Families returning from an overseas posting, families moving to Japan for the first time, and households where one parent has been working abroad often encounter the phrase “overseas income declaration” for the first time when they apply for daycare or open a fee notice.

That raises some reasonable questions. Is this a nationwide procedure, or something specific to one city? Is this form unique to Yokohama? And are you expected to convert your overseas earnings into yen yourself?

The short answer is that the basic mechanism — childcare fees set according to household income — exists across Japan, but the name of the form, how it is filled in, what proof is accepted, and how foreign currency is handled all vary by municipality. This article compares official municipal materials as of September 11, 2026, then uses the City of Yokohama’s overseas income declaration form as a worked example: which year applies, how to complete it, what to attach, and what to check before you submit.

How does overseas income affect childcare fees?

Information about overseas income is one of the things a municipality uses to confirm your household’s income. But “overseas income means higher fees” is not how the system works.

Under Japan’s Child and Childcare Support System (子ども・子育て支援新制度), childcare fees are set by each municipality within a national ceiling, and are calculated using figures such as the municipal resident tax income levy assessed on the parents. In practice, this means the actual amounts and the fee tiers differ from city to city.
(Source: Understanding the Child and Childcare Support System | Children and Families Agency)

For children in the 3–5 age classes at kindergartens (yochien), daycare centers (hoikuen), and certified integrated centers (nintei kodomoen), the basic fee is waived. For the 0–2 age classes, households that are exempt from resident tax qualify for the waiver. Costs such as meals, extended-hours care, and teaching materials may still be charged separately.
(Source: Free early childhood education and childcare | Children and Families Agency)

The issue is not overseas income itself, but whether income can be confirmed

For households assessed for resident tax in Japan, the municipality can look up that tax information and calculate the fee. But if you were living abroad during the year used for the calculation, or if you have overseas income that is not taxed in Japan, ordinary resident tax records may not show the full picture of your household’s income.

This is why municipalities use tools such as annual income declaration forms, overseas income declaration forms, employer salary certificates, and tax returns filed in the country concerned to fill in the periods they cannot verify from Japanese records. The purpose is not to penalize overseas income. It is to confirm your income situation using the same standard applied to households that earned their income in Japan.

Household situations to check first

Nationality alone does not determine whether you need to file. Japanese families returning from abroad can be asked for these documents, and foreign nationals whose tax information the municipality can already access may be asked for something different.

• You worked abroad for part of the income year used to calculate your fees
• You were living outside Japan on January 1 of that income year
• You have overseas income that is not reflected in Japanese resident tax records
• Only one parent was living or working abroad
• You returned to Japan partway through that income year and have income from both inside and outside Japan
• You had no income, but the municipality cannot confirm your tax information

If any of these apply, contact the municipality handling your application — or the one where your child’s facility is located — and ask whether additional overseas income documents are required.

How overseas income is declared differs by municipality

There is no single nationwide overseas income declaration form. Beyond the name of the document, you need to check the currency, translation rules, the year covered, and how to explain periods with no income — municipality by municipality.

Looking at the official materials published by Yokohama, Kawasaki, Setagaya, and Minato, all four explain how income is confirmed when overseas income or overseas residence is involved. What they actually ask you to submit, and how to complete it, is not the same.

This table is not a ranking of these municipalities’ systems as a whole. Even within the same city, required documents change according to the month care begins, the application year, and your household situation. Always confirm against the official guidance in effect when you apply.
(Source: Information for families applying to use daycare in FY2026 | City of Yokohama)
(Source: Daycare application procedures (FY2026) | City of Kawasaki)
(Source: Applying for enrollment or transfer | Setagaya City)
(Source: Documents required for enrollment applications (FY2026) | Minato City)

What they share: filling gaps with supporting documents

Municipalities differ, but they have one thing in common. Income and deductions from abroad that resident tax records cannot show are confirmed through declaration forms and supporting documents instead.

So avoid submitting the form you used in a previous municipality to your new one, or converting currency the same way you did before. “It was accepted where we lived before” is not evidence that your current municipality will handle it the same way.

It is not only the name of the form that changes

Pay particular attention to three things: whether you enter amounts in local currency or convert them to yen, whether a Japanese translation needs the translator’s details, and how many years of income you are asked to cover. Some municipalities do not use a dedicated form at all, and instead ask for documents that show your overseas income and deductions.

Start from the year-specific guidance published by the municipality you are actually applying to, rather than a filled-in example from another city that turns up in search results.

Who is asked for Yokohama’s overseas income declaration form?

Yokohama’s form is for people with overseas income, and for people whose municipal resident tax information the city cannot confirm because they were living abroad, to declare the income needed to determine childcare fees and exemptions from fukushokuhi, the fee charged for side dishes and other non-staple meal items.

Where overseas income exists, Yokohama combines income earned inside and outside Japan to decide the fee and whether the fukushokuhi exemption applies. The current form states that without supporting documents, the household is placed in D27, the highest fee tier, and is not eligible for the fukushokuhi exemption.

This does not mean Yokohama charges more for childcare than other municipalities. It also does not mean that a fee notice higher than expected is necessarily caused by a missing overseas income declaration form, or that filing one will always reduce the amount. Start by confirming which tax information and which submitted documents the city actually has.
(Source: Overseas income declaration form | City of Yokohama)

Think in terms of each parent’s residence, income, and tax records — not nationality

“Foreign nationals need it, Japanese nationals don’t” is not a workable rule. Go parent by parent and sort out the country of residence during the income year used for the calculation, the period of overseas employment, income earned inside and outside Japan, and whether municipal resident tax information exists.

Childcare fee paperwork is not a tax filing

Yokohama uses the overseas income declaration form to determine childcare fees and fukushokuhi exemptions. It is not an income tax or resident tax return, and it does not settle how your overseas income is taxed.

Direct questions about fee calculation to the Child and Family Support Division (こども家庭支援課) at your ward office, and questions about income tax and resident tax filing obligations, foreign tax credits, and similar matters to the tax office, the municipal tax counter, or a tax accountant.

Which year’s income do you enter in Yokohama?

Don’t go by instinct about “this year’s income” or “last year’s income.” Match the month your child’s care begins against the January–December income year printed on the form.

On the form Yokohama had published as of September 11, 2026, enrollment periods and income years correspond as follows.

The childcare year runs from April to the following March, but the period used to confirm income runs from January to December. On top of that, Yokohama updates fees and fukushokuhi exemptions each September, in line with when resident tax amounts are determined. Because the years involved look so similar, keeping the fiscal year and the calendar year separate matters.
(Source: How childcare fees and fukushokuhi exemptions are determined | City of Yokohama)

When the year you returned includes income from both countries

Yokohama’s form asks that, where there is also income earned in Japan during the covered period, you declare all income from January to December, including the Japanese portion.

For example, if you worked abroad from January to June and in Japan from July to December, prepare documents for both, not only the overseas portion. If there are months with no income in between, being able to explain that gap will help the review move along.

When the overseas tax year doesn’t line up with January–December

Depending on the country and the employer, an annual salary certificate or tax year may not match Japan’s calendar year. Avoid presenting such a document as covering January–December in Japan without explanation.

Check the period your certificate actually covers, and prepare monthly pay statements or an employer breakdown if needed. Ask your ward office which documents can cover any gaps in your income records.

How to fill in Yokohama’s overseas income declaration form

Work through the form by matching field numbers, covered periods, currencies, and the amounts on your supporting documents one at a time — not just by reading the item names. The reverse side needs checking too.

Details of the child and the parent declaring income

Field 1 covers the child who is using or applying for daycare: name, date of birth, name of the facility, and whether the child is currently enrolled or applying.

Field 2 covers the parent declaring the income: name, date of birth, relationship to the child, country of residence, reason for the stay, currency, period of residence, and employer or type of work. Note that this is the person whose overseas situation and income are being declared, not simply the person filling in the form.

The income, expenses, and net income fields

In field 3, you select the income year and enter income earned inside and outside Japan separately. Japanese amounts go in yen; overseas amounts go in the currency of the country concerned.

