So my good friend back home just gave birth. I will be visiting soon and wanted to bring gifts, I have no children myself and I’m completely clueless.
What is something that you found in Japan and loved that Isn’t available in the west?
For example I saw that they have those heated masks but for boobs I’m guessing to relieve the pain of breastfeeding.
Please advise
29 comments
I’m not a mother but a father.
Something I couldn’t find back in my home country during the holidays but is incredibly useful is : individual milk powder.
Very useful when you are traveling to just take a few pack with you instead of the big bin.
Depending on age of the baby, baby food! I was really surprised that most of the baby food in the us is fruit paste lol
The japanese baby food bentos/packets are really easy and fairly nutritious!
My friends love the baby jinbeis I got for their kids. I’ve given out some to at least five different babies and the momma all said that they loved those for the summer months.
Is this for someone who has Japanese heritage or wants to teach their kids Japanese? If so, hiragana fridge/blackboard magnets (for learning to read), or hiragana/katakana story books. Cardboard or paper, you can never really go wrong with books!
Is this for a boy? Shinkansen-related toys are often winners, not available outside Japan.
For girls, hello-kitty things are precious and have great variety. Sippy cups, plushies, plastic kid dishes and cups, all sorts of fun options. Rilakuma things are cute too, for girls and boys.
For either, hit up daiso and toy shops for some cute 12 month+ food toys that are different from anything they’ll find at home. Eg. Fish that break in half and velcro back together, a plastic food bento kit, or a hello kitty icecream shop play set.
Also, Anpanman-themed anything is hard to get ahold of abroad. Anpanman is baby-crack in Japan, so the parents might appreciate that?
Also, if the parents like Pokemon at all, Japan gets the best region-specialized Pokémon plushies … plushies are a safe bet for either gender baby!
For mothers, she’s going to be super thirsty because she’s making all that milk for breastfeeding (if that’s their family’s choice) … you could bring some nice or decent quality green tea for mum. Or some powdered calpis. Also, you can’t go wrong with your favourite Japanese chocolate—mums need calories for that milk! Plus she’ll get to try something new.
Honestly as a new mum myself I’d have loved any kind of nice “self care items” … so if you have any favourite Japanese mascaras/eyeliners or packet sheet masks, or female friends can recommend any, those could be fun for her and remind her that she’s a person with interests beyond a mother’s interests. The crazy body and weight changes surrounding pregnancy are no joke, and not great for the self-esteem, so it can feel nice to do something for one’s own beauty ^ – ^
Hope this helps!
Baby clothes (like the ones from Uniqlo) that close to the side and bottom, they are very practical, cute (and relatively cheap).
Well, besides adequate health care, child-sized futons and futon covers probably are handy.
Respect for women.
Oh sorry misread the question.
Do they have microwave bottle sterilisers in your country? I expect they do. If not, they’re pretty useful, it only takes 5 mins to do its thing.
The Mochi series of baby toys made from rice would be a hit, I think.
I didn’t see them in the US when I had my kids 10 years ago, but bibs with sleeves and I’m not talking small sleeves but down to the wrist sleeves. They were wonderful.
According to my friend who tasked me with getting her Umeshu. Umeshu for the mother
Affordable health care
Birthday and NishiMatsuya both have toooooons of stuff. Neck coolies for the summer. Cute little car or stroller dangles that are very Japanese style. Stuff for mommy, stuff for babies.
ETA: this is for anyone that has a new mom in their life. They make these little jelly stick ons for nipples. I always get the Lasinoh brand but if you find another go for it. They’re reusable for a few days, you can pop them in the fridge, and they are a LIFESAVER for newly breastfeeding. Like, when people ask “what can I buy for a shower gift,” I can recommend the baby wraps that I liked, but people are different and like different things. I can recommend bottles and warmers and wipe brands and diaper brands. But the one thing that’s always a hit are those squishy little nipple bits. They’re cool, they keep fabric from rubbing, they let the nipple heal. Just nurse or pump, clean off the nipple, air dry, and stick on. I also throw in a pack of nipple shields because worse case, they don’t use it, but best case, they have it on hand to help with latching or sensitivity or getting innies to be outies.
If your friend or their partner likes Pokémon, the Mon Poké series has some adorable, high quality products. I also received some leg warmers and baby booties from Gelato Pique, and I loved those.
