Travelling Japan While Pregnant, any advice from those who have done it?

17 comments

1. Probably not very relevant, but did you know that there’s a shrine dedicated to safe childbirth? It’s called [Suitengu Shrine](https://g.co/kgs/YGKeL6) and is in Tokyo.

2. Every elevator has a priority button intended for movement impaired people. Use it. If for example people have already pressed the normal down button but you want to go up, the priority button will mean it’ll go up for you first.

   Also, the left side of the elevator is for non movement impaired people, it’s expected that movement impaired people queue from the right and have right of way.

   We were there a few weeks ago and our Japanese friend told us to make sure we took advantage of this fact with our baby.

   This is expected and encouraged by the locals.

   Caveat; we did encounter some animosity from salary men during rush hour, but being pregnant, I’d suggest you don’t commute at rush hour.

3. No real advice, but be kind to yourself with your body’s limitations. Hope you have a wonderful holiday.

4. I’d recommend getting the tag even if you are noticeably pregnant. I wanted to get a picture of my baby bump one trip to Kamakura, and I felt like the person taking my picture purposely cut it out to make me look “thinner.” I also used it a few times to get seats on trains.

   I went to Japan 2x while pregnant with the same child. I’m vegetarian and just only like eggs so much, so I never had food issues.

   I was around 25 weeks pregnant the second time I took my daughter in utero. I had a great time, though I made sure not to push myself too hard.

   I found I needed to make sure to book rooms with comfy beds cause some Japanese beds have very hard mattresses.

   I made sure there were always bathrooms handy and that I drank enough water. I was super neurotic and used a sun parasol, because I wasn’t happy with any sunscreens out there.

   I did get a shrine charm for an easy birth (and it was super easy.)

5. I lived in Japan throughout my whole pregnancy so I can offer some general advice.

   Trains: Don’t expect to always get a seat even with a visible bump or pregnancy tag. Usually the only people who would offer to me were other moms trying to also take care of their multiple kids.

   Always plan extra time for making transfers/getting in and out of a station. Most stations in the city have accessible entrances but there is usually only one or two. And you can spend a lot of time walking through the station or around the area to find the elevator entrance. Also, there’s a lot of families with kids and strollers in the city and tourist areas on weekends so sometimes the queue gets long to use them. Basically if you are using an app to see your transfers, don’t rely on it since it will take you longer than the app recommends to get between platforms.

   There’s so much walking all the time, so try not to lug too much stuff around and utilize a stroller for your other kid as much as possible. I’d recommend an easily collapsible one so you can jump in taxis whenever you’re feeling worn down.

   Department stores usually have kids areas and places for moms to rest so try to keep note of those around the areas you’ll be at. It’s always nice to duck into those to get a break from the heat.

   I don’t think you should have many issues since raw meat/fish, etc is something you’d go more out of your way to eat. I didn’t eat fish at all during my pregnancy but there was a list of cooked fish that’s safe that they recommend for pregnant women. I’m not sure how common knowledge it is, so it couldn’t hurt to get familiar with some terms just in case. Also depending on the restaurant, you might not be able to get any alterations made to the menu so it’s good to check if they have dishes you can eat ahead of time or contact them in advance to see if they can prepare something special. Most nice restaurants will be able to handle request if given enough time.

6. Don’t do it

7. If egg is something you’d like to avoid don’t count on having menu alterations.

   It’s simply not something done in Japan. Unless your Japanese is exquisite it’s going to confuse the workers there trying to ask for a change to any menu item who will then try to explain in very limited English why they believe they cannot accommodate, you which may confuse you further given their choice of limited English words.

   Instead order items that you know to be egg / raw meat free.
   Soba, udon, and ramen noodle dishes are all very good options and usually fully cooked, as are any of the items sending in “katsu” (tonkatsu, etc) which are fried throughly.

   Okinomiyaki can be made with cooked meat and has cooked egg.

   Yakitori is sweetened meat cooked throughout.

   Edemame is a popular snack you can get at many

   Yakiniku style restaurants serve raw meats which you can throughly cook yourself on a stove grate usually built into the table along with various side dishes.

   Izykaya style places are good options and serve lots of small plate options most of which are thoroughly cooked.

   Don’t worry about a place seeming “reputable” all of the places that sell food (even the convenience stores) have a very high standard. Food goes bad very quickly in Japan due to lack of preservatives making Freshness a priority for Japanese people; as such turnover of food in establishments is quite high and you’re 99% of the time getting something quite fresh even at the convenience stores for example.

   Best of luck. The trains can be quite crowded and rides between sites depending on your hotel location can be between 30 minutes to an hour. No hotel is “centrally located” enough between all of the things tourists usually like to see to try to plan for rest during your travels if needed.

   I just got back from a month long trip there and was astounded with how much time I spent on a train. It was a ton of fun. Enjoy!

8. Use the tag even if you have a big bump. Increased evidence is helpful.

9. I just got back from 8 days in Japan! I was only 16 weeks at the time and barely showing, but I was immediately pulled out of the customs line at Haneda and brought to a priority line. She had eagle eyes lol. The trains have priority seating in most cars and there was always at least one seat open, with the exception of a few times we travelled when everyone was getting off of work. I didn’t see many instances of people giving up seats so I wouldn’t count on that, so traveling during less hectic times of the day is probably a better option.

