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We backpacked in Japan with our 6 month old son in November! I don't know if anybody else is crazy enough to backpack with their baby; but as we found it hard to find information I thought I'd offer mine.
We weren’t able to afford a seat for our son, so we carried him on our laps during the 13 hour flight, however American Airlines has a daily flight from Dallas to Osaka so it wasn’t full and he had his own seat on both flights. The airplane had a bulkhead bassinet that attached to the wall and had a zippered belt so that even if we didn’t have the extra seat he would have been safe. On the way to Osaka I tried to stay awake since we were arriving at night, and I wanted to get on the right time zone, but my husband and baby both slept for a few hours. I wish I had, because the baby stayed up most of the night, and I was exhausted. One thing I found very helpful, both for the plane and trains, was a piece of plastic fabric the same size as my son that we used as a changing mat.
We ended up shipping back some clothes because our bags were too heavy, so we ended up with two sets of clothes, and one pair of pj’s each, and five sets of clothes for the baby. We had 1 big backpack that had a smaller detachable bag attached to it, and 1 regular school sized book bag. We put all of our clothes in the big bag, plus as many diapers and cans of formula as we could squeeze into the bottom. The extra diapers and baby food went into the detachable bag, and we used the regular book bag as a diaper bag. I wouldn’t bother with the vacuum bags except for thick winter clothes, they form odd shapes so you lose about as much space as you save.
We bought a cheap umbrella stroller and sometimes hung the detachable bag from it, as well as our jackets when it was warm. It wasn’t a problem at the train stations, my husband would hold the handles and I would grab the foot-rest strap, which made it very easy to go up or down stairs when an elevator wasn’t available. In the trains we either rolled it into the extra space behind the last seat, or stood to the side and folded it up in the entry way after everyone got on. We also brought a native style baby sling (which folds to the size of a pillow case) which was wonderful for the castles, and easy to manage with a book bag on.
Japanese diapers are cheap, and work well. Our son has a weak stomach, and he did fine on Japanese formula when we ran out at the end of our trip, which would have been much easier than carting it around like we did. We could only carry half of our formula, so we packed a box and mailed it to a Japanese friend that we stayed with halfway through our trip. In hindsight, I would have probably just brought a few cans and bought the rest in Japan.
We mostly stayed in Hostels, in family rooms. All of them, except Hiroshima, had futons so we just put our son in the corner and laid some rolled up clothes between us and him. In Hiroshima we took the blankets off of the single sized beds and made a futon on the floor as well. (Since we’ve been home it has taken a month of sleeping on our floor with him before we finally got him back in his crib.) Because November is slow, we didn’t have any problems just showing up and asking for a family room.
We went everywhere from Beppu to Saporo, and didn’t really have any problems. On the Shinkansen, if the baby got fussy we went into the “multi-purpose room” reserved for sick people and babies, which was wonderful. There were usually just two seats in it, and he could scream or stretch without bothering anyone. The best Hostel was Kawaa Green Farm near Aomori, they were actually on a farm and we had fresh, hot milk for breakfast.
Everywhere we went people always wanted to see the baby, and tell him how cute he is, and several elderly ladies gave him tangerines to play with. In the restaurants, they had highchairs, but they didn’t have belts, so we usually just left the baby in his stroller. If you are adventurous, 6 months is a good age, and I would highly recommend the experience, if you don’t mind the jetlag.
Trip report: backpacking Japan with baby
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I have to admire you! I don't think I could ever have done that. Can you share some of your impressions of Japan? I was there a year and a half ago and I loved it.
Oh my gosh. My mouth is just hanging open in awe. Congratulations. You must be so much younger than me!
Bravo to you both - to all three of you actually!
And you have provided very good info for anyone else who wants to do the same.
Kudos to Japan for that multi-purpose Shinkansen room.
peters2-loved your post! Great info for anyone letting a baby stop them from travelling with a backpack! Just goes to prove Japan can be done on the cheap and with a baby, if you're a smart resourceful person! Happy travels! India next?