If the parents like Pokemon, I love the Monpoke series of baby toys that are only available in Japan. I got the gift set for friends in America because the style is super cute and they really liked it.
Bonus points: Easy to order off of Amazon
i found the newborn clothes here super useful! the ones that look like little yukata and tie up. i found those a lot easier than the standard pull over the head clothes my mom bought sent me canada for the first few months. You can find them in multi packs at Nishimatsuya for really cheap.
If your friend is interested in japan at all a lot of baby clothing stores have cute clothes with japanese characters or motifs (sushi, bento, onigiri etc) those might make a unique present that the parents might enjoy.
Japan has so many cute accessories for babies and kids with Anpanman and Sanrio characters. I have a friend Hello Kitty themed stroller hooks (to carry bags) and shoe clips and she loved it. Both can be bought at Daiso. My friend also bought from Daiso plastic holders with 2 handles that kids can place their small carton packs of juice in and hold easily without accidentally squeezing the drink. Apparently that’s not a thing outside of Japan. For mom I would recommend the Anello mom backpacks that so many moms carry here. They’re a life saver.
There is an app called MaMaMap. It shows you where all of the baby feeding rooms and toilets are near you. It’s extremely useful.
Best thing we bought that we’ve used over and over is a fabric high chair rolls up to nothing but attaches to any normal chair. Has been an absolute lifesaver constantly and I’ve never seen it anywhere apart from the baby stores in Japan.
Pajamas! I love all the pjs that have the belly wrap thing attached to the pants. It really helps keep their pants up all night and their shirt stays tucked in so they won’t get cold.
Separate pjs are better for when the baby is a little older, but just as a general rule, it’s always best to buy bigger than necessary anyway. Some kids run big naturally and it’s always nice to have clothes for down the line. People tend to only give clothes in baby sizes and kids grow out of those super fast.
If your friend fits into Japanese sizes, I always love the Japanese winter coats with the extra zip in panel that fits AROUND the baby in the baby carrier. So smart. Keeps baby and mom warm, and you can remove the panel when you’re not baby carrying.
Jinbei and whatnot are also cute, but take into account age and season— like buy the size of jinbei that they’ll need next summer. Not the size they need now!
If the baby lives in the US, I’d honestly consider just buying Merries diapers. Diapers are like 2x to 3x the price in America (though US disposable wipers are FAR superior than anything I’ve tried in Japan, so they work out cheaper per poop session). Of course it doesn’t make much sense if you end up having to pay more for luggage space as a result.
My son was a toddler when we moved here from the US. The public restrooms here are so much better. My American friends were a bit jealous when I told them that restroom stalls in high-kid-traffic stores have a latch at the top as well as the middle. And the kid seat integrated into the toilet seats were awesome when he was potty training.
there’s some stickon cool patches for babies with fevers, you get them in the chemist in a pink box. they’re brilliant for sick babies. or drool pads that go on baby carriers/pram straps. you can google yodare paddo i think?
Pigeon makes an automatic (electric) nose mucus sucker. It’s been a life saver for us from the ages between 1-5.
I’ve also found Japanese baby food to be several tiers higher than what we can get in Canada.
For new mothers, finding “the right bottle” can also be a hassle. Places like Nishimatsuya often have incredible prices when compared to Europe and North America for baby clothes, bottles, toys, and even strollers.
Odor resistant bags for diapers/waste. Also good for general use like in your car or in your daily use bag.
I had to scroll down to find out the baby is of Japanese heritage. My wife’s brother just had a baby girl, and wife’s sister had twin girls last year. We got them really nice towel sets with the girl’s names embroidered on them, kanji and in English. Towels are always a good option for newly born babies and will not break the bank.
gelato pique baby clothes
List of stuff I have sent my nieces/nephews that have also been useful for us:
-Combi 3 stages toothbrush pack
-Baby toothpaste
-Baby dental floss
-Pigeon Fever patches
-Baby face masks
-Pigeon hygiene kit (Booger picker, snot sucker, nailcutter, etc.)
-Training chopsticks
-Juicebox holder (so it won’t leak when baby holds or squeezes it)
-Baby carrier/Stroller Winter cape/blanket
-Baby snacks (Pigeon, Wakodo, Glico brands make a lot of them)
You can find these in any Nishimatsuya or Toys r Us. Happy shopping! 😂
Edit: They also have stuff for the mommas like non-caffeine coffee, milk teas, supplements, etc. I usually include those!