   My obgyn encouraged me to not be scared of eating sushi over there since their food standards are so high! I indulged in a few pieces here and there and avoided high-mercury fish but ended up eating mostly cooked foods (I wasn’t craving sushi as much as I thought I would!) Also, most egg dishes are served a little runny (scrambled eggs, omelettes, eggs in ramen). I didn’t know that but ate some sort of runny eggs every morning and was fine. Some dishes have fully raw egg but I just avoided those.

   I’m used to the heat but the humidity was killer. A friend brought me a frozen water bottle with a small towel in a small insulated bag one day we were doing a lot of walking and I’ve never been more thankful. The bottle kept the towel constantly cold and I could cook myself down when there wasn’t anywhere with AC available (like at shrines or when we visited large gardens).

   Have a wonderful trip!!!

10. Hi OP! Which airline will you be taking? I’ll be 25 weeks pregnant when I travel to Japan in October via ANA and I’ll be able to get the maternity tag from their counter at the airport. If you happen to be flying the same airline, it’s worth checking out! No harm in wearing the tag around. Plus it makes for a good travel keepsake 🙂

    https://www.ana.co.jp/en/jp/guide/reservation/support/international/maternity/

11. They have priority seating in every subway car. Elevators are hard to come by or are extra far away. Women can bring their kids into the washroom because certain stalls will have kid carriers.

    Bring a hand towel/handkerchief because paper towels don’t exist in Japan. Food in general is really safe. Learn a few phrases to inquire about food safety.

12. Someone else mentioned baby / mother rooms I’m department stores, and I just wanted to add that the mamamap app (which has been renamed mamapapamap app) is really really helpful for finding these spaces.

    There’s a similarly named app that exists for Europe, so I recommend using their website to get to the correct app store for your device: https://mamamap.jp

    I used it to find places to change and nurse my one year old. I was kind of shocked that many of the public spaces (parks, train stations, etc) that had changing facilities were not as clean as I had hoped, and I shifted to heavily relying on private shopping spaces or sometimes government municipal office buildings (which I found via the app).

    There’s lots of toddler-centric info included as well, such as whether a place has child-sized toilets or a stall that both a parent and child can fit into.

    Also about Google Maps not usually giving you the accessible exits, I had the same issue then found out after my travels that under Trip Options there is a “Wheelchair-Accessible” setting. Opt into that and you should hopefully have a smoother time navigating around.

    Hope that helps!

    Edit: also +1 to small, collapsible strollers! We used the Uppababy Minu and it was very useful when I got off on a train platform that literally did not have functional elevators. I was by myself with my kid on that outing and the shoulder strap was a lifesaver.

13. Bring some compression socks. Both for the flight and for walking around. I’ve been to Japan a few times but the last time I went, I was pregnant and my feet and hands got so swollen from all the walking. I would put my feet up on the wall every night for 20 mins. Some nights I would take an Epsom bath, Japan has the best Epsom bath salts.

    Bring tums or whatever other stuff you know you might need. It may be harder to find in Japan.

    Also, be prepared for smoke at some restaurants. Some places had designated areas but most izykaya places were a free for all.

    Japan has had the best food in our travels. Everything was so fresh and tasted amazing. Snacks at The convenience stores like Lawson and 711 are good. Try the hot foods. I would never recommend them in North America, but in Japan they are fresh and so tasty.

    You never see people eating while on the street, but being pregnant, there were some times I just had to eat a small snack. Also, there aren’t many garbage cans on the street. People bring their garbage home with them. Good to know if your toddler is still in diapers too.

    If you have a grocery store close to you, go in for fruits and veggies and of course extra snacks for either your hotel room or Airbnb.

    I’m sure you’ll have a brilliant time in Japan. I didn’t notice too much of a difference other than having non-alcoholic cocktails. I also bought a lot of baby clothes too! Enjoy your trip!

14. A keychain might be nice if possible because there are some rude assumptions about foreigner’s body types. The only way I know you can get the official keychain is if you are a resident, confirm your pregnancy with a doctor, and register it at the city hall which tourists cant do, but they sell the [keychains on Amazon](https://www.amazon.co.jp/s?k=maternity+keychain&crid=1874T29X21C72&sprefix=maternity+keych%2Caps%2C196&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_15) which are cuter anyways if you want to get one for your bag. Tbh, I bought one before I got an official one from the city hall because I was nauseous and not strong on my feet before the doctor would write the cofirmation letter at 6 or 8 weeks. It works the same.

    Of course do what you are most comfortable with, but eggs here arent bleached so they are considered safe to eat raw. I personally felt comfortable eating runny eggs as a resident.

15. Haven’t seen anyone mention the treated radioactive water from Fukushima being released right now. Should this be a concern for her?

16. Hey OP, you can eat raw eggs in Japan and it’s safe. Something for the munchies if you’re craving poached eggs or some dish with raw egg in it.

17. Please get medical evacuation insurance. Emergencies happen and you be out tens of thousands.