Where to shop?

So you’ve made it past the 1st trimester (hopefully without any morning sickness…) and you’ve settled into maternity life, which gives you time to think about building a baby registry. While it is common for your friends and family to send gifts listed in the baby registry in the U.S., it’s rare in Japan- you basically buy everything you need for parenting yourself, and people give you gifts separately.

Which is why shopping for baby goods can be time consuming and costly, and you need to prepare well before you begin!

Here are the 3 important steps to take when shopping.

1. Make a list of all the things you need
2. Think about when and where is the best place to shop (or rent!)
3. Buy everything you need before you reach the last month of pregnancy

Let me walk you through step-by-step.

Make a list of all the things you need

First of all, think about where you will be staying at post-birth. Some mothers go back to their parents’ house for support, while others choose to stay at home. If you decide to go to your parents’ house, you need to make 2 separate lists- one for things that you will bring to your parents’ house and the other for things that you will use at home.

Furthermore, you need a separate list for things that you will bring to the hospital. I high recommend bringing 2 bags to the hospital; 1 bag to be used until birth, and 1 bag for hospitalization.

Think about when and where is the best place to shop (or rent!)

Here are the top 3 stores that I recommend when shopping for baby goods.

1. Akachan-honpo (あかちゃんほんぽ)

アカチャンホンポ｜赤ちゃん本舗 – マタニティ用品、ベビー用品、キッズ用品の専門店

Probably the most famous baby goods store, Akachan-honpo has everything you need from maternity life until post-birth. In the Koto-district, there are only 2 stores (Toyosu Lalaport and Ario Kitasuna). I’ve been to both and it’s interesting how different the selection of goods are between them-Toyosu Lalaport has more high-end brands with higher price range. I would recommend comparing the price of goods at Akachan-honpo against those sold at online stores before buying, as sometimes the former can be pricier. Akachan-honpo not only sells but also has its own brand of baby goods, some of which are very useful and unique.

2. Babies-R-Us

Babies”R”Us Japan Official Website

The babies version of Toys-R-Us, Babies-R-Us also has an impressive selection of must-buy items. If you do not have a Akachan-honpo near you, Babies-R-Us would suffice. The Babies-R-Us store at Daiba is my personal favorite!

3. Amazon

Amazon.co.jp: : All Departments

I highly recommend joining the Amazon Prime option during your pregnancy, if you haven’t already. You can create a baby registry (My baby list), and get a 10% discount if you buy enough items from the list. Furthermore, they have some of the best deals for must-buy items, and most of the goods will be sent right to your house by the next day. This was extremely helpful especially during the newborn period, when I had to buy things but couldn’t leave the house.

If it’s a product that you plan to use only a short while (such as A-type stroller or a baby cot), renting is another good option. For example, I rented a baby stroller so that I can try it out before purchasing; you cannot really tell if the stroller is a perfect fit for you until you try using it outside of the shop.

Buy everything you need before you reach the last month of pregnancy

Make sure you don’t hold off buying everything until last minute! Remember, it is completely normal to have your baby 3 weeks before your due date (also known as full-term birth). Although I had my baby 2 weeks earlier than the due date, I was able to stay calm about it as I already had everything prepared.

Now you know all the best places to get all of your parenting goods, let’s talk about what items to buy in the next post.