🧳 A quiet revolution is sweeping through Japan's travel culture. In a country where 1 in 5 travelers now prefers to go solo — the highest rate among 39 nations surveyed — a new movement called "Suitcase Cancel" is gaining traction. The idea? Ditch the rolling luggage entirely and travel with just a backpack. Here's why.
Japan: The World's #1 Solo Travel Nation
According to a 2024 survey by Euromonitor International, 19.2% of Japanese respondents said they "usually travel alone on vacation" — the highest among 39 countries surveyed. The global average was just 7.2%. Even more striking: this figure has nearly doubled from 10.4% in 2019, a shift largely attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on social attitudes.
Japan's Tourism Agency data confirms the trend, showing that solo trip participants have increased by approximately 2.5 million compared to pre-pandemic levels. The Jalan Research Center's 2025 domestic travel survey found "solo travel" at 18.0%, making it the second most common travel companion type after "couple travel" (25.6%). Among men aged 18–29 and those in their 50s, solo travel was actually the top choice.
Several cultural factors explain Japan's solo travel boom. Japanese society has long embraced "Ohitorisama" culture — the socially accepted practice of dining, shopping, and traveling alone. Services catering to solo customers, from single-seat ramen counters to solo karaoke booths ("Hitori Karaoke"), have been commonplace for years. The pandemic accelerated a shift from collectivist priorities toward self-care and individual fulfillment, particularly among the 30–44 age group.
Smartphone technology has been a key enabler. With bookings, payments, navigation, and real-time translation all available on a single device, the practical barriers to solo travel have largely vanished. As one researcher noted, the ability to stay connected with family and friends online has reduced the anxiety and loneliness that once deterred potential solo travelers.
The "Locker Refugee" Crisis
As solo travel surges, a very physical problem has emerged: Japan's coin locker infrastructure can't keep up.
"Locker Nanmin" (locker refugees) is a term coined to describe travelers unable to find available coin lockers at train stations and tourist hubs. At Tokyo Station during peak periods, lockers fill up in the early morning hours. One estimate by TBS News suggested that more than 170,000 people per day experience this problem during holiday seasons.
Coin lockers (typically $2–$5 for small sizes, up to $5–$7 for large suitcase-sized lockers) are a cornerstone of Japan's travel infrastructure. Unlike many countries where travelers rely on hotel luggage storage, Japan's station-based locker system is deeply integrated into how people move and explore. When that system breaks down, so does the travel experience.
The surge in inbound tourism — Japan welcomed a record-breaking number of international visitors in recent years — has intensified the crunch. Large suitcases from international travelers occupy the biggest locker compartments, leaving domestic travelers scrambling. JR East responded by launching "To Locca," a web-based locker reservation service, and Kyoto Station introduced a real-time locker availability display called "Eki Suma." Sharing economy solutions like "ecbo cloak," which allows travelers to store luggage at partnering cafes and shops, have also emerged — though 70% of its users are international visitors, and 90% of items stored are suitcases.
The message is clear: the suitcase itself has become the bottleneck.
Enter "Suitcase Cancel"
"Suitcase Cancel" — traveling without a suitcase by design, not by accident — has emerged as a strategic response. The philosophy isn't about deprivation. It's about converting the time, energy, and freedom lost to wheeled luggage into richer travel experiences.
Think about the hidden costs of a suitcase in Japan: wandering station corridors hunting for an empty locker, wrestling luggage up stairs (many smaller stations lack elevators), the awkwardness of maneuvering through packed rush-hour trains, navigating cobblestone streets in Kyoto's historic districts, and waiting at airport baggage carousels. For solo travelers who handle everything themselves, each of these friction points is amplified.
The movement is most popular among active travelers in their 30s to 50s — a demographic that values "Taipa" (time performance, a buzzy Japanese concept referring to maximizing the value of every minute). In an age where a smartphone handles all bookings and payments, the suitcase stands out as the last piece of "heavy, oversized legacy equipment" in modern travel.
Why an Ordinary Backpack Won't Cut It
The obvious solution — just use a regular backpack — comes with its own frustrations. Conventional top-loading backpacks make it difficult to access items at the bottom. Clothes get wrinkled and jumbled. Prolonged carrying strains shoulders and lower backs, draining the energy that should be going toward exploration.
