Why pack when you can rent your clothes from an airline?

Pack only the essentials on your next trip to Japan and, for the rest, just select a capsule wardrobe that you can use for two weeks. — AFP

Don't forget your sunscreen, your hat, your beach towels ... not to mention the perfect evening attire, and all your personal care products.

Packing a suitcase requires thought and concentration, and even the most organised traveller can forget a phone charger or other everyday essentials. One option is to use ChatGPT to make sure you don’t forget anything, since the AI chatbot can write a comprehensive list of all the things you’ll need for any given destination or situation.

But there’s an even better way to make sure you don’t forget anything – just don’t bother packing! Or at least, pack only the bare essentials, slipping a toothbrush and toothpaste into your carry-on case. For the rest, you can dress using a clothing rental service, a solution recently deployed by Japan Airlines, which is offering passengers bound for the Land of the Rising Sun the chance to select a capsule wardrobe they can use for two weeks.

Passengers simply log on to the Any Wear, Anywhere service website to select the kind of clothes they want to wear – casual, chic, or a mix of the two. You can choose up to six tops and three bottoms, specifying the season in which you’ll be travelling. That way, you can be sure to get clothes that suit the weather.

Prices start at ¥4,000 (RM131) for a men’s summer pack comprising three tops and two bottoms. Sizes range from S to double L. Packs can be reserved up to one month in advance.

Once the rental has been confirmed, the service delivers the clothes to the passenger’s hotel or other accommodation. And it’s from there that the package of clothes should be returned before departure. Then, the pants, dresses or shorts will be sent to a laundry service in order to be reintroduced into the rental system.

Do note that the garments used in this process are not new products. They are pieces obtained from surplus stock or pre-owned garments, explains Japan Airlines (JAL) in a news release. The idea is to create a truly circular economy.

Japan’s national airline has launched a trial of the service, with the aim of lightening the fuel use and carbon output of air travel. According to Sumitomi, JAL’s partner in charge of the logistics of the service, a tourist who travels with 10kg less baggage can reduce the carbon emissions of their trip by 7.5kg. This initiative is part of a test phase scheduled to run until Aug 31, 2024.

Throughout this period, the airline will be collecting data on the baggage weights of its passengers who have chosen the clothing rental service, enabling it to assess the scale of the reduction in CO2 emissions.

This initiative is all the more significant given that Japan has seen a boom in tourist numbers since the complete reopening of its borders following the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the Japan National Tourism Organisation, international arrivals in the country totalled 1.9 million in May, almost 70% of pre-pandemic levels. – AFP Relaxnews