Yokohama’s form states that necessary expenses and net income are to be entered only where there is business income or similar, and are not required where there is employment income alone. Avoid entering take-home pay, or a yen figure you converted yourself, when you are unsure what a field means.
(Source: Overseas income declaration form | City of Yokohama)

Deductions on the reverse side, and explaining a year with no income

The reverse side has fields for items that correspond to Japanese deductions: personal exemptions, social insurance premiums, life insurance premiums, medical expenses, and so on. Don’t map an overseas scheme or insurance policy onto a Japanese deduction just because the names resemble each other. If the correspondence isn’t clear, show the document and ask.

If you had no income during the income year covered, enter zero on the front and use field 4 on the reverse to describe how you supported yourself. Rather than leaving it blank, briefly set out what applied to you — a spouse’s income, savings, employer-provided housing, and so on.

Which supporting documents do you attach? Match the amounts before you file

Choose attachments based on whether they show the person, the period, the amount, and the currency — not on what the document is called. Connecting each field on the form to the relevant part of your proof is what matters.

Yokohama’s form asks you to attach copies of documents showing your income and to mark the relevant figures, with a highlighter or similar, so they match the amounts you entered. Foreign-language documents should be annotated in Japanese.

Organize your documents by type of income

For employment income, supporting documents may include an annual salary certificate or pay statements from your employer; for business income, documents showing revenue and necessary expenses; for other income, documents showing what it was and how much. That said, a document is not guaranteed to be accepted simply because of what it is called.

Note on each document who it covers, the period, the currency, what the amount represents, and which field on the form it corresponds to. A note such as “form field ①, overseas portion = annual total on page 2 of the salary certificate” makes it easier for both you and the reviewer to follow.

Leave foreign-language documents intact and add Japanese notes

Don’t cover the original text. Near the parts you have marked, add short notes in Japanese for items such as the employer’s name, the period covered, the currency, and the gross salary.

The Yokohama form reviewed here does not state that a notarized translation is required for every page. That said, short annotations will not always be enough. If your documents are long, use unusual accounting terms, or make the covered period hard to identify, ask your ward office how much translation is needed.

If your documents won’t arrive in time, ask before the deadline

If an annual certificate from your overseas employer hasn’t arrived, don’t wait until the deadline has passed. Tell your ward office which documents are missing, when they are expected to be issued, and what you can submit right now. Whether alternative documents or a later submission are possible is decided case by case.

What to do when your fee notice is higher than expected

Don’t assume the cause from the amount alone. Check which year was used, which parent’s information was included, and whether your documents were received. Recalculation and refunds after a late submission are not automatic either.

Start by gathering your notice and your submission copies

Yokohama sets fees using resident tax amounts, the certified hours of care your child needs, sibling status, and household circumstances. The tax you pay and the income levy used for the fee calculation don’t always match, so “our income is the same but the fee is higher” isn’t enough to identify the cause.

• Which income year and which resident tax year were used
• Which parent’s information was included in the calculation
• Whether the overseas income declaration form and attachments were received
• Whether anything was missing, unclear, or outside the covered period
• Which fee tier was applied, and the reasoning behind it
• Whether it covers April–August or September onward

In Yokohama, contact the Child and Family Support Division at the ward office where you live if your application is in progress, or at the ward where your child’s facility is located if your child is already enrolled.
(Source: How childcare fees and fukushokuhi exemptions are determined | City of Yokohama)

Ask about recalculation, the month it applies from, and how differences are settled

Submitting additional documents does not guarantee that your fee will fall or that past payments will be refunded. Yokohama explains that where household circumstances change, the revised fee applies in principle from the first day of the month after the change is confirmed. On its own, though, that guidance doesn’t tell you how far back a late submission of overseas income documents can be applied in every case.

Ask your ward office whether your case qualifies for recalculation, which month any change takes effect from, and how a difference would be settled.

If asking in Japanese is difficult

Yokohama’s multicultural consultation center takes questions about daily life in 12 languages and provides telephone interpretation for ward offices and similar services. The number is 045-222-1209, open Monday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Final decisions on your documents rest with your ward office, so use an interpreter to confirm details where you need one.
(Source: Multicultural consultation center | City of Yokohama)

Checklist before you submit or make contact

• Checked the latest year’s official guidance from your own municipality
• Downloaded the form your municipality specifies
• Matched the month care begins against the income year to declare
• Sorted out each parent’s period of overseas residence and employment
• Sorted income earned inside and outside Japan by period
• Confirmed how to enter or convert currency using municipal materials
• Matched the amounts on the form to the relevant parts of your proof
• Confirmed the rules on translating or annotating foreign-language documents
• Checked the reverse side and any attached sheets for blanks
• Kept copies of the form, the attachments, and the answers you received

Frequently asked questions about overseas income and childcare fees

Here is a question-and-answer summary, keeping the nationwide principles separate from Yokohama’s specific handling.

Q1. Do childcare fees go up if I have overseas income?

Not for that reason alone. Fees are determined by your municipality’s criteria, based on household income including income earned inside and outside Japan, and figures equivalent to municipal resident tax.

Q2. Is declaring overseas income the same everywhere in Japan?

No. The underlying approach to confirming income has common elements, but the name of the form, the year covered, the currency, translation rules, and where you submit it differ by municipality.

Q3. Is Yokohama the only city that uses an overseas income declaration form?

No. Kawasaki has a form with the same name, and Minato City and Shibuya City publish an annual income declaration form. Some municipalities, such as Setagaya, instead ask for documents showing overseas income and deductions.

Q4. Do all foreign national parents have to submit this?

Nationality alone doesn’t decide it. Whether you need to file is based on overseas income, any history of living abroad, and the tax information your municipality can access.

Q5. Do I convert my overseas income into yen myself?

It depends on the municipality. Yokohama asks for overseas amounts in the currency of the country concerned, and Minato City also asks for local currency. Don’t convert on your own judgment — follow the form used where you are submitting.

Q6. Can I submit a foreign-language salary certificate as it is?

Yokohama asks for annotations in Japanese. Kawasaki requires a Japanese translation or annotation plus the translator’s address and name. Check the required scope with the office you are submitting to.

Q7. If my income for the income year covered was zero, can I skip the declaration?

A zero income does not necessarily mean the declaration can be skipped. Yokohama’s form asks you to enter zero and describe on the reverse side how you supported yourself.

Q8. If I submit the documents, will my fee drop and past payments be refunded?

Not necessarily. Check with your ward office about the result of the calculation, the month it applies from, whether it can be backdated, and how any difference is settled.

Q9. If my child is in a 3–5 age class, is confirming overseas income unnecessary?

Not as a blanket rule. The basic fee is waived, but income information may still be needed to determine fukushokuhi exemptions and municipal support schemes.

The relationship between overseas income and childcare fees can’t be explained by the nationwide mechanism alone, or by Yokohama’s form alone. What matters is keeping the shared income-verification mechanism and each municipality’s own documents and practices separate in your mind.

Start by sorting out whose income it was, which year it covers, and which country it came from, then check that against the latest guidance from the municipality where you live. Being left with unanswered questions isn’t a failure of understanding on your part. Breaking a procedure that differs from city to city into pieces you can ask about directly is the fastest route to an answer.

If you’d like to look into the free education system for the 3–5 age classes, and the costs it doesn’t cover, the following article covers that ground.

tamagodaruma.com

幼児教育・保育の無償化とは？制度内容から対象となる施設まで詳しく解説 | たまご...

https://tamagodaruma.com/childcare/3756/

「子育てや教育にお金がかかりすぎる」ことが20代、30代の若い世代が子どもを理想数もたない最大の理由としていること、生涯にわたる人格形成の基礎を培う幼児教育を保障することは極めて重要であるとの認識により、これまで段階的に進めてきた子ども・子育てに関する取り組みを一気に加速させた形です。

The post Overseas Income & Childcare Fees in Japan: What to Declare first appeared on TamagoDaruma.

The short version: visiting in Western-style clothing, such as a dress or a suit, is one workable option. But “Western clothes are fine” does not mean “anything goes.” If you plan to take part in a prayer ceremony led by a Shinto priest, you’ll need to check each shrine’s own guidance on what to wear, how to book, the hatsuhoryo offering made for the ceremony, and photography.

What matters isn’t pulling off the kimono, the photo session, the prayer ceremony, and the family meal all in one go. This article is for parents of three-year-olds who won’t wear the kimono, and it sets out what to prepare for a visit in Western-style clothing and how to rearrange the day.