This gap has sparked innovation. A new generation of travel-specific backpacks is emerging — designed to combine the organizational structure of a suitcase with the mobility of a backpack. Features include 180-degree full-open designs (mimicking how a suitcase opens flat), square-profile frames that eliminate dead space, laptop compartments with cushioned protection, and ergonomic back panels for all-day comfort. Products like the "BLAST-PRO" (a 40-liter travel backpack that raised over 4,000% of its crowdfunding goal on Makuake) exemplify this hybrid approach.
The Broader Trend: Minimal Travel
"Suitcase Cancel" is part of a larger cultural shift toward minimalism in Japan. The country that gave the world "Danshari" (the decluttering philosophy of discarding unnecessary possessions) and Marie Kondo's "KonMari Method" is now applying those same principles to travel.
According to a survey by solo travel media platform "Sorotori," the most active solo travel demographic is women in their 50s, with women aged 30–50 comprising 75.5% of solo travelers surveyed. These are busy professionals and parents who use minimal travel as a way to maximize limited vacation time.
Technology has made material reduction possible. High-performance fabrics mean lighter, smaller clothing. Digital guidebooks replace heavy paper ones. Mobile payments eliminate the need for cash and receipts. The physical "stuff" required for travel has shrunk dramatically — but many travelers' luggage habits haven't caught up.
Japan's infrastructure is adapting too. Smart lockers with IC card (Suica/PASMO) authentication, credit card-enabled vending lockers, disaster-response lockers in Sapporo, and hotel delivery services from station lockers are all expanding. But "Suitcase Cancel" takes a different tack: rather than waiting for infrastructure to solve the problem, travelers are solving it themselves by simply not creating the problem in the first place.
Conclusion: Lightness as the New Luxury
Japan has quietly become the world's leading solo travel nation, and "Suitcase Cancel" is the latest expression of a culture that prizes efficiency, minimalism, and the freedom to move on instinct. In a country where travel is often about the journey itself — winding train rides through mountain valleys, impromptu detours to hidden shrines, spontaneous onsen stops — being unencumbered by heavy luggage isn't a sacrifice. It's an upgrade.
What about in your country? Are you a suitcase traveler or a backpack traveler? Is solo travel common where you live? Does your country have reliable luggage storage infrastructure like Japan's coin lockers? We'd love to hear about your travel culture!
References
- https://www.travelvoice.jp/20240719-155842
- https://www.tourism.jp/tourism-database/figures/2025/10/solo-travel/
- https://yamatogokoro.jp/inbound_data/54324/
- https://www.travelvoice.jp/20250730-158101
- https://hotelbank.jp/investigation/solo-travel-survey-japan-2024-2025/
- https://www.traicy.com/posts/20200324149826/
- https://www.atpress.ne.jp/news/571150
Reactions in Japan
Went on a solo trip to Kanazawa last month with just a backpack — it was unbelievably comfortable. Zero time spent searching for lockers. That gave me 2 extra hours walking around Kenrokuen Garden. I can never go back to suitcases.
They're calling it 'Suitcase Cancel' like it's something new, but us business travelers have been doing this for years... Garment bag + backpack, traveling all over the country. It's just that younger people are making it trendy now.
Been a minimalist for 5 years, even overseas trips with just one backpack. If you master packing, you can handle a week in Europe. The trick is compression bags and high-performance base layers. If you do laundry at your destination, 3 days of changes is plenty.
As someone who once wandered Kyoto Station for 40 minutes looking for an empty locker, going with just a backpack from the start is the right call. Though it might be tough for people who like buying lots of souvenirs.
I'm a woman in my 40s. I love solo hot spring trips, but women have more luggage — cosmetics, hair iron, etc. Please don't talk about it as if it's the same as men's minimalist travel. A single backpack isn't realistic for everyone.
Can't do Suitcase Cancel because of my camera gear, but the luggage problem is genuinely serious. At Tokyo Station the other day, all large lockers were full. ecbo cloak saved me, but people who don't know about it must be lost.
Started solo backpack travel in my 50s. I was anxious at first, but being light gives you mental freedom too. Being able to jump on the next train, duck into an interesting alley — this sense of improvisation is the best part.
Honestly, 'Suitcase Cancel' feels very marketing-speak... For anyone who does mountain hiking, backpack travel is completely normal. Feels weird when it's presented as some new trend.
First solo trip after my kids left home. When I boarded the Shinkansen with just a light backpack, I felt like I got my own time back for the first time in 20 years. Light luggage, light heart — it's really true.