Aren't you glad you didn't listen to the many (I'm sure) people who told you you were nuts? Travelling with kids can be FUN if you have the right attitude!
We did a very similar trip when our first daughter was 4 months old. Dolt packs on our backs and baby in the Snugli chest carrier. It was March, so she kept me warm and my husband stayed warm carrying the heavy bag!
Japanese are so good at providing for parents and babies out in public. I rember the diapers were so much better than the american ones (at that time) that we took home some cases!
I still look back fondly on that trip...We had reservations for our first week and last night, but the rest of the trip we just went wherever the train led us each day. It was the first time my husband had done the backpack thing and it really sold him on exotic travel. Same daughter just spent 4 months in India, so it also got her off on the right foot as well!
So where are you going next year?
Wowee, congrats on the managing that adventure well. We must get one or two people max per year who have that particular crazy idea: travelling around Japan with an infant. Haven't seen a report from one of them until now. We will definitely be referring others to this post in the future, remembering to search with "Japan with baby".
Would love to hear more about your experience in Japan. How was Beppu?
Next year? Maybe some local travel in the US, but besides that... We actually are going to be moving to Japan in about three years, and that was the reason for our trip. We wanted to look at several language schools and get to know the people, the history and culture. We loved it; the people are nice, the food is great, the scenery is beautiful, and it’s kind of neat how they do everything with precision. I was amazed at how the trains ran exactly on schedule, and how they only seemed to stop for 30 seconds! The sink on the back of the toilet seat was pretty neat too
Beppu was neat, we stayed at a Ryokan and they had an onsen that you could reserve for ½ hour of private use. I didn’t like it, the water was way too hot, but I wanted to experience an onsen and the very open public baths scared me. My husband loves them, it was his 3rd trip and for weeks before we left I heard about how awesome the onsens are.
In Miyajima we had Okinomiyaki, which we were told was like a Japanese pizza; but it is really like a pancake with noodles and cabbage on top, covered in barbeque sauce. It was hard to believe the difference between the north and the south. In Hokkaido there was a lot of space, and in Tokyo all of the buildings were touching, and they were all you could see whichever direction you looked. In Ebina, there were about 3500 families in one square kilometer- it was amazing!
When we were in Ebina, we visited a military church and put our son in the nursery. He picked up a cold from one of the other kids, and ran a very high fever. We had to take him to the doctor, but because we were with a friend she translated for us. The cost of an emergency hospital visit, on a weekend, including a prescription cough medicine, was 125 yen. ($111 US) We couldn’t believe how cheap it was, but our friend couldn’t believe how expensive it was The medicine worked like a wonder and he was much better the next day.
When we were in Kobe, there was a “cultural day fair” at the park by Himejijo. It was great, they had different vendors from all over Japan selling handmade crafts each area is famous for. They also had several food stands, and to my surprise I liked the taco-yaki we tried. (fried octopus on a stick.) The only bad thing about backpacking was that we couldn’t get any souvenirs till the very end of our trip, and the fair was at the beginning.
Did the trip help you to narrow down your options of where to live?
I'm glad to hear your story and I think it's great. Traveling with a baby is easier, in my opinion, than traveling with toddlers who have mastered the art of running around and screaming out loud.
We took our daughter to Japan when she was 12 months old and I was 5 months pregnant with my son. We didn't do the backpack thing, but we were still loaded down with diapers and other gear and we did do some excursions. We borrowed a lightweight stroller from a friend in Tokyo, but it acted more as a cart for our bags and my husband's heavy camera equipment (he's a prof photog) since crowded train stations and stairs were not conducive to baby strollers. My daughter had a problem with jet lag the first night, waking up at 2 am Tokyo time and 5 am the second night.