You can visit in Western clothes — but that doesn’t always mean anything goes

There is no nationwide rule on what to wear for Shichi-Go-San. Some shrines present formal Western-style outfits as an option, but guidance on what to wear during the prayer ceremony, and on the arrangements for attending it, differs from one place to the next.

What Shichi-Go-San actually involves

Shichi-Go-San is a life-stage ceremony in which a family celebrates that a child has grown up safely, gives thanks for that growth so far, and expresses hopes for continued health.

The Association of Shinto Shrines describes Shichi-Go-San as an occasion to give thanks to the ujigami — the local guardian deity — and to ancestors who have watched over the child, and to pray for future growth. Many families now visit around November 15, but the dates when ceremonies are offered, and the way the prayer ceremony is conducted, vary by shrine.
(Source: Shichi-Go-San | Association of Shinto Shrines)

Shichi-Go-San today is often experienced as a package: renting a kimono and having it put on, a commemorative photo session, a shrine visit and prayer ceremony, and a meal with family. What sits at the center of it, though, is celebrating a child’s growth and expressing thanks and hopes.

The visit and the prayer ceremony are the standard form of that. Families can include kimono dressing and photography according to what they want and how their child is doing. Not managing the kimono doesn’t remove the meaning of celebrating how far a child has come.

Why the age-three ceremony has been called kamioki

The three-year-old Shichi-Go-San is said to come from an old custom called kamioki. Kamioki was performed for both boys and girls, and marked the day from which a child began growing their hair out. Along with hakamagi at five and obitoki at seven, it has been handed down as a marker of a stage in a child’s growth.
(Source: Shichi-Go-San | Association of Shinto Shrines)

That origin suggests Shichi-Go-San was never only about showing off a finished outfit — it was about marking the growth itself. If you’re unsure whether to count your child’s age by kazoedoshi, the traditional count in which a child is one at birth, or by man-nenrei, their actual age, or unsure when to visit, checking with the shrine or temple you plan to visit gives you a definite answer rather than relying on local custom alone.

A three-year-old refusing the kimono is not a discipline problem

An unfamiliar kimono, tabi, zori, hair ornaments — three-year-olds often want none of it. There’s no need to read a refusal on the day as failed discipline or as a sign you didn’t prepare well enough.

Why getting dressed is hard on a three-year-old

A Shichi-Go-San kimono adds several things at once that everyday clothes don’t have: the collar, waist cords, layered fabric, tabi, zori, hair ornaments. For three-year-olds you can often choose a hifu, a vest worn over the kimono that removes the need for an obi sash — but a hifu isn’t comfortable for every child either.

Rather than assuming your child dislikes the whole outfit, try to work out which part they’re objecting to.

• The collar or the waist cords feel tight
• The layers feel hot
• The fabric or the seams rub against the skin
• The way the tabi fit around their toes bothers them
• Zori are hard to walk in
• They dislike the feeling of having their hair tied up
• They don’t want hair ornaments or styling products
• They feel uneasy not knowing when they can take it off
• They don’t like the unfamiliar place, the unfamiliar people, or being photographed at all

Some children can manage a kimono for a short stretch. Some are fine in the hifu but not in the zori. Some settle once the hair ornament comes off. Separating out the cause often leaves room to adjust.

When a child strongly dislikes clothing in general

How clothing materials and textures feel differs a great deal from child to child. Hattatsu Navi Portal, a government-run information portal on developmental disabilities, notes that some people find clothing tags or particular fabrics prickly against the skin, and that sensory experiences vary widely from person to person.
(Source: Sensory difficulties in people with developmental disabilities | Hattatsu Navi Portal)

That said, disliking a kimono, on its own, does not tell you whether your child has sensory sensitivities or a developmental condition. If the refusal happens only on the day, it may be a temporary reaction to unfamiliar clothes and an unfamiliar schedule.

When you ask your child about it, narrowing the question works better than asking broadly. Instead of “do you hate the kimono?”, try one thing at a time: “shall we take the tabi off?”, “is this cord too tight?”, “do you want the hair ornament out?”

If a strong refusal of clothing in general continues over a long period, and it’s causing difficulty in daily life — getting dressed, going out — one option is to talk it through with your family doctor or a local child-rearing consultation service.

Keep “not today” separate from “not ever”

Refusing a kimono on the day of Shichi-Go-San and disliking clothes in general, day after day, can be treated as two different things. If it’s only about the day, switching to Western-style clothing and familiar shoes may be less stressful for both of you than trying to get past it on the spot.

Wearing the kimono, going to the shrine, and taking photos don’t have to be one fixed plan. It’s fine to look at each one separately and ask whether it seems doable today.

tamagodaruma.com

3歳イヤイヤ期の特徴と乗り越え方｜親が知っておきたい対処法と心構え | たまごだるま

https://tamagodaruma.com/childcare/horrible-threes/

「なんでもイヤ！」「自分でやる！」3歳頃になると、子どもの「イヤイヤ期」がピークを迎えることが多くなります。

Clothing, booking, the prayer ceremony, and photos can be decided separately

Shichi-Go-San breaks into four parts: clothing, booking, the prayer ceremony, and photography. You can choose a shrine visit without kimono dressing, or schedule the photo session for another day.

If your child refuses the kimono, the choice isn’t between forcing it and canceling the whole thing. Compare the approaches and find the one that fits your family.

Which approach is easiest on your child depends on the child. Deciding first on the one thing your family cares about most — a family photo, expressing thanks for your child’s growth, taking part in the prayer ceremony — makes the rest of the schedule much easier to organize.

The four-part check: what to ask the shrine

Once you’ve decided to visit in Western-style clothing, ask the shrine or temple you plan to visit about these four points.

• Clothing: whether you can take part in the Shichi-Go-San prayer ceremony in Western-style clothing, and whether there’s anything you should avoid wearing
• Booking: whether advance booking is required, whether same-day registration is possible, and whether the check-in location changes during the Shichi-Go-San season
• Prayer ceremony: check-in hours, the hatsuhoryo offering, how to pay it, how long the ceremony takes, and how many people can attend
• Photography: whether you may photograph in the grounds, in the hall, and during the ceremony, and whether an outside photographer is allowed

As one example, Meiji Jingu’s guidance on prayers for individuals gives check-in hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:20 p.m., states that individuals can register on the day without advance booking, and gives the hatsuhoryo offering for a prayer ceremony as starting at 5,000 yen. It also notes that the check-in location may be different during periods such as New Year’s visits and Shichi-Go-San.
(Source: Prayers for Individuals | Meiji Jingu)

Santai Jinja, a shrine in Gunma Prefecture, states that for a child’s Shichi-Go-San clothing, formal Western-style outfits such as a suit or a dress can be chosen as well as a kimono. It also suggests deciding by checking whether your child can get through the day without strain.
(Source: What to wear for Shichi-Go-San: outfits and etiquette for children, mothers, fathers, and grandparents | Santai Jinja)

Clothing, booking, check-in hours, the hatsuhoryo offering, and photography rules all differ by shrine or temple. Rather than deciding from reviews or older articles, check the official site for current information before you go.

“Western clothes are fine” and “anything is fine” are not the same

“You may visit in Western-style clothing” and “any clothing is acceptable” are not necessarily the same statement.

Meiji Jingu’s English-language guidance on prayers states that because the rite is a sacred one, attendees are asked to dress appropriately. It also notes that people judged to be dressed inappropriately may not be able to attend.
(Source: Kigansai (private rite) | Meiji Jingu)

What decides it isn’t only kimono versus Western-style clothing, but whether the outfit suits an occasion where you report a child’s growth before the deities. If you’re unsure, start with neat, clean clothes of the kind you’d wear for a special occasion, and ask the shrine directly.

When you contact the shrine, phrasing it like this makes it easier to get a clear answer:

“We’re considering a Shichi-Go-San prayer ceremony for our three-year-old. Our child doesn’t want to wear a kimono, so would it be all right to come in smart Western-style clothes? Could you also tell us whether booking is required, how registration works on the day, and where photography is allowed?” If you’d rather ask in Japanese, you can send this as it is: 「3歳の七五三祈祷を検討しています。子どもが着物を嫌がるため、よそ行きの洋服で伺っても差し支えないでしょうか。予約の要否と、当日の受付方法、撮影可能な場所についても教えていただけますでしょうか」

It’s also worth agreeing on fallback plans with your family before the day.

