Author: Seiichi Sato | Editor-in-Chief, TamagoDaruma

“We didn’t get a spot at hoikuen, Japan’s licensed daycare system.” “I’m working from home but can’t get anything done with a toddler around.” “I only need a few hours this afternoon — where do I even start?” These are real, pressing problems that many families in Japan face on a regular basis. There are several ways to arrange childcare outside of standard licensed daycare enrollment: drop-in daycare at a facility (ichiji azukari), babysitting services, the municipal Family Support Center program, commonly shortened in Japanese to “Famisapo,” and the newly launched Universal Preschool Access Program (Kodomo Dare Demo Tsuen), which…

Have you ever stood in the kitchen, phone in hand, searching “can my baby eat this yet?” — only to find five different answers from five different sources? There’s no shortage of weaning information online, but it’s rarely gathered in one place by age, texture, and quantity. So you end up searching the same foods over and over. And sometimes what you find on parenting blogs or in older baby books doesn’t quite match the most current guidelines. This article is a reference guide — not a recipe collection — built around Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW)…

When you book your first daycare visit, it’s easy to wonder: what exactly am I supposed to be looking for? You may have read the brochure, browsed the website, and still walked away with nothing more than a vague sense that the place seemed nice. That experience is more common than you might think. A daycare visit — often referred to in Japanese as hoikuen kengaku, meaning a visit or tour of a licensed daycare center (hoikuen) — is not just a facilities check. It is your chance to get a feel for the environment where your child will spend…

Many of the examples in this guide come from Japanese nursery and home play traditions, but the ideas can be adapted for families and educators anywhere. Have you ever stood in front of your child, completely unsure what to do next — or found yourself falling back on the same routine, day after day? Fingerplay songs — simple songs with hand motions, gestures, and playful repetition — ask nothing of you except your voice and your hands. No props, no prep, no special space. But it’s still easy to feel stuck: What should I sing? Is this right for their…

When your child looks up at you and says “I really want to play Poco a Pokémon!” — how do you respond? You might think, “It’s Pokémon, so it’s probably fine,” while quietly wondering whether they’ll get too hooked on it, or whether schoolwork will start to slip. Both reactions are completely reasonable. Poco a Pokémon (ぽこ あ ポケモン) launched worldwide on March 5, 2026, exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2. Within just four days of release, it had sold 2.2 million copies globally — including 1 million in Japan alone, making it one of the most talked-about titles in households…

Has your child suddenly declared a favorite “Happilinafriends” character, and you have no idea what that is? Or maybe you’ve heard the Sanrio Character Ranking is doing something different this year and want to understand what’s changed. If so, you’re not alone. In late March 2026, Sanrio launched a new character project called Happilinafriends (ハッピリーナフレンズ). Ten brand-new characters debuted at once, designed with children in the early years of elementary school in mind. Through April and into spring, a wave of related events follows — a dedicated voting division, merchandise releases, and a McDonald’s Japan Happy Set collaboration happening at…

“If you’re not working, you can’t use a nursery.” — That assumption is still common among many parents in Japan. But from April 2026, that premise has started to shift. With the full national rollout of the Kodomo Daredemo Tsuen program — Japan’s universal nursery access program — children aged six months to under three years can now attend licensed childcare facilities for up to 10 hours per month, regardless of whether their parents are employed. For families raising young children at home who want the occasional break, for parents who’d like their child to experience group care before nursery…

Getting a rejection notice in the mail — that moment when your mind goes completely blank. Many parents in Japan know exactly what that feels like. After months of preparing for an April return to work, the disappointment hits hard. But there are real next steps available, even after a rejection. Secondary application rounds, unlicensed childcare facilities, temporary nursery services, babysitter subsidies, parental leave extension — knowing which options exist, and in what order to pursue them, can help you move from that initial shock to a concrete plan. This guide pulls together everything you need to do between receiving…

If your child has suddenly started using words you’ve never heard before, you’re not alone. “Brain rot,” “noob,” “Tung Tung Tung Sahur” — when phrases like these start coming out of nowhere, the first question most parents have is: “Should I be worried?” A lot of this language traces back to Roblox, the game platform that has become part of everyday life for elementary-school-age kids around the world. That said, Roblox is rarely the only source — YouTube gameplay videos and TikTok are just as much a part of how this language spreads. This guide breaks down the slang, memes,…

Introduction “My child keeps saying ‘Loveeez, Loveeez’ — what exactly is it?” If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. This article explains what Loveeez is, why it’s caught on so strongly with young children, and how to approach it as a parent. Loveeez (らぶいーず) is a Japanese kawaii character series built around short animated content. It started on TikTok and has since grown to over two million combined social media followers. Why children love it comes down to three things: round, irresistibly cute character designs, short videos that are easy to rewatch, and the fact that it gives kids something…

In the spring of 2026, “Heisei Retro” and “Heisei Girl” (late 90s to 2000s Japanese girl culture) items are making a massive comeback among elementary schoolers. Particularly prominent are sticker collecting, sticker trading, puffy stickers, and the nostalgic character goods and decoration culture familiar to the millennial parent generation. To parents, these items are deeply nostalgic. To Gen Alpha, they are completely new, playful, and irresistibly cute. This article breaks down 10 key “Heisei Retro” trends currently spreading among Japanese children. We explore the survey data and trend forecasts behind this analog revival, and provide practical advice on how parents…

“Hey, do you know about Punch?” Recently, many parents have likely seen images on social media or television news of a small monkey clutching an orangutan plush toy. At Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba Prefecture, a baby Japanese macaque named Punch is drawing significant attention across generations. While his appearance makes him highly relatable to children, his story also opens up a thoughtful conversation about how animals grow, bond, and find their place in a group. Here are three key points to understand first: Hand-reared since birth, Punch the baby Japanese macaque has generated a massive response online for living…