Feeding and Changing Infants while Running About in Japan

    About four years ago, I was caught off-gaurd when I realized than my infant needed changing but I had somehow wandered into the more business-oriented part of Sendai. Every building was a massive office building and I couldn't even find a restaurant that might have a bathroom I could use. Even the convenience stores were few and far between, but when I finally found one, it did not have a changing table. Apparently people in this area did not need to change babies. My options were to attempt to change my daughter's dirty diaper with her balanced on the lid of a toilet seat or to keep searching for better accommodations. If I remember correctly, my next move was to hurry back toward Sendai station, as every station on the train and/or subway lines seems to have a changing table or applicable space in the handicapped or family bathrooms if not also elsewhere.

    The same cannot be said of all businesses, even those who claim to cater to families. Later that week, I was shocked to find that a so-called "family restaurant" lacked a changing table as well and I was forced to perform my duties atop a towel in the seat next to me. It was quite surprising in this day and age for a country like Japan that is advanced in so many ways to be behind the times when it comes to changing table accessibility.

    Parents the world over can be frustrated with the difficulty to find adequate changing and feeding spaces for their tiny people, but I think it can seem even worse in a country where children are as rare as they are in Japan.

The changing table at the entrance to the larger ladies bathroom at my neighborhood Aeon Townmall.

    Luckily, some areas do have great facilities for feeding and changing your infant, though this usually seems relegated to large shopping areas. Most department stores offer at least one changing area, usually with a few baby beds lined up, but not usually on every floor. Look for the baby symbol on a floor guide to help guide you there. Aeon Town Malls and other large shopping areas usually offer similar amenities, either in their larger bathroom facilities or nearby.

Sometimes it's a table. Sometimes, a multi-use bed-thing. Either way, as long as it works.

    Trains are different. Bullet trains are awesome and I recall the one we took back in winter of 2013 having a changing table available which was very convenient. Unfortunately local trains do not tend to offer such amenities and the toilets are usually dirty enough for even a desperate parent to wait for the station instead. I think I did once have to change my kid balanced on a toilet seat on a moving train. I do not recommend this under any but the most dire circumstances. Most stations have better options so take advantage of those facilities before you board your next train with your infant.

Nursing Rooms

    Sometimes the sign will say Nursery or just have a picture of a bottle, but either way, the gist is the same. This is usually a little space, sometimes with a couch or chair, usually with a curtain or door, where you can sit privately and feed your tiny one without anyone peeking over your shoulder. If formula is more your thing, they usually also have a tap for adding water and/or warming things up.

    Breastfeeding can be a touchy subject, though I personally was never comfortable doing it in public. I had never seen a space like this in my hometown, probably because breastfeeding is officially legal to do in public in Texas, though in many places it is discouraged. Japan instead offers little rooms to do this in. I loved these little spaces, and felt especially privileged to use the nursing facilities at Narita Airport before boarding a 12-hour flight with my then-four-month old. The little bit of privacy really helped me gather my thoughts before we headed for the gate.

So the next time you're running around Japan with a baby who needs a change or a drink, head for a mall, station or department store.