On August 21, 2026, there was a post on a Korean internet forum titled "The habit of Japanese men carrying bags."

The poster, who frequently travels to Japan, wrote, "In Korea too, compared to before, I've started seeing younger men carrying bags, but there are still many who go empty-handed. However, no matter which city I went to in Japan, I didn't see any men walking empty-handed. I found it strange, is there a reason for this?"

In response to this post, other internet users shared sympathetic comments such as: "I also found it a bit strange during my trip to Japan," "I was surprised that quite a few men in Japan carry rather large bags," "Korean men often just put the bare minimum in their pockets and go empty-handed, right?," "I get the impression that Japanese people, both men and women, carry a lot of belongings," "An acquaintance of mine went to Japan empty-handed, and their Japanese friend was surprised," and "There are also more men in Japan using fashionable bags than in Korea."

Furthermore, regarding this reason, opinions were also raised such as: "I think it's because Japan still uses a lot of cash, so they need a wallet for cash, and a bag for the wallet," "As for house keys, in Korea, electronic locks are the majority, so there's no need to carry anything, but in Japan, many people still use physical keys," "I'm raising children in Japan, and I feel like there are more things they're told to carry from a young age than in Korea. I've almost never seen anyone carry a handkerchief in Korea, but quite a lot of people have them in Japan," "For working people, I think there might be business manners unique to Japan," "I have the impression that more people use public transportation than in Korea, so they can't leave things in the car, which might lead to more luggage," and "I also feel that men's fashion in Japan is more diverse than in Korea, so that might be an influence."

On the other hand, voices were also raised such as: "I haven't really paid much attention to it, is there really that much of a difference?," "In Korea, I and people around me carry backpacks and shoulder bags, though," and "Since places Koreans visit for travel are tourist spots, isn't it just that Japanese people also have more luggage than usual when they 'go out' for leisure, and it's not the case when they go out casually?" (Translation/Editing: Higuchi)