I remember travelling with baby was difficult with all the things you need to carry but looking at old photos, it was wonderful! If you are planning to bring your baby, Japan is a safe and beautiful country. I hope you enjoy your holiday.
Things you can buy in Japan
You can buy almost everything here. Baby milk, baby food, diapers, clothes, toys and etc. If you buy brand products, they are safe and reliable. It might be difficult to find stores in the beginning. If you are staying in central city, it might be difficult because big drug stores and supermarkets that carries baby items are usually located in the suburb.
Where can you buy baby items?
- Akachan Honpo（赤ちゃん本舗） Tokyo (akachan.jp), Osaka (akachan.jp)
- Babies R Us: Aqua City Odaiba, Ikebukuro Sunshine City, Kinshicho, Toyosu Store Locator | Babies”R”Us Japan
- Nishimatsuya: you often find them in suburbs but in Tokyo, Nishimagome Station Store is relatively close to the central Tokyo.
- Mega Donki: Shibuya, Shinjuku
- Big drug stores: Ones in the centeral city tend to be small. Relatively big one in central location is Tsuruha Drug in Shibuya Center-gai/OK Ginza supermarket B1 floor.
- Big shopping mall in suburb（such as Aeon Mall, Ito Yokado, Apita etc）
Baby Milk
For baby milk, most famous and trusted brands are:
- Meiji Hohoemi （明治 ほほえみ）
- Morinaga Hagukumi （森永 はぐくみ）
- Yukijirushi Pure （雪印 ぴゅあ）
- Beanstalk Sukoyaka （ビーンストーク すこやか）
- ICREO Balance Milk （ICREO アイクレオ バランスミルク）
- WAKODO Hai hai （和光堂 はいはい）
We have them in cans, small pack (stick type) and ready to feed milk in can or papaer container.
Baby Food
For baby food, famous brands are WAKODO, Kewpie, and Pigeon
Some are in glass or plastic container which you can heat up in microwave. There are also pouch type (you can warm them by putting in hot water or put in different container to use microwave) or freeze dry (you can put hot water). Numbers on the box is suitable for X months. For example, 5 for 5 months old.
Stage 1 Purees:5-6 months（離乳食初期 5-6か月）
Very thin, smooth purees that are most often made with just one main single ingredient—of any food group such as fruits, vegetable, meat, dairy, whole grain, or other type of food.
smooth and easy to swallow
Stage 2 Purees: 7-8 months（離乳食中期 7-8か月）
Slightly thicker purees with more texture and may include more than one ingredient.
combination purees made up of several different ingredients like fruits and vegetables.may also include yogurt, grains, and proteins
Stage 3 Purees: 9-10 months（離乳食後期 9-10カ月）
Thicker mashed foods with even more texture and usually includes multiple ingredients.
Completion：12-18 months（完了期 1歳～1歳半）
Japanese baby food has lots of Japanese food such as rice, tofu and so on. Maybe your baby like Japanese food. Also, they sell some freeze dry ingredients that are convenient. You might like to try it and take it back home.
Diapers
We have 2 types: Tape type （テープ型紙おむつ）and Pull-Up or Pants type （パンツ型紙おむつ）
- Tape type diapers: Sizes are usually； Newborn (up to 3 kg or 7 lbs), S (4-8kg or8-18 lbs) M (6-12 kg or 13-26lbs) L (9-14 kg or 20-30lbs) XL (12-22 kg or 26-49lbs)
- Pull-up or Pants type diapers S (4-8kg or8-18 lbs) M (6-12 kg or 13-26lbs) L (9-14 kg or 20-30lbs) XL (12-22 kg or 26-49lbs), XXL (13-25 kg or 29-55lbs)
If you can find big drug store or discount shops, they are cheaper. In the central city, it may be difficult to find them. In the suburb or residential area, you are likely to find them.
Baby Rooms
If you want to change diapers or feed your baby, Airports, Department stores, shopping malls and large supermarket has baby room. There is diaper change table and hot water is available. Some place has a small room to breast feed baby (this area is limited to women)
It is slowly changing, but in other areas, diaper changing table is only available in women rest rooms.
In Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen bullet trains (between Tokyo and Hakata), there is a bathroom near car no. 16 that has a diaper changing table. The table is folding type and rather small so maybe good for small babies up to 8 months. Also, Shinkansen can sway or be bumpy at times, so please be careful when using the table. For other bulllet trains (Hokkaido, Tohoku, Joetsu etc) there are no changing tables in bathrooms. Please ask the conductor on board if there is a space by showing following sentence →（Is there a place I can change diaper? = おむつを替える場所はありますか？）
Baby Clothes
Large Uniqlos carry baby items as well. Also, Nishimatsuya mentioned above is also affordable and popular.
If you prefer brand shops, head to Children section of Department Stores. There are all kinds of international high brands. Some Japanese brands are: Familiar（ファミリア）, Miki House（ミキハウス）,BeBe（ベベ）, Mezzo Piano（メゾピアノ）、Haruulal（ハルウラ） and PRISTINE（プリスティン）
Baby item related words and phrases
- My Baby is X months old Xカ月の赤ちゃんです
- Do you have baby size? 赤ちゃん用サイズはありますか？
- Baby milk 赤ちゃん用ミルク
- Powder type milk 粉ミルク
- Ready to feed（liquid）baby milk 赤ちゃん用の液体ミルク
- Bottle 哺乳瓶
- Pacifier おしゃぶり
- Baby has allergy アレルギーがあります。
- Does the baby food contain ingredients that may cause allergies? アレルギーを引き起こす可能性のある原材料は含まれていますか？
- Stage 1 baby food:5-6 months（離乳食初期 5-6か月）
- Stage 2 baby food: 7-8 months（離乳食中期 7-8か月）
- Stage 3 baby food: 9-10 months（離乳食後期 9-10カ月）
- Tape type diaper テープ型紙おむつ
- Pull-Up or Pants type diaper パンツ型紙おむつ
- Baby wipe おしりふき
- Height is X cm 身長は X cmです
- Weight is X kg 体重は X kgです
- Is there a place I can change diaper? おむつを替える場所はありますか？
I hope you have a wonderful time in Japan!
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