We've taken numerous long-distance trips, some as long as 19 hours (with stops and layovers) with our two kids beginning when they were 3 months old. I've noticed a few stares whenever we'd board the plane, and I don't blame them as I admit, I use to be one of them in my pre-motherhood days. But once the engines start humming, it puts them to sleep for most of the flight.
We'll start off by going to language school in Tokyo. I can't remember the name (my husband knows about all that) but we really liked the philosophy of the teachers. We are considering living in Hokkaido after that, but as we aren't exactly sure we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
this is great info - we've got a 4-month-old and are trying to get her dual citizenship stuff taken care of so she can visit japan (her other native country) very soon to see her family and friends on the other side of the world - its so nice to see that people can do it & survive! you've given me some good tips too...
I always shake my head when I see parents traveling with infants(my wife always says "listening for the rocks") but kudo's to you on what seems like a great trip. I just couldn't do it.
Aloha!
Glad your trip and job turned out well.
What did you think of Beppu? Is it worth a trip for just an overnight stay? Did you like your lodgings?
hello hawaiiantraveller - what does 'listening for the rocks' mean - I've not heard that phrase used before
BB
rocks in my head....the wife thinks I have them instead of a brain
In Beppu the Ryokan (Minshuku Kokage) was pretty nice, and very reasonably priced. For our purposes, it was definately worth the overnight stop. I would have liked to have spent more time there (which we planned on doing but we were invited to someone's home in Tomakamai and shortened our plans.) The Ryokan had a bunch of brochures of things to do if you had some time to spend in Beppu; we just walked to an outdoor mall, and to a Ramen shop, and to buy some diapers from the store. We arrived in the early evening, and left mid-morning so we didn't have enough time to see the famous hotspring 'hells.'
I am going to Tokyo for 5 days with my husband and 2 1/2 month old baby in June / July. Probably crazy! I am wondering about places that will be convenient to breastfeed and also to change a diaper when we are 'out and about' Are there department stores or restaraunts that this would be possible? I used to live in Japan and realise that I cannot remember ever seeing anyone breastfeed, or change a diaper for that matter. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Department stores have special rooms just for nursing moms. They are always located on the childrens floor...near the baby goods.
I had no trouble breastfeeding in public. I had these ingenious shirts from motherwear.com and could therefore be very discreet. Some mothers like to drape a light towel or blanket for privacy, but I've seen more of that in the states than in Japan. Breastfeeding is expected here in Japan, so you won't be stared at for that...but you may well be for being a foreigner.
For changing diapers, the vast majority of public rest rooms have changing tables in them, and they are clean. I always put a towel down first, for me, though, not because the tables were in any way dirty.
Japanese disposable diapers are excellent. When were in the US we tried every brand of disposable and my daughter got horrible diaper rash and always had gel leaked from diaper to her skin. That never happened with Japanese disposables, which are also scent free, unlike their US counterparts. You don't need to carry a lot of diapers with you...what you can buy here is infinitely better in my opinion.
We travelled from Japan to the US when our daughter was 2 1/2 months old. It was the easiest trip...she slept for almost the entire flight. She was not yet to heavy to carry for a long time without being uncomfortable. Her needs were still basic...nursing, diaper change, sleep. We've taken many, many trips since then, and I still marvel at how simple that first trip was. You'll be just fine. Not crazy at all.
Years ago during one of my trips to Japan I was impressed to see not only changing tables inside the women's restrooms, but also a toddler seat inside the stall where you can buckle your child up while you sit down and do your thing. My daughter was 12 months old then and it came in handy. Lately, changing tables are pretty standard in the US, and I've even seen a few of those toddler seats in the US, though rare.
I love this thread! I have no children (yet) but I find it reassuring to see that having a baby not necessarily will have to stop me from traveling!
absolutely love the toddler seat toilet. they have those in major Japanese dept stores here in Malaysia, and if my son wants to pee-pee, he'll get excited going to that toilet.
we'll be travelling to Tokyo next March, and I am bit concerned about my son's food intake. We'll be travelling around Tokyo for 5 days and the next 4 days will be spent in Disney Resorts. Probably spend some of the meals in McDonalds, basements food court & the like. Anyone can advise on cheap & healthy food?