• Plan A: wear the kimono for a short time, and do either the photos or the prayer ceremony
• Plan B: switch to smart Western-style clothes, and do the visit and a family photo only
• Plan C: do the visit only, and move the photos and the meal to another day

Deciding in advance how much would be enough makes it much easier not to feel like a change of plan is a failure when your child refuses on the day.

If you’re visiting in Western clothes, settle safety and warmth before looks

When choosing Western-style clothing, watch for more than a formal look: cords, hoods, shoes that haven’t been broken in, and the temperature swing. Deciding first on safety and on how easily things come on and off tends to make the day lighter.

There’s a standard for cords and hoods (JIS L 4129)

Safety around cords on children’s clothing is set out in JIS L 4129. The Consumer Affairs Agency has noted that cords, ribbons, and hoods can catch on playground equipment and fixtures and lead to unexpected accidents.

When you choose a Shichi-Go-San outfit, check whether long cords hang from around the neck, and whether a large hood or decoration could snag while you’re moving. It’s worth choosing with shrine steps, handrails, and crowds in mind.
(Source: Do you know the safety standard for children’s clothing? (JIS L 4129) | Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)
(Source: Watch out for children’s clothing sizes, cords, and hoods! | Consumer Affairs Agency)

Don’t break in new shoes on the day

Shrine grounds can include gravel paths, stone steps, and slopes. Dress shoes or formal shoes worn for the first time on the day can lead to blisters and make walking harder.

Have your child wear them at home or around the neighborhood before the visit, and check for sore spots and whether they can manage stairs in them. If you want the look for the photos, one option is to use one pair for photos and familiar shoes for getting around.

Whether you can take part in the prayer ceremony in sneakers isn’t something that can be stated as a nationwide rule. Put safe walking first while you’re moving, and if you’re unsure about footwear during the ceremony, check with the shrine.

Dress in layers for November’s changing temperatures

In November, how cold it feels changes by region and by time of day. In the Japan Meteorological Agency’s 1991–2020 normals for Tokyo, the average daily maximum for November is 16.7°C (about 62°F) and the average daily minimum is 8.8°C (about 48°F). These are normals for Tokyo, and conditions will differ depending on the area you’re visiting and the weather on the day.
(Source: Normals for Tokyo (annual and monthly values) | Japan Meteorological Agency)

Layering pieces that come on and off — a cardigan, a jacket, a vest — is easier to manage than adjusting with one thick garment. Check the local forecast again as the day gets closer.

If you’re visiting in Western-style clothing, check the following.

• No long cords hanging from the neck or the back
• No large hood or decoration that gets in the way while moving
• Shoes worn in advance and checked for comfort
• An outer layer that can be taken off and put back on
• A full change of clothes, including everyday clothes
• The hatsuhoryo amount and payment method confirmed
• Drinks and a snack for the waiting time
• One thing your child gets to choose — shoes, a hair ornament, the color of a shirt

Rather than adults deciding every part of the outfit, you can offer a couple of options and let your child pick one. For some children, though, being asked to choose adds pressure — so use whichever approach suits your child.

You can still keep a record without the kimono

Commemorative photos don’t have to happen on the same day as the visit. A photo session before or after the visit day, or a short session shot by the family, keeps a record without adding to your child’s load.

Separate the photo day from the visit day

If you want kimono photos, one approach is to move the photography alone to a separate day — a session before the visit, called maedori, or after it, called atodori — and keep the visit itself light in Western-style clothing.

Scheduling the photo session on a separate day can make the visit itself less tiring and cut the time your child spends in a kimono that day. It’s worth asking your studio in advance whether you can switch to photos in Western-style clothing, or move the date, if your child can’t wear the kimono on the photo day.

Points worth checking:

• Whether the date can be changed or moved
• Whether you can switch to photos in Western-style clothing
• What happens if the kimono can’t be worn
• Whether the session can be shortened
• Whether the kimono rental alone can be canceled
• When cancellation fees start to apply

Change deadlines, cancellation fees, and refund conditions vary by studio and by plan. Check the terms where you’ve booked, and ask directly about anything that isn’t clear.

Keeping a record without a studio

You can keep a record of Shichi-Go-San without a studio session. A shot holding chitose-ame, the long candy given at Shichi-Go-San; a natural expression in the shrine grounds afterward; the family from behind with hands together; a celebration at home — all of these can be done within the span of attention a three-year-old can manage.

Beyond photos, you can keep your child’s handprint, a note of what they wore, what they liked to eat, and something they said after the visit.

Shichi-Go-San isn’t a day that exists to produce a polished photograph. If what you keep conveys what your child was like that year and how your family spent the time, it doesn’t have to follow a set form.

If this year doesn’t work, you can do it next year

Shichi-Go-San is celebrated around November 15, but the dates when shrines and temples offer prayer ceremonies, and how they treat eligible ages, differ by place. If this year is difficult, you can shift the timing or come back the following year.

What to check if you shift the timing

If you can’t make November 15 work, October or December are options. And if your child’s refusal of the kimono is strong, or they aren’t well, visiting again the following year or later is also an option.

That said, whether a shrine offers Shichi-Go-San prayer ceremonies year-round, and whether there’s a limited period for receiving commemorative gifts, differs by place.

When you change the date, check the following.

• The period during which Shichi-Go-San prayer ceremonies are offered
• Whether age is counted by kazoedoshi or man-nenrei
• The period during which Shichi-Go-San commemorative gifts are available
• Whether the check-in location differs between the regular season and the Shichi-Go-San season
• Whether a booked kimono or photo session can be moved

Not managing it as planned this year doesn’t have to count as a failure. Choosing the timing again around your child’s growth and how they’re doing is a practical decision for your family.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Q. Is it all right to visit for Shichi-Go-San in Western clothes?

A. Some shrines present formal Western-style outfits as an option. How clothing is treated differs by shrine, so check in advance if you’re taking part in a prayer ceremony.

Q. Can we take part in the prayer ceremony in Western clothes? Could we be turned away over our clothing?

A. Some shrines state that you can take part in a prayer ceremony in Western-style clothing. Some also ask for clothing suited to the ceremony. Avoid very casual outfits, and check the guidance for the place you’re visiting.

Q. We rented a kimono, but our child refuses to wear it on the day. What should we do?

A. Rather than keeping it on by force, you can switch to the Western-style clothes you prepared. Ask your rental shop or studio in advance about changes and rescheduling in case the kimono can’t be worn.

Q. If we don’t take photos, does it still count as having done Shichi-Go-San?

A. Photography isn’t a requirement of Shichi-Go-San. What sits at the center of it is celebrating a child’s growth and expressing thanks for the past and hopes for the future.

Q. Can we visit in sneakers?

A. There’s no nationwide rule on footwear that can be stated with certainty. Put shoes your child can walk safely in first while you’re traveling, and if you’re unsure about footwear for the ceremony, check with the shrine.

Q. We can’t go on November 15. Is another date all right?

A. Some shrines and temples offer prayer ceremonies at other times. Check the dates offered, booking methods, and when commemorative gifts are available on the official information for the place you’re visiting.

Q. If three doesn’t work out, can we do it next year or the year after?

A. Visiting again in a later year is an option. Eligible ages, and whether kazoedoshi or man-nenrei is used, differ by shrine and temple, so ask where you plan to go.

Q. Can families who aren’t Japanese nationals take part in Shichi-Go-San?

A. Not being a Japanese national isn’t in itself stated as a reason you can’t take part. On the separate question of religious background, Meiji Jingu states that people who aren’t followers of Shinto can attend a prayer ceremony. Language support and registration methods differ by place, so check in advance.

Summary

Shichi-Go-San can be approached as four separate decisions: clothing, booking, the prayer ceremony, and photography. If your three-year-old refuses the kimono, there are several routes open: try the kimono for a short time, split the photos and the visit across days, visit in Western-style clothing, or change the timing.

If you’re visiting in Western-style clothing, start from the premise that “Western clothes are fine” isn’t the same as “anything is fine,” and ask the shrine about those four points: clothing, booking, the prayer ceremony, and photography. Choose clothes and shoes for safety, warmth, and ease of walking, not for looks alone.

