At the date of this post, I'm still somewhat new to the whole breastfeeding thing (just as I was new to the pregnancy and childbirth thing...). I must admit, the idea of carrying on a normal life while breastfeeding (meaning, being able to go out and do things occasionally, not that I have much energy to...) was a bit daunting at first, and to be honest, still is on occasion. Especially right now as the little one is going through an eat-only-while-being-walked phase. Not rocked, but walked. And she ain't gettin' any lighter, that's for sure...
On the plus side of all this, breastfeeding is commonly practiced in Japan, and many places are breastfeeding-friendly (particularly department stores, as they often have nursing rooms), but it's still largely unexplored territory for me. It helps to read the experiences and knowledge of others, so if you have an experience to share, I'd love to hear it.
So, in my anxiousness figuring out this whole nursing thing while going out, I was curious if I could find any specific information on breastfeeding-friendly places in Japan, and lo and behold, I came across a couple independently-maintained sites with databases of places all over Japan that have a breastfeeding or baby room of some sort. The sites are all in Japanese, but for those who can't read it, I've made a quick guide below for how to navigate and understand them. As long as you know the kanji for the place you are going to, it's not so difficult. (And if you don't know the kanji, it helps to check the names on Google maps, since they show up in Romaji and then have the kanji underneath the name, or else just do an internet search and somewhere you should be able to find the kanji).
Also, these nursing rooms are helpful even if you're using formula, as many of them have hot water machines. That aside, they also usually have diaper changing stations. Good to know whether you're breast or bottle feeding your little one.
The first site is Ikusapo (育サポ), short for childcare support.
Healthcare in Japan: Checkup Options
Today's guest post comes from Sara of Japan Healthcare Info - a very helpful resource for expats in Japan. You can read more about JHI here, but I just want to say they have been incredibly helpful to me in finding specific types of doctors (like pediatricians) and dentists in my area, along with helping me figure out Ai-chan's vaccination schedule, including where to find the recently-approved-in-Japan rotavirus shot (I'll be writing about this in the coming months). I highly recommend checking out JHI if you need help with medical issues here in Japan, especially if you don't speak any Japanese, but even if you do they are still a very helpful resource. -Ashley
******
Hello! Today I’d like to talk about health checkups in Japan. Checkup systems in Japan can be a little complicated and hard to choose from. I hope this post will give you a better idea of what to expect and look for so you can feel more confident and save money and time.
First of all, there are 3 major health checkup categories in Japan:
School/Company checkups for full-time students or employees
Your school or company in Japan typically provides annual health checkups for free. The screening items are general ones like taking your height and weight measurements, a blood/urine test, and a chest X-ray. Some companies offer expensive, full checkup courses that include a gastroscopy, ultrasound, mammogram, etc.
At school, checkups are done on campus. As for company checkups, employers will often provide a list of contracted hospitals for employees to choose from. Or if you work for a large company, health-screening companies may send a van with healthcare staff and equipment to the company site.
Pros: The checkups are free and if you’re lucky, you may see an English-speaking doctor who can explain the results.
Cons: You can’t choose the testing items. In most cases you get the results by mail in Japanese.
What to do: Your school or company notifies you of the time and place for checkups. For company employees with a list of hospitals, you need to make an appointment.
Private Health Screening Center
******
Hello! Today I’d like to talk about health checkups in Japan. Checkup systems in Japan can be a little complicated and hard to choose from. I hope this post will give you a better idea of what to expect and look for so you can feel more confident and save money and time.
First of all, there are 3 major health checkup categories in Japan:
School/Company checkups for full-time students or employees
Your school or company in Japan typically provides annual health checkups for free. The screening items are general ones like taking your height and weight measurements, a blood/urine test, and a chest X-ray. Some companies offer expensive, full checkup courses that include a gastroscopy, ultrasound, mammogram, etc.
At school, checkups are done on campus. As for company checkups, employers will often provide a list of contracted hospitals for employees to choose from. Or if you work for a large company, health-screening companies may send a van with healthcare staff and equipment to the company site.
Pros: The checkups are free and if you’re lucky, you may see an English-speaking doctor who can explain the results.
Cons: You can’t choose the testing items. In most cases you get the results by mail in Japanese.
What to do: Your school or company notifies you of the time and place for checkups. For company employees with a list of hospitals, you need to make an appointment.
Private Health Screening Center
Q&A: Order from Japan?
Aldo wrote in asking if I knew of any mail order-type/intermediary companies that accept domestic shipments from within Japan and then ship them overseas. I haven't ever tried to do this myself (since I still live in Japan, of course), but I thought perhaps some of you out there might be wondering the same thing, or know someone who is.
I thought the following might be possible options:
Flutterscape (probably not as useful if there is something exact you want and prefer to order it directly, but
JShoppers (not viewable from within Japan - goes to company site instead if you are)
Aldo wrote back and suggested Tenso, which he chose to go with.
Do you have any recommendations for mail forwarding companies in Japan that ship overseas? Let us know in the comments!
I thought the following might be possible options:
Flutterscape (probably not as useful if there is something exact you want and prefer to order it directly, but
JShoppers (not viewable from within Japan - goes to company site instead if you are)
Aldo wrote back and suggested Tenso, which he chose to go with.
Do you have any recommendations for mail forwarding companies in Japan that ship overseas? Let us know in the comments!
A Guide to Laundry Detergent in Japan
Doing laundry is another one of those important things, right up there with brushing your teeth or wearing deodorant. I've received several emails asking me to do a post about laundry detergent and I agreed it's a vital topic to cover. So here you are, a guide to laundry detergent in Japan:
Words to know
You should know at least some of the following words when shopping for laundry detergent, but read on below this chart as well for more use-specific words and ingredients.
| 洗濯 | せんたく | sentaku | laundry |
| 洗剤 | せんざい | senzai | detergent |
| 粉末 | ふんまつ | funmatsu | powder |
| 液体 | えきたい | ekitai | liquid |
| 固形 | こけい | kokei | solid |
| 石鹸, 石けん, せっけん | せっけん | sekken | soap |
| 柔軟剤 | じゅうなんざい | juunanzai | fabric softener |
| 漂白剤 | ひょうはくざい | hyouhakuzai | bleaching agent |
| 蛍光増白剤 | けいこうぞうはくざい | keikouzouhakuzai | optical brighteners |
| 詰替用 or つめかえ用 | つめかえよう | tsumekaeyou | refill |
| 液性 | えきせい | ekisei | pH |
| 香り | かおり | kaori | scented |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)