We’ve been able to get around a reasonable amount with a combination of rent-a-cars and taxis when we haven’t been able to use trains (or boats or planes), but the reality is that it is just not as safe or convenient as having your own car with a fitted baby seat. What is the state of child seat use in Japan? What are the laws and misconceptions of those laws in Japan?

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It really frustrates me the number of heart-ache stories that I hear from friends who’ve been totally convinced by the Japanese mass media that their breasts aren’t good enough for their babies. Just as depressing are the number of stories that I’ve heard where mothers in Japan who had previously believed that breast is best, have been convinced by their doctors (after only a few weeks of trying) that they’re not making enough milk and switched to formula or a mix of formula and breast milk. Come and take a look at the marketing scandal that inhibits breastfeeding in Japan.

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Are you a new dad in Japan? This is the first installment of a new series of articles from stippy.com on the quirks and perks of bringing up your bi-cultural child in Japan. Why is that something as common as pregnancy could be so unscientific? Furthermore, why is that the “rules” surrounding pregnancy for human beings could be so different across our two countries?

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