Treating Shichi-Go-San as a once-in-a-lifetime day that can’t go wrong puts a heavy load on parents and children alike. Reshaping the plan into something this child, this year, can actually take part in isn’t cutting corners.

Even if the kimono doesn’t happen, if your family celebrated how much your child has grown and got to say so out loud, that day was a milestone worth having.

The checklists in this article — clothing, booking, the prayer ceremony, photography, and fallback plans — can be saved as screenshots or printed for your preparations. TamagoDaruma also sends recent articles on childcare and family events by email newsletter.

tamagodaruma.com

保育園で七五三を楽しくお祝い！千歳飴袋の制作で成長を感じよう | たまごだるま

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七五三は、「子どもが元気に長生きできますように」と祈願する日本の伝統行事です。しかし「七五三は着物を着て、写真を撮るんでしょ？」と思っている子どもたちは意外と多いものです。そこで、子どもたちにわかりやすいように七五三の意味を伝え、千歳飴袋の制作を行うことで保育園でも楽しくお祝いしましょう！

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3歳イヤイヤ期の特徴と乗り越え方｜親が知っておきたい対処法と心構え | たまごだるま

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「なんでもイヤ！」「自分でやる！」3歳頃になると、子どもの「イヤイヤ期」がピークを迎えることが多くなります。

The post Shichi-Go-San in Japan: When Your Child Won’t Wear a Kimono first appeared on TamagoDaruma.

When two applicants tie on points in Japan’s daycare admission process, the outcome is decided by the tie-break priority order that each municipality sets for itself. Both the criteria and the order they are applied in differ from one municipality to the next.

This article compares the tie-break order in Ota Ward and Setagaya Ward, using each ward’s official documents. It sets out which stage your household is likely to be assessed at, and what you can check before you apply.

The information here reflects official sources as of the publication date. Admission criteria and application schedules can change, so always check the guidance issued for the year you are actually applying for.

Identical scores can produce different outcomes, because each municipality sets its own tie-break order

Because the admission process has to compare applicants whose household index scores are identical, every municipality sets a separate priority order for those cases.

At first glance, daycare admission looks as though it is settled entirely by the index score calculated from working hours and family circumstances. But when there are more applicants than places, and several households share the same score, a further tie-break order is applied on top.

For April 2027 entry, Ota Ward accepts in-person and online applications from October 1 to November 30, 2026, while postal applications must arrive by November 9. Deadlines differ by application method, so the schedule needs checking alongside your score.
(Source: Applying for April 2027 entry | Ota City)

According to figures compiled by the Children and Families Agency, 2,435 children nationwide were on daycare waiting lists as of April 1, 2026, an increase of 181 from the previous year. Applicant numbers and vacancies vary by area, by age group and by facility, so a national figure alone cannot tell you how easy it is to get a place where you live.
(Source: Status of daycare facilities as of April 1, 2026 | Children and Families Agency)

This article covers two wards: Ota and Setagaya

We compare Ota Ward and Setagaya Ward in Tokyo, both of which use the English names Ota City and Setagaya City on their own websites. Both publish their tie-break sequence as an itemised list, which makes it possible to see clearly where the two overlap and where they diverge.

If you live elsewhere, you can usually find the equivalent document on your own municipality’s official website by searching in Japanese for your municipality’s name together with 保育園 利用調整基準, or with 保育園 同点.

That said, you cannot transfer the rankings in this article to another municipality. It is not only the terminology that differs: the way index points are calculated and which factors are prioritised vary as well.

What is the difference between base index points, adjustment points, and the tie-break order?

Daycare selection is easier to follow if you think of it in three layers: the base index score, additions and deductions for specific circumstances, and the priority order that applies once households are tied.

First, a base index score is calculated from each parent’s situation — work, illness, caregiving, study and so on. Next, points are added or deducted according to the family circumstances defined by the municipality. The result is the household’s index score, and the tie-break order comes into play when several applicants arrive at the same figure.

Households with similar working patterns or comparable family situations frequently end up with identical scores. That is why it is worth knowing not just your own total, but what gets compared after a tie.

Different wards use different terms for the same concepts

One reason the admission process is hard to follow is that municipalities use different names for the same thing.

Ota Ward calls the base score calculated for each parent the riyō chōsei kijun shisū (利用調整基準指数), and the additions or deductions for individual circumstances the chōsei shisū (調整指数). Setagaya Ward calls the base score the riyō kijun shisū (利用基準指数), and the adjustments the chōsei kijun shisū (調整基準指数).
(Source: Admission adjustment methods and criteria | Ota City)
(Source: Childcare Application Guide (September 2026 edition), pp. 30–32 | Setagaya City)

What is the legal basis for the admission adjustment process?

Article 24, paragraph 3 of the Child Welfare Act provides that municipalities may carry out adjustment in relation to the use of daycare facilities. The specific index points and priority order are set out in the criteria each municipality publishes.
(Source: Child Welfare Act | e-Gov Law Search)

Working out your own score is only ever a rough guide. Which items apply to you, and which documents the points are based on, are assessed by the municipality from the paperwork you submit.

How many times you visit the ward office, or how forcefully you explain your situation, will not raise your priority. But if something about your application is unclear, or your family circumstances change, check with the relevant counter rather than deciding for yourself.

Ota Ward’s tie-break order has nine stages, and the first is new entry versus transfer

In Ota Ward, when household index scores are identical, the first comparison is whether the application is for new entry or a transfer, followed by eight further criteria applied in order.

Ota Ward calculates the household index score by adding the father’s base index score, the mother’s base index score and the adjustment points. When that figure is the same, the nine criteria published on the ward’s website are applied from the top down.
(Source: Admission adjustment methods and criteria | Ota City)

Reading the nine criteria in order

The priority order Ota Ward publishes for identical index scores is as follows.

• Where new entry and transfer are being compared, new entry takes priority
• The household with the higher base index score, not including adjustment points
• Single-parent households
• Illness of a parent
• Disability of a parent
• Disability of the child
• Children reaching the graduating age of the facility they currently attend
• The household with the lower combined municipal resident tax income levy
• A sibling already enrolled, or siblings applying at the same time

Do not judge eligibility or required documents from the name of each item alone. Check the application handbook and the admission criteria for the year you are applying.
(Source: Admission adjustment methods and criteria | Ota City)

Stage 2 is the one to watch: adjustment points are excluded

What gets compared at Stage 2 is not the household index score including additions and deductions. Ota Ward gives priority to the household with the higher base index score, excluding adjustment points.

Two families may arrive at the same household score once additions are counted, but if the combined base scores of the parents differ, their ranking can separate at this second stage.

Having more adjustment points does not automatically put a household ahead once scores are tied. It helps to keep your total score separate from the base score, which is looked at again at the tie-break stage.

What families hoping to transfer should know about Stage 1

Stage 1 in Ota Ward gives priority to new entry where a new application and a transfer application are being compared. If your family already uses a licensed facility and applies to move to another one, a tie with a new applicant can place you lower at this stage.

Even so, whether to leave your current facility, or when to apply for a transfer, is not something the priority order alone can decide. Check the current guidance, including what happens to your existing place if a transfer is offered, before you make that call.

Ota Ward publishes the lowest accepted scores from the past two years

For the first round of April admissions, Ota Ward publishes the lowest accepted index score and the number of applicants for each facility, covering the past two years. It is a useful reference for seeing how much demand a facility you are interested in has attracted in previous years.
(Source: Publication of first-round admission scores | Ota City)

These figures are not a fixed pass mark. They shift every year with the number of places available, children moving up within facilities, applicant numbers, and the combinations of facilities people list.

Scoring above last year’s minimum does not guarantee a place, and scoring below it does not mean you will be turned down. Treat the figures as one input for gauging how competitive a facility has been, rather than as an answer to “how many points do I need?”

Setagaya Ward’s order for identical scores has six stages, and the first concerns children ageing out of their current facility

Setagaya Ward places the item covering children graduating from the oldest class of an age-capped facility within the ward at the first stage of its tie-break order.

Setagaya Ward works out a base index score for each parent and adds them together to reach the household score. Where the necessary documents have been submitted, adjustment points are then applied according to family circumstances.

