We're a Japanese couple raising little ones. We read the Japanese-language official pages, rules and signs that rarely make it into English, and add the everyday know-how Japanese parents share with each other. Not a visitor's guide to Japan: the view from inside, for families coming with little ones.
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Checked against Japanese-language official sources
GETTING AROUNDShinkansen with a Baby: Where to Sit, Feed, Change and Store the StrollerWhich car to book, how to use the multipurpose room for feeding, and the Shinkansen luggage rules for strollers, checked on JR's official pages.
GETTING AROUNDTaxis, Shuttles and Car Seats in Japan: What the Law Says and How to Get OneJapan's child seat law and its exemptions for taxis and buses, which taxi services will fit a car seat, rental car seat prices, airport buses, and sending your luggage ahead.
GETTING AROUNDChild and Infant Fares on Japan Trains: Who Rides Free and When You Need a TicketJapan's four fare age groups, how many little kids ride free with one adult, when a toddler needs a ticket for a reserved seat, and how the Japan Rail Pass and child IC cards work, checked on official pages.
STROLLERS & GEARStroller or Baby Carrier for Japan? Travel Strollers and Carriers ComparedWhether to bring a stroller, a baby carrier or both to Japan: stroller rules on the Tokyo subway, maker specs for 8 travel strollers and 6 carriers, and airline and airport tips.
STROLLERS & GEARRenting Baby Gear in Japan: Rental Companies vs. Hotel LoansWhere to rent a stroller, crib or car seat in Japan: prices and delivery rules at three Japanese rental companies, what six hotels lend, airport and Tokyo Disney Resort stroller loans, and Japan's child seat rules.
FEEDINGBuying Baby Formula in Japan: Brands, Formats and How to Read the LabelThe main Japanese baby formula brands in powder, cube and liquid form, with pack sizes and ages from the makers' own pages, where to buy, and a label chart.
FEEDINGReading Allergen Labels in Japanese Supermarkets: A Japanese–English ChartA Japanese–English chart of the 29 allergens on Japanese food labels, where to find them on a package, and what changes at deli counters and restaurants.
STROLLERS & GEARHot Water, Microwaves and Bottle Sterilizing in Japanese HotelsWhich Japanese hotels have kettles, microwaves and baby bottle sterilizers, whether your sterilizer works on Japan's 100 V power, how to sterilize bottles with products sold in Japan, and how to ask the hotel.
DIAPERS & NURSINGPublic Toilets and Baby Seats in Japanese Stations: How to Find a Changing TableWhat Japan's national guideline expects from station toilets, how to check each rail company's station pages for changing tables and baby chairs, the Japanese words on the signs, and official safety advice.
DIAPERS & NURSINGNursing Rooms in Japan: How to Find a Place to Feed and Change Your BabyWhat Japanese nursing rooms (junyushitsu) and baby rooms usually have, whether dads can go in, the local 'Akachan no Eki' and 'Akachan Furatto' schemes, airport baby rooms, map apps, and the Japanese signs to look for.
WHERE TO STAYSleeping Arrangements for Babies in Japanese Hotels: Cribs, Futons and Twin BedsHow to get a crib at a Japanese hotel, what a Japanese-style futon room is, how to check bed sizes, and where to find Japan's official baby sleep guidance.
WHERE TO STAYFamily-Friendly Hotels in Tokyo with a Baby: Room Sizes, Cribs and Co-Sleeping ComparedSeven Tokyo hotels compared for families with a baby: room sizes, crib age limits, free co-sleeping, kettles and kitchens, family rooms and laundry, from official hotel pages.
WHERE TO STAYTokyo Disney Resort Area Hotels with a Baby: Cribs, Co-Sleeping and Getting to the ParksFour hotels near Tokyo Disney Resort compared for families with a baby: cribs and baby gear, co-sleeping rules, nursing rooms, and how you get to the parks with a stroller.
WHERE TO STAYStaying at a Ryokan with a Baby: Meals, Baths and FutonsHow ryokan dinners, baby food, borrowed baby gear, futon rooms, baths and child rates work when you stay at a Japanese inn with a baby or toddler, with five real examples.
WHERE TO STAYChild Rates and Free Co-Sleeping at Japanese Hotels, ExplainedWhat soine (co-sleeping) and Japan's child rate categories mean, how free co-sleeping ages compare at eight hotels and inns, and how to enter children when you book.
WHERE TO STAYOnsen and Public Baths with a Baby in Diapers: Rules, Private Baths and EtiquetteCan a baby in diapers use a Japanese onsen or hotel bath? Real rules from six places, private and in-room baths with prices, bath etiquette, and Japan's official bathing and safety guidance.
PLANNINGJapan with a Baby: Packing List (What to Bring and What to Buy There)What to pack for Japan with a baby or toddler, what you can buy after you land, Japanese diaper sizes by weight, formula and baby food by age, medicine rules, plugs and voltage, and a printable checklist.
PLANNINGIf Your Baby Gets Sick in Japan: Emergency Numbers, Clinics, Insurance and PayingThe official numbers to call in Japan (119, #8000, #7119, the JNTO hotline), how to find a doctor who speaks English, how paying and travel insurance work, bringing and buying medicine, and a checklist for before you fly.
PLANNINGJapan Weather by Month for Babies: Rainy Season, Summer Heat and Winter WindMonth-by-month temperatures and rainfall for Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo and Naha, when the rainy season and typhoons come, how Japan's heatstroke alerts work, and how to think about dressing a baby for each season.
PLANNINGPack Light, Buy in Japan: Kids' and Adults' Clothes at UniqloJapan, US and UK prices for four identical Uniqlo items, how Japan's new tax-free refund system works from November 2026, and how to pack less by buying basics after you land.
THEME PARKSTokyo Disney Resort with a Baby (0–2): What You Can Actually DoFree entry for under-4s, which rides babies can join, how adults take turns on height-restricted rides, Baby Centers with hot water for formula, stroller rental rules, and what to check before you buy tickets.