transit maps now link directly to live timetables and train data. You not only see which train and platform to take, but exactly how many stops you’ll pass and when your train will arrive. With live activities now built into iPhone and Android, you don’t even need to keep checking the map—your phone will alert you when it’s time to get off.
Of course, I still stare at the screen, tracking each stop to make sure I’m on the right path. Mistakes happen—yesterday, we accidentally took a rapid train and had to ride all the way to the end of the line before backtracking. It set us back about 20 minutes, but it turned into a fun little adventure when the other passengers let us know what happened. And by the way—Japan’s trains are spotless and perfectly on time.
Pro tip: Download offline maps for the city you’re visiting—both Google Maps and Apple Maps support the feature. Pro pro tip: On Google Maps, you can zoom into the area you want, then type “ok maps” in the search field to bring up the download option instantly. Gotta love nerds. And for what it’s worth, I still believe Apple Maps offers superior walking directions and guidance.
Then there’s AI. I can’t overstate how helpful it is when you’re in a place where you don’t speak the language. You don’t even have to ask ChatGPT for help—it just figures it out. I was uploading photos of signs and menus, and it automatically explained everything.
We even found an incredible ramen spot in Akihabara that way—Kyushu Jangara. A quick Google Maps search, a quick ChatGPT translation, and suddenly we were slurping noodles at an amazing place. Definitely bookmark it for your next Tokyo visit.
Gemini Live, on the other hand, is an incredible travel assistant. It’s like having the world’s smartest companion by your side—ready to translate, decode, or describe whatever you’re curious about. Just aim your camera and ask away! Don’t sleep on this game-changing feature of Google’s AI assistant. To try it, open the Gemini app, tap the Live icon (next to the mic), then tap the video camera icon to get started.
And one last essential: my VPN. If you’ve ever traveled abroad, you know your Google results quickly default to local versions of websites—and some familiar sites may not load properly (looking at you, WordPress). Staying connected through a U.S. VPN server made everything work just like home. I use NordVPN (a newsletter sponsor!), but any service that lets you pick your location will do the trick.
BTW, if you don’t want your Google results to switch to the country or language where you’re traveling, there’s a setting to prevent that.
Go to Google (or open the app), tap your profile picture → Settings → Other settings → Language & region. Then set the language to English and the results region to United States instead of current region.
Total game changer—do this now or before your next trip.
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What’s in my travel bag
Now let’s take a peek inside my travel bag and see what I packed for this trip. I’m always optimizing what I bring, and my setup might look a little different from yours since I’m usually working — and testing gadgets — on the road.
Let’s start with the backpack: it’s an STM Goods Myth, loaded with pockets for every gadget imaginable. For phones, I packed the iPhone 17 Pro Max with Apple’s new 40-watt fast charger — the battery life on this thing is incredible, and it powers back up faster than ever. I also brought the Pixel 10 Pro XL to shoot my review here in Tokyo.
Then there’s an older iPad with a simple case — just for streaming. I also packed the new Kobo Libra Color e-reader, a Kindle alternative I’ve been testing (review coming soon!). Kobo’s big advantage: it’s much more open than Amazon’s system, letting you drag and drop files, or connect to Dropbox, Google Drive, Instapaper, and OverDrive (Libby).
For work, I’ve got my 15-inch MacBook Air M3, which still feels brand new, plus my DJI Mic kit and Ulanzi MT-84 tripod. With just these, I can shoot and produce a TV-ready segment anywhere in the world.
Cables can get out of hand fast, so I try to limit them. I brought Apple’s dual USB-C fast charger, a Beats USB-C cable, and a Nomad Universal cable that converts between USB-A and Micro-USB — one cable that covers almost everything.
I wear an Apple Watch but skip the proprietary charger. Instead, I use Anker’s MagGo power bank — it has a built-in Apple Watch charger and doubles as a bedside stand, turning the watch into a mini clock display.
For extras, I packed the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and found a new use for them: jogging. I usually run with just my watch, so having a built-in camera was perfect. The open-ear audio lets me listen to music while still hearing what’s going on around me.
Other accessories: a USB-C Ethernet adapter, Ethernet cable, USB-C SD card reader, Ugreen tablet stand, mini roll of gaffer’s tape (a lifesaver), an AirFly 2 Bluetooth adapter for seatback entertainment, and Spigen TagMe trackers on all my bags — their budget version of AirTags that work with Find My.
If there’s one extra cable to always pack, make it a USB-A to USB-C. Most planes still have the older USB-A seatback ports, and this cable keeps your phone charged the entire flight.
A few small but essential items: alcohol wipes for cleaning gadgets and trays, and nasal saline spray — these two alone help me stay healthy while traveling.
For the hotel room, I bring a small motion-sensor nightlight for the bathroom and a mini carbon monoxide detector.
This trip also introduced me to my new favorite travel pillow: the Trtl Pillow (yes, spelled without vowels). It’s more like a soft neck brace that supports one side of your head, letting you lean comfortably while you sleep. It’s around $50 but worth every penny — miles better than the old U-shaped pillows I’ve long abandoned. I have never slept better on a plane in my entire life thanks to it.
Finally, my headphones: the AirPods Pro 3. On long international flights, I usually prefer over-ear noise-canceling cans, but these performed beautifully — and take up far less space.
Does that sound like a lot? Maybe — but it all fits neatly into a surprisingly compact setup. And yes, I packed an adapter, but didn’t need it.
CEATEC 2025: Japan’s evolving tech showcase
Here are the stories I produced for TV about CEATEC 2025. Like many major tech shows, this one has evolved over the years. There are still plenty of companies exhibiting and a lot to see, but the focus has shifted.
More brands are now hosting their own standalone events, and hardware isn’t necessarily the main attraction anymore — software and AI are taking center stage.
Two websites worth bookmarking
The first is called VERT, and it can convert just about any file type you can think of—images, audio, documents, even videos. Everything except video conversions happens directly on your device, which keeps your data private. There are no file size limits, no ads, and it’s completely open source. This one deserves a spot on your bookmark bar.
The other site is NeverSSL.com. When you connect to public Wi-Fi hotspots, they usually display a confirmation page before you’re fully online. Most of the time this happens automatically, but sometimes it doesn’t. In those cases, just navigate to NeverSSL.com and it’ll “force” that login page to appear.
Feedbag
Cheryl writes in…
Thank you so much for your help. You are amazing — I listen to your show on Saturday afternoons and really appreciate it. You help people like me navigate all this technology. We’re lucky to have you!
⸻
Thanks, Cheryl! I really appreciate your kind words. Emails like this make my day.
That’s going to do it for this newsletter. I’ll be back in time to host my radio show live, so I hope you’ll tune in.
I mentioned I’ve been devouring content on this trip—when else do I get 10 hours to myself? Here’s what I watched: Unknown Number: The High School Catfish. If you haven’t seen it, get ready for a wild ride. I also watched the new John Candy documentary I Like Me, which I absolutely loved. And the audiobook I’m starting on the flight home is Future Boy, the new memoir by Michael J. Fox.
That’s all for now. Have a great weekend, and don’t forget to subscribe to my podcast and spread the word about this newsletter by forwarding it to a friend or sharing it on social media. It would mean the world to me.
Rich