For households that end up with identical scores, assessment follows the six-stage priority order published in the ward’s official Childcare Application Guide (Hoiku no Goannai).
(Source: Childcare Application Guide (September 2026 edition), pp. 30–32 | Setagaya City)

Reading the six stages in order

The priority order Setagaya Ward publishes for households with identical index scores is as follows.

• Stage 1: Households falling under adjustment criterion No. 18
• Stage 2: The household with the higher base index score
• Stage 3: Lower fee bracket first; within the same bracket, lower resident tax income levy first. Where the required tax documents have not been submitted, the household is assessed in the highest bracket
• Stage 4: Applicants who have paid the longest for a place at an unlicensed childcare facility, meaning one outside the licensed system (ninkagai hoiku shisetsu), for the child in question
• Stage 5: Households registered as residents of Setagaya Ward and continuously living there for the longest period
• Stage 6: Priority between categories of need

At Stage 6, categories are compared in this order: absence of a parent and similar situations, illness or disability, employment, caregiving, childbirth, a confirmed job offer or planned start of a business, job-seeking, and study. Check the conditions for each item in the guidance for your application year.
(Source: Childcare Application Guide (September 2026 edition), pp. 30–32 | Setagaya City)

A closer look at adjustment criterion No. 18

Adjustment criterion No. 18, which sits at Stage 1, covers children graduating from the oldest class of an age-capped daycare facility within the ward and applying to continue at another facility in Setagaya. It does not apply where a place after graduation has already been secured.

The official documents assign 20 adjustment points where this condition is met. Because it is also checked at the first stage of a tie-break, it is an item that matters in two separate contexts: the points themselves, and the assessment of households on identical scores.
(Source: Childcare Application Guide (September 2026 edition), pp. 30–32 | Setagaya City)

Using a small-scale facility does not automatically qualify every family, however. You need to check the facility you use, its oldest age class, and whether a place after graduation has been arranged.

Stage 3, fee brackets, and missing tax documents

Stage 3 gives priority to households in a lower childcare fee bracket. Within the same bracket, households with a lower municipal resident tax income levy are assessed first.

Setagaya Ward states explicitly that where the required tax documents have not been submitted, the household is assessed in the highest bracket. This applies to Stage 3 of the tie-break process; it does not mean that missing paperwork places you last in the selection process as a whole.

Even so, for a household that would have been assessed earlier at Stage 3 had its tax information been confirmed, missing documents are worth avoiding. Check the guidance for your application year, including whether you need to submit the documents yourself or whether the ward can confirm the information through the My Number individual number system.

Stages 4 and 5 both look at elapsed time

Stage 4 compares how long the child has been placed, at the family’s own cost, in childcare outside the licensed system. Stage 5 compares how long the household has been registered and continuously resident in Setagaya Ward.

Neither is something you can change in the short run before applying. For families who have just moved in from another municipality, or who have relocated from overseas, these are factors that families have little or no ability to change before applying.

Rather than dwelling on factors you cannot change, it is more practical to prioritise what you can still check now: required documents, application deadlines, the facilities you list, and certificates for any childcare outside the licensed system that you have used.

Comparison table: the same household can be ranked differently in a different ward

Both wards compare base index scores and tax figures, but they differ in which circumstances they look at first and in the order that follows.

Bear in mind that the way index points are calculated, and the supply and demand situation itself, also differ by ward. The table below sets the two tie-break sequences side by side; it does not indicate which ward is easier to get into.

The two wards’ assessment sequences, side by side

“No equivalent item” means that Setagaya Ward’s tie-break order contains no separate stage under that name. Related circumstances may still be taken into account elsewhere in the selection process, for example through adjustment points.

What Ota and Setagaya have in common is that both re-examine the base index score once households are tied. Where they differ is when tax figures enter the picture: Stage 8 in Ota, Stage 3 in Setagaya. The same element can be applied at very different points in the sequence.
(Source: Admission adjustment methods and criteria | Ota City)
(Source: Childcare Application Guide (September 2026 edition), pp. 30–32 | Setagaya City)

Working through some hypothetical cases

The following are invented examples, intended to show how the priority order works in practice. Because the two wards differ in how they calculate index points, which facilities are covered, how many places are available and who applies, these cases do not predict actual admission outcomes or indicate an advantage in either ward.

Case A: A household whose child is about to graduate from an age-capped facility
In Setagaya Ward, a household meeting the conditions of adjustment criterion No. 18 is assessed at Stage 1 in the event of a tie. In Ota Ward, children graduating from their current facility who meet the ward’s conditions are considered at Stage 7. The same circumstance — needing a new place after graduation — is applied at a very different point in the sequence.

Case B: A household applying to transfer from one licensed facility to another
In Ota Ward, where a new applicant and a transfer applicant have the same score, Stage 1 gives priority to the new applicant. Families applying for a transfer need to understand how transfer applications are treated in a tie before deciding which facilities to list and how to handle their current place.

Case C: A household that has recently moved into Setagaya Ward
Setagaya Ward compares continuous residence in the ward at Stage 5. If the earlier stages have not separated the applicants, households with longer residence are assessed first. Length of residence alone does not determine the outcome, however.

What can you check before you apply?

The practical focus before applying is not on finding ways to push your score higher, but on the documents that convey your family’s situation accurately and the information you submit before the deadline.

The tie-break order includes items you cannot change shortly before applying, such as length of residence or how long you have used childcare. Rather than worrying about those, it is more realistic to spend your time on what you can still check.

What you can still check, and what you cannot change at short notice

If your employment certificate is incomplete, or required documents are missing, your actual circumstances may not be fully reflected in the assessment. Where the content of a certificate does not match reality, do not amend it yourself — check with your employer or the ward office.

Length of residence and resident tax levies, on the other hand, are not things to adjust in the short term for the sake of an application. Separating what you can check from what you cannot change makes it much clearer what deserves your attention before the deadline.

Pre-application checklist (free download available)

The checklist below is free to use, with no registration required. Print it to A4 using your browser’s print function, or save it as a PDF, and work through it alongside your application documents.

• I have checked the current year’s admission criteria published by my municipality
• I have looked at the base index score and the circumstance-based additions and deductions separately
• I have read the tie-break order all the way to the final item
• I have confirmed whether my application is for new entry or a transfer
• I have checked the hours, days and contract period on the employment certificate against my actual working arrangements
• I have confirmed whether tax documents need to be submitted
• I have checked that no supporting documents for family circumstances are missing
• If we use an age-capped facility, I have checked the criteria relating to graduating children
• I have checked the deadlines for in-person, online and postal applications separately
• For postal applications, I have checked whether the postmark date or the arrival date applies
• I have listed facilities in the order we would genuinely want to attend them
• I am not treating past scores for a facility as a fixed pass mark
• We have discussed as a family what to do and what to check if the application is unsuccessful

Application schedule for April 2027 entry (Ota Ward)

For children due to be born by February 17, 2027, Ota Ward accepts in-person and online applications for the first round of April 2027 admissions from October 1 to November 30, 2026. Postal applications must arrive between October 1 and November 9, 2026. Note that the arrival date applies, not the postmark date.

A weekend application counter will also be open on November 8, 2026. Online application is also unavailable in some cases, such as applying simultaneously to facilities in another municipality.
(Source: Applying for April 2027 entry | Ota City)

In Setagaya Ward, the first round for April 2027 closes on November 5, 2026 for postal and online applications, and on November 10 for in-person applications. Results are announced on January 20, 2027.

The second round closes on January 27, 2027 for postal and online applications and on February 1 for in-person applications, with results announced on February 18. Deadlines differ by application method, so allow time to prepare.
(Source: From application to admission | Setagaya City)

If your family or employment situation changes after you apply, do not assume that your original application will remain valid without an update. Notify the ward promptly, following its guidance.

Frequently asked questions

Here are short answers to the points families most often puzzle over before applying, covering index scores and the tie-break order.

Q1. Where is the tie-break order published?

On each municipality’s official website and in its admission guidance booklet. For Ota Ward, see “Admission adjustment methods and criteria”; for Setagaya Ward, see the pages on base index points and adjustment points in the Childcare Application Guide.
(Source: Admission adjustment methods and criteria | Ota City)
(Source: Childcare Application Guide (September 2026 edition), pp. 30–32 | Setagaya City)

Q2. If I have a lot of adjustment points, does that help after a tie?