The root cause of the locker shortage is inbound tourists' huge suitcases. Even if Japanese switch to backpacks, it won't be solved as long as foreign tourists bring massive luggage. We need to address that first.
I travel 50+ times a year for work, and for 2-3 night trips I'm fully in the backpack camp. The key is choosing a type that opens 180 degrees. You can organize like a suitcase, so it's completely different from a regular backpack.
I switched to backpack travel because reserving the oversized luggage area on the Shinkansen is too annoying. Since that system was introduced, I feel like the advantages of carrying a suitcase have decreased even more.
Solo trip × hot springs × backpack is the ultimate combo. You can explore the area with your bag on before check-in, and once you change into a yukata, your luggage just stays in the room. A suitcase would only get in the way.
As someone with chronic back pain, carrying a backpack for long periods is also tough... There are situations where a suitcase is actually easier on the back. I wish they'd also communicate that it's not for everyone.
I'm a college student backpacker, but all my friends prefer suitcases. They say rolling cases look better for photos. For people who care more about aesthetics than practicality, this trend probably won't catch on yet.
In an era that values 'Taipa' (time efficiency), spending 30 minutes searching for a locker defeats the purpose. But before that, it's the government's job to install more lockers at stations. We rely too much on individual workarounds.
American here. I've been to Japan 3 times and every trip I've struggled with the coin locker problem. Once spent over an hour wandering Tokyo Station. Planning to go backpack-only next time. If Japanese travelers are doing 'Suitcase Cancel,' tourists should follow suit.
From a Swedish perspective, solo travel is common in our culture too. But we don't have a systematic coin locker infrastructure like Japan, so I'm actually envious. Even if there's a shortage, the fact it exists at all is impressive.
In India, solo travel — especially for women — still faces significant safety challenges. The fact that 1 in 5 Japanese can choose solo travel is only possible because of how safe Japan is. The luggage problem sounds like a luxury concern.
From Australian backpacker culture, it's funny to see Japanese calling backpack travel a 'new strategy.' It's been the norm here since our teens. But I do want one of those high-tech backpacks that opens like a suitcase.
I visit Japan from China every year, and a big suitcase is essential for shopping. I bring back tons of Japanese product souvenirs, so backpack-only is impossible. But I do feel a bit guilty if we're causing the locker shortage.
Solo travel is growing in France too, but 19% is surprising. In Paris, tourists dragging suitcases cause sidewalk jams, so I relate to this Japanese movement. Carrying a suitcase up Métro stairs is absolute hell.
Solo travel or 'Honhaeng' is trending in Korea too. But Japan being #1 worldwide is unexpected — I thought Korea was more individualistic. Japan's coin locker system is definitely more developed and convenient than ours.
When I went to Japan from Brazil, I was amazed that coin lockers even existed. In Brazil, there's nowhere to leave luggage at stations — the theft risk is too high. Japan's problem is 'not enough' versus 'none at all,' which is a big difference.
As a German, I'm all for minimalist travel. But one concern: isn't backpack travel mainly for young, healthy people? For elderly or disabled travelers, wheeled suitcases are actually more accessible. Something to consider.
In Vietnam, traveling on a motorbike with just a backpack is normal, so I feel a kinship with Japanese ditching their suitcases. Being light truly changes trip quality. Though suitcases seem to fit better with Japan's Shinkansen lifestyle.
UK perspective: London's King's Cross lockers are always full too, so we face a similar issue. But the Japanese approach of positively reframing the problem as a 'new travel style' isn't something we see in Britain. Brilliant, really.
Based in the UAE. In the Middle East, having lots of luggage is somewhat of a status symbol, so 'Suitcase Cancel' is culturally the opposite mindset. But I can understand it as a Japanese-style rationality.
I'm Italian, and in Europe's cobblestone cities, suitcase wheels breaking is a daily occurrence. If you're traveling Rome or Florence, a backpack is the only option. Feels like the Japanese are finally catching on (haha).
From Finland. Nordic culture is very comfortable with solo activities, so I relate to Japan's solo travel boom. But 19% being the world's highest — are other countries really that low? I'm curious why people don't travel alone.
Canadian backpacker here. In North America, road trip culture is strong so you just throw everything in the trunk. In Japan where train travel is dominant, luggage constraints would definitely be bigger. Suitcase Cancel makes total sense there.
In Mexico, family group travel is the norm, so Japan where 1 in 5 travels solo feels like a different world. But solo travel is slowly growing among younger Mexicans too. Japan's trend here is a helpful reference.