I unzipped my hand luggage for Kiwi Collection‘s “Inside My Carry-on” series. Here’s what I bagged for Japan.

1. Travel + Leisure on iPad and Details Magazine Print Edition – The iPad is a great gadget to kill time and the Travel + Leisure app is great. However, I like a real magazine too, so I usually grab a copy of Details at the airport. It’s a great read.

2. A Rough Guide To Japan by Simon Richmond – I like to read up on a country before I get there. The better organized you are in advance, the more time you have to ‘float’ in a destination. The Rough Guide books are the best.

3. Airport-bought Accessory – I usually buy an accessory at the airport before boarding. My most recent purchase was this set of Paul Smith cufflinks.

4. Ray-Ban Sunglasses – I bought them in the marina in Marbella last year after I realized I forgot to bring sunglasses. They’ve lived in my carry-on ever since. They suit either a suit and tie or jeans and a tee.

5. Aspinal Roll-up Travel Backgammon – My favorite game. I play it with friends or sometimes even perfect strangers I meet in cafés. It was a birthday gift, and the perfect one.

6. Sony Noise Reduction Earphones – I listen to a special iPod playlist I created called “Ready for Takeoff.” It’s a wild mix of mellow songs, from Heather Nova to Edvard Grieg. The noise cancelling earphones let me enjoy even the softest songs without any disturbing noise.

7. Roll of Oreos – I can’t say no to desserts and sweets, so this is my travel snack. Much better than the six peanuts you get on board the plane.

8. Nikon D80 DSLR – The Nikon is my go-to for shooting black and white, photo essay-style images. I’m looking forward to capturing the busy Tokyo life on film.

9. GoPro HERO2 Digital Camera – I use the GoPro for time lapse and first person videos. Because it’s so small and handy you can capture great angles for videos, and because it’s HD the quality is fantastic. It will be great for capturing the sunrise over Tokyo from my hotel room or the famed Shibuya crossing.

10. Moleskine Notebook – I use these as travel journals, one for each trip, so I racked up quite the stack.

11. Louis Vuitton Albatros Damier Géant Bag – Everything gets transported in canvas Louis Vuitton bag.