Why is Japan the best country to travel to with babies?
We’ve recently returned from an eleven-day trip from Japan, with our 7M baby Winston! Yes, this is his first international trip and first-ever flight!
Like most parents, we were so worried before the trip and were not sure if this would become a fantastic experience or a disaster. Well, it turned out to be amazing, and now let me tell you why:
There are nursing/family rooms everywhere, they are so clean and there’s no wait!
Japan is famous for its cleanness and good manners, but we were still shocked by how baby-friendly their public facilities are! To begin with, there are family rooms almost everywhere: airports, train/subway stations, restaurants, shopping malls, you name it!
In the family room, you can find plenty of private nursing rooms, each with a comfortable sofa, a small table, and a trash can. In the public space, there are multiple diaper change stations, sinks to clean formula bottles, a microwave for warming baby food, and a hot water station that has been set to the perfect temperature for baby formula. Most importantly, everything is sparkingly clean and most of the time we were the only family in the room (yeah, they have so many family rooms so you never have to wait!)
Even if you are traveling alone with your baby, they have a baby holder in each restroom so that you can go hands-free, how convenient! I have never seen anything like that in the US.
Family priority lanes, from airport to shopping malls
As soon as we landed in Tokyo and walked to the immigration lane, we were greeted by airport staff who guided us to the family priority lane, there was no wait at all so we got out within 5 mins! What a lifesaver — our baby just had an 11-hour flight and this definitely helped us get to the hotel and rest much quicker!
Well, the benefit of traveling with a baby in Japan doesn’t stop at the airport — there are also family priority lanes in shopping malls! Yes, Japan has many tall buildings so you have to wait in lines for elevators frequently, and with limited space, it’s very difficult to squeeze in a stroller! But if you are traveling with a baby, you can take the family priority elevator! With that, you don’t have to wait long and you can fit in the stroller much more easily!
Flying with a baby on Japan Airlines is a breeze!
We have tried two Japanese airlines this time: 1) San Francisco — Tokyo with Japan Airline and 2) Osaka — Tokyo with ANA, we are very satisfied with both of them!
First of all, both of them are extremely on-time and the occupancy rate is not high at all (probably they don’t oversell tickets as most US airlines do…). Next, both of them provide a bassinet for Winston so we don’t have to hold him in our arms all the time! Lastly, the seats are super comfy and the flight attendant are very friendly, our son really had a great time and received many gifts during the flight :) I will write another article to review our experiences with them in detail.
The hotel will provide you with everything your baby needs
Packing can be a headache when it comes to traveling with small babies — should I pack a travel crib? How do I bathe my baby in the hotel? You name it! Well, if you are traveling to Japan you are in luck — they provide almost everything you need!
When we stayed at Westin Yokohama, we were surprised by how many things they’ve provided for Winston — there’s even a Stokke Flexi Bath waiting for him in the bathroom! And our boy was very satisfied with the hotel crib!
Travel light — the convenience drug stores have them all: tons of baby formula & food, diapers, etc.
There are so many baby formula options in Japan, and you can find them easily in any convenience drug store (e.g., Matsumoto Kiyoshi), just use google maps and type in “drug store”, you will find tons of them nearby! Another great place to shop for baby items is Toys“R”Us— they offer different kinds of baby food and snacks, toys, and diapers, many more things than you would typically see in a Toys“R”Us store in the US! So don’t overpack, travel light and buy them after you’ve arrived in Japan, they are cheaper :)
There are so many things to see and explore!
Japan is a beautiful country to explore — from Tokyo to Osaka, Kyoto, from museums to shrines, Michelin restaurants, and so many places that both you and your baby will enjoy (without too much effort)!
So what do you think? Ready to pack and go? I will write another article to give tips on how to pack and plan trips with a baby, stay tuned!