Most kids enjoy udon, which is cheap and easy to find. The top floors of department stores have a variety of restaurants. Many restaurants have what is called an okosma seto...kids set meal. The basement floors of department stores sell all kinds of food for take out. Hotel breakfast buffets (in the nicer hotels) have a good selection that you should find plenty for him. Stations are also filled with small restaurants. There is no shortage of inexpensive, good food in Japan, that's for sure.
lina219...at the Disney Resort there is this really neat kids camp in the Ikspiari mall. Our daughter did a 1/2 day there when she was 3 and loved it. http://www.ikspiari.com/en/nepos/ There are also a lot of restaurants in Ikspiari that are quite good and reasonable. It's right on the Disney monorail.
thanks kimjapan... read about the kids camp, but not sure whether son will be ok - he just started learning a little bit of english now (fav word is no... ;P) and no japanese but very talkative in Malay. Don't want to give the minders there a headache!
I don't think they really have a problem with language from what I saw. If I remember correctly, we had to indicate what language she spoke. They also have an hourly thing that he could try and doesn't fill up so much as the set programs. As it is quite experiential and hands on based, language seems to be a non-issue.
Interesting thing about language...when our daughter was 3 we took our first trip to Thailand. At that time she spoke Japanese and English, but of course no Thai. At our hotel, one evening before dinner she disappeared along with one of the staff's children. We quickly found them, happily playing in some sand near the playground/restaurant area...funny part was our daughter was babbling away in Japanese and the Thai child was babbling away in Thai, and it seemed as though neither one of them realized that their languages were different and they had negotiated a pretty good game somehow.
It's been years since our last trip to Tokyo Disney, but I remember theme park food was different from the Disney parks in the US. As an example, outside the Country Bear Jamboree they served S&B curry instead of hamburgers. I loved hearing the bears sing in Japanese, especially the Davey Crockett song.
great... might give the camp a try. maybe son will love it!
i remember the last time we went to Tokyo Disney (w/o son) for a day, we didn't even stop to a have a decent meal...
Thanks so much to KimJapan for your advice on breastfeeding in Tokyo and around. This has really reassured me and I will be much more confident!
To anyone reading...my wife and I will be off to Tokyo with a 9 month old in June...we can not find any info on shots she may require...anyone have any info here? Note our pediatrician was not sure...is doing 'research'.
Thanks.
Dave
bergie1393@suscom.net
There are no required immunizations in Japan, even for attending school. By age 9 months, Japanese resident babies have had BCG (for tuberculosis) and polio. If you are coming from the US, you will not need anything at all and will just pass through immigration and customs.
to the top for Montrealer!
Thank-you so much especially to emd and mrwnrfl for this thread. It's so reassuring to think that we can be positive about travelling with a baby. I'll definitely report back when we return.
A bientot,
montrealer
Peters2...Beppu!! I "lived" there for nearly two years...1946-1948...as a teen age GI ! I plan to re-visit mext spring for the first time.
Please tell me what it's like now...it was a sleepy beach and spa (skonsen)town back then, with most everything "off limits"...right after the war. We were the fist troops into Kyushu...24th Division. I have some very old photos that I snapped back then..would be happy to scan a few and send them to you...address, please.
Stu T. rozstu1@aol.com
Wow! Impressive! I got frustrated at times lugging camera equipment around Japan, but a baby takes the cake. Kudos Peters2 and thanks for sharing!
Andrew
TripTie.com
Thank you for sharing your experience, it has helped me get prepared for my visit to Japan with my 8 month old baby. We plan to travel Tokyo area and spend Christmas and New Years there. It should be interesting. Thanks for all your tips. Greatly appreciate them.