Some info. Will be taking our new born over for our second japan trip. First one was just before covid spent most time in tokyo and and the snow at hakuba, This time it will be more of a relaxed slower paced trip with our 4 month old. Yes i know we are crazy but i had to get back.
Dont have anything specific lined up but looking for new born friendly ideas for what to do or what others have done with a new born under 6 months old and still in a carrier
Last time in tokyo we did alot of the toursist things like team labs, mario kart, some of the animal cafes etc
Our planned locations , tokyo shinjuku, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Osaka, yokohama
What struggles did any of you have? is there any tips and tricks of traveling japan with a 4 month old newborn
18 comments
Lol. Christ.
You don’t weeb
Wow
Get a good hotel room, as you’ll be spending a lot of time there.
The best tip is simply “don’t”
I haven’t traveled to Japan with a baby, but I do live here. Here’s some advice:
These are some more toddler friendly places around Tokyo, but maybe they might still interest you:
– Fujiko F Fujio museum (doraemon museum)
– Sanrio Puroland
– Kidzania Tokyo (they have English days)
– Miraikan
– National Museum of Nature and Science
https://www.wandermustfamily.com/travelling-to-japan-with-toddlers/
I think this has some good tips. The main things I’ve noticed now looking at Tokyo from a “with kids” perspective is lack of high chairs at a lot of restaurants and lack of space for strollers.
Department stores are usually good for “kid friendly” stuff like bathrooms, restaurants that have high chairs, and even floors with kids play areas.
For strollers there are some stroller rental services at stations now, but I’d also recommend you use a rental service and rent one from here unless the stroller you have is pretty compact. You’ll need to carry it up and down stairs constantly at stations and fit it into tight places. This is a stroller rental service you could use: https://strollertrip.jp/en/
Throwing out diapers can be kind of a challenge. Look for bins that say おむつ. Again these can be found usually in department stores etc., but the expectation is that you take the diaper home to throw it out. I’m not sure how that works with hotels, though. You might want to ask.
Good luck!
What the fuck is this post?
How long are you going for and when? With a child so young you’ll spend a lot of time in your accommodations taking care of her/him. So maybe you can stay in a hotel nearby and plan some activities and take turns doing stuff.
I think there are some past trip reports like this: [https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/blxmqr/travel_tips_with_a_three_month_old_baby/](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/blxmqr/travel_tips_with_a_three_month_old_baby/)
You should maybe search it up on this subreddit.
Not sure how much I can help because we traveled with our then 6 month old back in 2016, but just wanted to give you some encouragement! We had a blast and I am glad that we took him. Our trip was 3 weeks long because my husband had to be in Japan for work, and I took the opportunity to see family and friends more than actually sight-seeing.
I would say that if you are already comfortable baby-carrying, just strap them up and do what you want! At 4 months they won’t be too mobile, so you can really just take them for the ride!
Eating out will be more limited since you probably won’t be going to fancy restaurants, but there are family friendly places everywhere. You could search for restaurants with a family tag?
As far as diaper changing and nursing areas, I LOVED Japan! I used an app when we took my daughter at 10 months to find changing/nursing areas which was sooooo convenient. America was horrible for that…I remember trying to nurse my son at a bathroom on the Strip in Vegas…ugh.
Do you co-sleep? I know it is frowned upon in the US, but most Japanese families co-sleep, so might be easier to get a hotel if you aren’t worried about the crib situation.
Transportation in Japan was not a problem. He did well in or out of the carrier when took the shinkansen. The plane ride home for me was the hardest part of the trip because I did it solo and my son decided to learn how to sit up during the trip, therefore the bassinet situation was not ideal.
Sorry I don’t have many concrete ideas, but again, just want to let you know that it is possible to visit Japan with kids, don’t let people scare you! Only you know what works for your family.
I’ve not been to Japan with a 4 month old, but I did travel to Walt Disney World with a 4 month old, and found that:
A nice large room is super useful because babies sleep a lot and you’re going to be stuck in the room with them.
I found we needed black out curtains and good soundproofing. Both for any crying inside and for noises outside.