Not necessarily. Stage 2 in Ota Ward and Stage 2 in Setagaya Ward both compare the base index score, with circumstance-based additions and deductions excluded.

Q3. Can I improve my tie-break position just before applying?

Some items, such as length of residence and tax figures, cannot be changed at short notice. The realistic approach is to avoid gaps in your paperwork and missing documents, so that your actual family situation is assessed correctly.

Q4. Does listing a facility as my first choice give me an advantage?

In both Ota and Setagaya, the order in which you list facilities does not itself create an advantage or disadvantage in the admission process. Rather than reordering your list to guess at vacancies, put them in the order you would genuinely want to attend. Always check the guidance for your application year as well.
(Source: Admission adjustment methods and criteria | Ota City)
(Source: Daycare admission adjustment methods | Setagaya City)

Q5. Does having a sibling already enrolled help in a tie?

In Ota Ward, Stage 9 of the tie-break order covers a sibling already enrolled or siblings applying at the same time. Setagaya Ward’s six stages contain no separate item under that name, but a sibling’s situation may be relevant to adjustment points. Check the full criteria table.

Q6. Is last year’s minimum accepted score this year’s cut-off?

No. The past figures Ota Ward publishes are reference material. They shift each year with the number of places and the profile of applicants, so they cannot be used as a definitive pass mark.
(Source: Publication of first-round admission scores | Ota City)

Q7. Am I at a disadvantage applying for a transfer in Ota Ward?

Where a transfer applicant and a new applicant have the same index score, Ota Ward gives priority to new entry at Stage 1. But applicants are ranked by their total index score before any tie-break criteria are applied, so a higher-scoring transfer application is still selected ahead of a lower-scoring new application. It does not mean a transfer application is always ranked lower.

Calculating your score is only the first step in understanding how daycare admission decisions are made. Once you know what gets compared after a tie, it becomes much clearer which documents and details are worth revisiting before you apply.

Ota and Setagaya have one thing in common: both take a second look at the base index score. Where they differ is the order in which they check new entry versus transfer, graduating children, tax figures, time spent in childcare outside the licensed system, and length of residence.

Differences in the priority order do not make one municipality better than another. Nor does having conditions you cannot change mean that you have failed to prepare properly.

What matters is not hunting anxiously for extra points, but reading your own municipality’s current criteria all the way through and checking that your family’s situation is reflected accurately in your paperwork. At TamagoDaruma, our aim is to work through confusing systems one step at a time and connect them to what you can do next, rather than treating the daycare search as a competition between families.

If you are still weighing up which facilities to apply for, our guide to what to check during a visit may also help.

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We have also set out the procedures and options worth looking into if your application is unsuccessful.

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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 the...

If you would rather start with the differences between licensed daycare centres, certified centres for early childhood education and care (nintei kodomoen) and small-scale childcare, our overview of the childcare system is a good place to begin.

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"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...

The post Japan Daycare Points: How Ota and Setagaya Break Ties first appeared on TamagoDaruma.

Some commercial baby foods sold in Japan can be eaten without heating. But a package that only says 常温保存 (store at room temperature) doesn’t tell you that. You need to check the usage instructions for the individual product: wording such as 調理済み (already cooked), そのまま召し上がれます (ready to eat as is), or 必ず加熱してください (always heat before serving).

This article separates three things — storage method, whether heating is required, and how to handle the food after opening — so you can make the call from the package in your hand, wherever you happen to be.

Some baby foods are made to be eaten without heating

A baby food that is already cooked and labeled 温めずにそのまま召し上がれます (ready to eat without heating) doesn’t have to be warmed, provided it has been stored as the label directs and the package has stayed sealed until you serve it.

Wakodo says that products in its Gu Gu Kitchen (グーグーキッチン) and Eiyo Marché (栄養マルシェ) ranges are already cooked and can be eaten as they are, without heating. Kewpie explains that its jars, cup containers, and retort pouches — sealed pouches sterilized after filling — are sterilized using heat under pressure once cooked, so they can be opened and eaten straight away.

Pigeon likewise says its retort baby foods are cooked in vessels that sterilize using heat under pressure, so they can be eaten without heating when you’re out. These are statements each manufacturer makes about its own products, though. Don’t apply them across the board to other products — check the package you’re actually holding.
(Source: Precautions when heating | Wakodo)
(Source: Q&A on baby food and related products | Kewpie)
(Source: Can retort baby food be eaten without heating when out? | Pigeon)

For some products heating is required; for others it’s optional

Warming baby food does two different jobs, depending on the product.

For some products, heating is part of the cooking. These carry wording such as 必ず加熱してお召し上がりください (always heat before serving) or 熱湯を加えてください (add boiling water). You can’t skip the heating or preparation step.

For others, the food is already cooked, and warming is only about bringing it to a temperature and texture your child finds easy to eat. With products labeled 温めずにそのまま召し上がれます (ready to eat without heating), whether to warm it is yours to decide, based on the season and your child’s preferences.

Kewpie notes that when a product has gone cold — in winter, for example — warming it can make it easier for a child to eat. In that case, heating isn’t a required step to make the food safe to eat; it’s a choice about making it more palatable.

Serving something cold doesn’t mean you’ve cut a corner as a parent. If the product doesn’t require heating and your child will eat it comfortably, using it as is while you’re out is a practical option.

Don’t decide from the container alone

The fact that something comes in a pouch or a cup tells you nothing on its own about whether it needs heating.

Pigeon’s Soft Pack Rice, from around 12 months (やわらかパックごはん 12ヵ月頃～), for instance, is a product where heating completes the cooking of the rice, and its official product page states 必ず加熱してお召し上がりください (always heat before serving).

Powdered and freeze-dried products, meanwhile, may need to be reconstituted with hot water. If you’re taking one out with you, check in advance how much water it needs, how it’s prepared, and whether you’ll be able to get hot water where you’re going.

Even among foods that look easy to carry, there are products you can eat as is, products that are only finished by heating, and products you reconstitute with hot water. Don’t judge by the container or the shelf it came from — read the usage instructions on the back.
(Source: Soft Pack Rice, from around 12 months | Pigeon)

常温保存 does not mean “no heating required”

常温保存 (store at room temperature) is mainly a condition for the unopened product. It doesn’t tell you whether the food needs heating before serving, or how to handle it once it’s open.

Check storage, heating, and handling after opening separately

When you look at a package, read the storage method, the usage and preparation instructions, and the notes for after opening as three separate items.

The Consumer Affairs Agency’s Quick Guide to Food Labeling explains that the storage method shown on a package is the storage method before opening, in line with the characteristics of the food. Even when a package says 常温保存, you can’t carry that condition over to the product once it’s been opened.
(Source: Quick Guide to Food Labeling | Consumer Affairs Agency)

Read the storage method: 要冷蔵, 直射日光を避ける, and similar wording

Start with the 保存方法 (storage method) line, usually in the block of product information on the back.

If it says 常温で保存 (store at room temperature) or 直射日光を避けて保存 (store away from direct sunlight), those conditions apply to the unopened product. Where a food is labeled 要冷蔵 (refrigerate) or 10℃以下で保存 (store at 10°C or below), it needs to be kept at the stated temperature even while unopened.

The best-before date also assumes the product has been kept unopened, under the storage method shown. Once it’s open, don’t rely on the date alone — follow the separate instructions for handling after opening.

Outdoors in summer, or inside a car, is not the same as “room temperature” at home

A product that can be stored at room temperature isn’t one you should deliberately leave in a stroller in direct sun, or in a car that’s heated up.

Wakodo says that unopened products can be kept at room temperature even in summer, while also advising that you keep them out of direct sunlight and somewhere as cool as possible. Kewpie says the same about unopened products in summer, adding that long periods at high temperatures can affect flavor, so indoor storage somewhere cool is preferable.

For a product that has been left in a car, manufacturers’ advice varies depending on how long it was there and the condition it’s in. Rather than assuming that room-temperature storage means it will keep indefinitely in any conditions, check the official information for that product, or contact the manufacturer’s customer service desk.
(Source: Contact and baby food Q&A | Wakodo)
(Source: Q&A on baby food and related products | Kewpie)

Five places on the package tell you whether it’s ready to eat

Rather than the photo on the front or the shape of the container, check five things in order: the age range, the storage method, the usage instructions, the heating method, and the notes for after opening.

