Sorry for the long delay in responding to each one of your posts.
AA might be borderline as the official smallest side is 9", 23 cm is a rounded value and the ProTactic is 9.1" according to Lowepro. AkAir seem to have gone with 9" as well in their new regulations from June this year. JAL international are still @25 cm. Test pack your bag and measure well before your trip as having to check in your camera bag is no fun at all.
I did notice that the ProTactic is just out of the minimum requirement and I'm hoping it won't get noticed. I think that measurement is from the top portion of the bag that is a bit thicker when viewed from the side. The bottom 2/3 portion is a lot thinner. Thanks for the info on AKAir's new carryon regulation. I think my older LowePro bag is now out of spec for AKAir.
I have traveled quite a bit internationally and never had a problem with my Lowepro backpack being challenged, Even when overly stuffed. Don't ask them to measure it at the airport, just assume it is OK until challenged. I've been amazed at what has been allowed as carry-on in some airports. If they do ask to weigh it and it is over weight you can take something out and carry it on your person until you get on the plane. They don't weigh people. You might think about what you will be wearing and what you can pull out ahead of time. Again, I've never had a problem with size or weight.
I usually try to board as soon as I can to get my carry-on into an overhead bin, before they fill up due to other travelers taking liberties with the carry-on rules. My backpack fits under the seat in front of me, and I've had to do that on some regional airlines, but that would get old on a long flight.
I tend to bring too many lenses, but I'd rather have them and not need them than need them and not have them. You might consider putting your 85 and 50 in your checked baggage if they won't go in your carry-on. That way you will have them if needed.
Hope that helps. Have a great trip!!
Wayne
That's good to know, Wayne. I will go with your "don't ask" suggestion. Before AKAir decided to go with the new smaller regulation my LowePro Fastback 250 had no problems with their domestic flights. I'm curious, which LowePro backpack do you bring for your international trips?
MANY, MANY years ago back when I was a film photographer with my 3 Pentax MX bodies and about a dozen lenses, some friends who were travel agents and photographers recommended that I register all of my gear with US Customs. Apparently some of their friends had ended up having to pay duty on some gear that Customs believed they had purchased while out of the country. Not sure if that still "should" be done or if it is even possible to do that any longer, but thought I'd throw that out there for you...
As to the rest, yes, I did take every body (with motor base), every lens and lots of good extras including tripod, flashes, etc. I'd rather have it and not need it than not have it and want it. For what its worth, depending on the day and what we were doing, I had different film and / or lenses between the bodies. Usually slide film on one or two bodies and Tri-X in the third. Once in awhile I put print film in the other body. Usually though it was slide film in both with a long lens on one and a short lens on the other...My camera gear weighed in at over 60 pounds 
!
Wow! I just weighed the 350 with the above gear and it felt a bit heavy for me. It only weighed 20 pounds 
!
I read online about registering all the gear with US customs but it was said it was a hassle for the agents due to having to sign off on each of the forms. Each body and lenses would need it's own registration form. The other option that I seen was to bring along the receipts for the camera gear to show the agents as proof that they weren't bought overseas.
I registered my gear with Customs back in the day, but I never had any Customs agent ask to see the registration or have any concerns about my gear. I haven't registered anything in years and have never had any issues. I don't know if they still offer the service even. Just my opinion, but I don't think the average tourist bringing back untaxed items is something Customs is too concerned with these days.
See my reply to TBonz regarding registration. I agree with you that customs have more concerns with average tourists. The last time we went to Japan www came back with a couple full backpacks full of our personal items that customs didn't ask to see what was in them. I'm hoping they do the same again this time. We're not planning on importing anything unusual anyway on our return.
I would consider seriously culling the amount of gear you're planning to bring for several reason.
1. Pure weight and volume. Even if you plan to mostly be moving from plane to car, to house, every extra ounce is a burden when you're traveling internationally and if it's ounces of valuable hardware, the burden is increased even more.
2. Options can be negative. Full disclosure, I've done what you've done and carried the majority of my camera gear with me when visiting my sister in Germany. The burden didn't end at my sister's door. Because I'd brought so many options, I didn't really want to leave them at home, so I was going out with a heavily loaded sling bag. Did I get some good pics? Yes, but I don't know that it was worth all the extra sweating and time that I burnt thinking about choices of hardware. Walking around Heidelberg would've been a lot more pleasant if I'd only had a point & shoot instead of hauling my D300 plus 17-55mm f/2.8, and more options with it.
3. Airport security. In recent years, I've had to take every lens out of my camera bag and put in the tubs to pass security AND tended to get flagged for extra checks. Royal PITA and a high risk with all that gear just sitting out.
My suggestion to you would be to leave the K-3 at home, take the D750, 24-120mm f4 for general use, if you really feel you must, take the 70-200mm f/2.8 and take the 50mm f/1.8. One of your flashes might be worth bringing depending on if you plan to do much human photography.
I am still contemplating on which gear to take with me. The above gear weighs in around 20 lbs and I felt it might be too much carrying around with me in Japan. Especially in the 80-100 deg F temps there (the average temps here hover around the upper 40s to mid 50s F on a good day, more so inland). I could leave a lens or two at my inlaws if I needed to though.
I too have brought lenses that I never really used on my trips within Alaska that I rarely used because I'm one of those "I'd rather have it and not need it" types like TBonz posted earlier.
Unlike you, the last few domestic flights to and from Anchorage and once to Washington state, I only had to remove my camera body w/lens attached and laptop when I went through security. It must be a European thing, IDK.
Right now I am thinking of leaving the K-3 and taking the D750, 24-120, 70-200 and the 85 but, that may change in the time I have until we leave in a few weeks. As for the flash, I'm not comfortable in taking it along because I'm not experienced enough in using it on or off the camera.
Ena is on the list of the places were going to visit for a couple days while were in Japan. I may regret taking all my gear to Japan but experiencing something that very few people from here have ever dreamed of seeing and experiencing a different culture and some of it's past history that is still standing will be worth it I think. Seeing my inlaws once again along with my nephews and niece will be the highlight of our trip though. We were thinking of taking a before and after photo of the kids when we get all together on the last week of our trip.
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