Some hotels in Japan have the above, some do not. I would not necessarily pick Shinjuku, what do you think you’re going to go out drinking all night with a 4 month old? I would pick wherever you can afford the largest sound proofed room with black out curtains.
My daughter has been quite petite most of her life, and so I did carry her around and in Disney I used an umbrella stroller. I am not sure I would bring an umbrella stroller to Japan and again definitely not in Shinjuku because it’s awful crowded.
Personally, I waited until my daughter was 5 to go back to Japan. It was hard. But traveling with a baby or toddler just didn’t seem like it would be fun. At 5 1/2, she had finished K and it just felt more doable. I will admit, she is a much better travel partner now as a tween. I also tend to travel without my spouse and while I have friends in Japan, I’m not staying with them and they do better with older kids.
You’re gonna ruin your vacation dealing with a kid who probably won’t even remember any of the vacation imo.
why were my questions when I was planning a trip removed but this question retained? honestly this this should should just be in the general question thread
anyway, to answer the question, visit Kyoto and stay in onsens or ryokan. dont bring your child in crowded places
Some negative nancies up in here. Do you brother!
I’ve never done international travel with an infant, but I live in Japan with a preschooler and honestly it’s probably easier to be a tourist with an infant than a toddler/preschooler. Most parents babywear here and infants are in general happy to chill in their carrier while parents sightsee, etc. With my preschooler we have to deal with finding activities she likes, food she likes, and of course the dreaded “Carry meeeee!”
Since your kid is so young, you can probably still focus on chill “adult” sightseeing, but there are also lots of fun things for babies like indoor play areas, bookstores, parks, etc.
Lots of family-friendly restaurants, but not just family restaurants. We live in Yokohama and plenty of parents and their infants out and about at cafes, specialty restaurants, etc.
I would download Mamapapamap so you can easily find diaper changing places and whatnot. Also note that diapers are not often carried at convenience stores— you’ll need to go to real drugstores, grocery stores, etc for those. Also, remember to bring infant meds, thermometer, etc from your home country. The last thing you want to deal with is trying to find meds for a sick infant in a foreign country.
Also, note that if you’re traveling during the summer it is super hot and humid, make sure you and baby stay cool!
Man, a lot of these commenters suck. I haven’t travelled to Japan with a 4 month old, but I live here, and I have travelled with a 4 month old. If the baby is comfortable in the carrier, you’ll have a great time. Just take it easy on yourselves and recognize you won’t be able to do as much as you did before the baby. When I travelled with my 4 month old, we brought a travel bassinet that fit in my suitcase, so that’s an option if you won’t always have a crib available. There are baby rooms in most department stores, and there are apps to help you find them. A 4 month old doesn’t need a high chair anyway, so as long as you’re comfortable eating while baby wearing, you should be able to eat in a lot of places as long as you’re prepared to get up and step out if the baby gets upset. Just take it easy and have fun.
I’ve travelled with a 4 month old and it is the easiest time for the next few years. Even better if you are breastfeeding. Get a good front carrier. It will make all the difference.
Know you might need to try new diapers if you don’t bring enough. Have a very lightweight stroller if you know it is a stroller friendly place, but assume most places are not.
Everything will take longer, but most people love babies and will give you some help if needed.
We did not bring a 4 month old to Japan, but we did bring him to Rome. Honestly it was so much easier than a mobile toddler. The #1 thing is to baby wear. They’ll spend most of the time asleep in the carrier while you enjoy a trip around Japan!
If you’re using formula, bring more than you think you’ll need since you may not be able to get the same type there and don’t want to bother baby’s tummy. I’d also suggest bringing any medicine you might need so you don’t need to worry about translating what the medicine is, the age range and the correct dosage. Otherwise, you aren’t going to a third world country, you can certainly find any baby thing you need eventually.
Whether you do just a carrier, a car seat or a stroller have a sun shade since babies aren’t supposed to use sunscreen until 6 months.
Of course baby won’t remember the trip, but that’s not the point. Enjoy your trip and take amazing pictures of your little world traveler!
You are better of going to a cheap country and stay in a resort, or leave the baby with your family😅