Sumitomo, JAL clothing rentals for Japan travelers get upgraded

Trial service extended to March, with more airlines and outfits coming

Many users of the Any Wear, Anywhere service are travelers from countries such as the U.S. or U.K., who tend to stay in Japan longer. (Photo by Shugo Tamura)

YOKO SHOJI, Nikkei staff writer

September 28, 2024 17:12 JST

TOKYO -- An experimental clothing rental service in Japan that allows visitors to discard one of the biggest burdens of air travel, their luggage, has been a smash hit.

The trial service has become so popular that Japan Airlines and Japanese trading house Sumitomo Corp., which jointly launched the "Any Wear, Anywhere" initiative in July last year, have extended the service through March after it was slated to end in August this year.