1. Age range and texture

Start with the age range, shown as ○ヵ月頃から (from around X months).

Under the voluntary standard set by the Japan Baby Food Conference, the industry body for baby food manufacturers in Japan, products are labeled with an age range in this form. That said, an age label isn’t a guarantee that every child of that age will manage the food in the same way.

Look at how your child is progressing with solid foods, the size and firmness of the ingredients, how your child is swallowing, and which ingredients they’ve already eaten.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s Guide for Breastfeeding and Weaning Support notes that making good use of processed foods such as baby food helps reduce the burden on caregivers preparing rinyūshoku (離乳食), the weaning meals served as a child moves onto solid foods. It isn’t a choice between homemade and store-bought — it’s about choosing to suit your child’s development and your household’s situation.
(Source: Voluntary standard for baby food | Japan Baby Food Conference)
(Source: Guide for Breastfeeding and Weaning Support | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)

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Baby Foods by Age: What's Safe, What to Avoid When Starting Solids | Free Cha...

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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 referen...

2. Storage method

Next, check how you can carry the unopened product to where you’re going.

• Can it be stored at room temperature?
• Does it need refrigeration or freezing?
• Does it need to be kept out of direct sunlight and heat?
• Is it within its best-before date?
• Is the packaging free of tears, leaks, dents, or unusual swelling?

Products that keep at room temperature are convenient for outings, and leaving them sealed until just before feeding makes them easier to manage.

3. Wording for そのまま, 調理済み, and 要加熱

This is the most important labeling for deciding whether heating is required.

• 調理済みです (already cooked)
• 温めずにそのまま召し上がれます (ready to eat without heating)
• 開けてすぐに食べられます (can be eaten as soon as it’s opened)
• 必ず加熱してお召し上がりください (always heat before serving)
• The section labeled 加熱調理の必要性 (whether cooking or heating is required)

Even when instructions for warming are printed, warming itself may still be optional. Check first whether the product can be eaten as is, then read how to warm it if you decide to.

4. Heating method by container type

If you are warming the food, don’t treat pouches, cups, and jars the same way.

For Wakodo’s Gu Gu Kitchen, the instructions for microwave heating say to transfer the contents to a microwave-safe container. Kewpie, on the other hand, has cup and pouch products that can be microwaved in their own container if you follow the stated procedure.

For jars, Kewpie advises transferring the portion you’re serving into a separate container to warm it, and not using the product’s glass jar for heating. Methods differ between ranges even from the same manufacturer, so check the labeling on the product you’re using now.

5. Notes on opened products and leftovers

Finally, check for notes such as 開封後はお早めに (use promptly after opening), 食べ残しは保存しない (do not keep leftovers), and instructions to portion the food into a separate container.

Kewpie advises that if you plan to keep any of it, you should portion out the amount you’re serving into a separate container when you open the product. Putting a spoon that has been in your child’s mouth back into the container exposes the food to digestive enzymes in saliva and creates a risk of bacterial growth, which is why the company advises against keeping leftovers.

Wakodo also advises that if you want to keep any of the product after opening, you should portion it out with a clean container and spoon before anyone eats from it, and not keep food that has been eaten from.

How long a product can be kept, and whether it can be frozen, differ by product and manufacturer. Don’t apply a time limit you read on one product to another.

If you can’t find the information on the package

When the package doesn’t make the heating requirement or the handling after opening clear, work through these steps in order.

1. Re-read the usage instructions and cautions, including the outer box or bag
2. Check the manufacturer’s official product page
3. Check the manufacturer’s official FAQ
4. Note the product name and net weight, and contact the manufacturer’s customer service desk

Photographing the back of the package with your phone before you throw it away means you can still check it while you’re out. Products also get reformulated, so rely on the labeling of the current product rather than old product images or other people’s accounts of what they used.

Unopened, opened, and eaten from are three different situations

Best-before dates and room-temperature storage labeling can’t be applied as they are to a product that’s been opened, or to food that’s been eaten from. Think about each state separately.

Unopened products

For an unopened product, check the storage method and best-before date printed on the package.

Before you head out, also look for tears in the bag, dents in the container, leaks, or any unusual swelling. Even with a product that keeps at room temperature, somewhere in direct sun or somewhere that gets hot isn’t a place you’d choose to store it.

Opened, but not yet eaten from

The moment a product is opened, the conditions behind the unopened best-before date and storage method have changed.

If your thinking is “my child will only eat a little, so I’d like to save the rest for next time,” portion out only what you’re serving into a clean container from the start. The opened bag or cup may not be suitable for storage, so check the cautions on the product.

Whether a product can be kept after opening, whether refrigeration or freezing is possible, and how soon it should be used all differ by product.

Portions set aside in a clean container beforehand

A portion moved into a clean container before anyone eats from it can, with some products, be refrigerated or frozen.

Manufacturers don’t all say the same thing, though. Wakodo gives refrigeration and freezing guidelines for the products it covers, while Pigeon doesn’t recommend freezing leftover retort pouch food because the flavor may suffer.

Rather than treating “baby food can be frozen” as a general rule, check the guidance for each product.
(Source: Contact and baby food Q&A | Wakodo)
(Source: Can leftover retort baby food be frozen? | Pigeon)

Food touched by a spoon that’s been in your child’s mouth

If a spoon that’s been in your child’s mouth goes back into the container, don’t save the remaining food for another meal — and check the product labeling and the manufacturer’s guidance as well.

Feeling that it’s a waste when your child ate only a mouthful is a natural reaction. But food that’s been eaten from won’t keep the way an unopened product does.

During the stage when your child eats only small amounts, one approach is to portion out a little into a separate container right after opening, then add more with a clean spoon if they want it. That keeps a spoon that’s been in your child’s mouth away from the part you might want to keep.

Products that have already been warmed once

Even if the package is still sealed, don’t assume on your own judgment that a warmed product can be stored under the same conditions as before heating.

For the products it covers, Wakodo says that a product warmed in hot water may still be used if the package has stayed sealed, but advises using it promptly regardless of the best-before date once it’s been warmed. Pigeon doesn’t recommend storing a retort product again once it’s been warmed, since flavor and quality may deteriorate.

For outings, carrying a sealed product that doesn’t need heating and opening it just before feeding can be easier to manage than warming something at home and taking it with you.
(Source: Handling baby food that has been warmed once | Wakodo)
(Source: Storing retort baby food that has been warmed once | Pigeon)

For parks and travel, plan for “before you leave” and “after you open it” separately

For outings, choosing a product that’s sealed, keeps at room temperature, and is confirmed as ready to eat without heating keeps the decisions simple once you’re there.

A checklist for before you leave

When choosing a product

• The age range and the firmness of the ingredients suit your child
• You’ve checked the ingredient and allergen information, including whether it contains foods your child hasn’t eaten before, or allergens you haven’t yet checked
• It keeps at room temperature
• You’ve confirmed it can be eaten without heating
• You’ve checked how to handle it after opening

Before you head out

• It’s within the best-before date
• The packaging is free of tears, leaks, dents, or unusual swelling
• You have a clean spoon
• You’ve packed a container for portioning out, if needed
• You have a way to clean your hands
• You can check the back of the package or the official information

Rather than trying a product for the first time on a long day out or a trip, having your child try it at home beforehand takes some of the uncertainty out of the outing.

What to check just before feeding

Before opening, look at the condition of the packaging once more. After opening, check whether anything about the appearance or smell differs from usual.

If you’ve warmed the food, stir it well so there are no hot spots, and check the temperature yourself before serving it. If you haven’t warmed it, check that it hasn’t become extremely cold — outdoors in winter, for instance — and that your child can eat it comfortably.

Materials from a Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare study group also list checking the taste, texture, and temperature yourself before serving as a point to keep in mind.
(Source: Points to note when using baby food | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)

What to do with what’s left

If your child doesn’t finish the food, check two things.

• Whether a spoon that’s been in your child’s mouth touched the remaining food
• Whether the product gives instructions for storage after opening

Don’t save food that’s been eaten from; a portion set aside before anyone ate from it is handled according to the guidance for that product.

If throwing food away is hard to do, portioning out a small amount first next time is the practical answer. Throwing away leftovers isn’t treating food carelessly — at that moment, it’s a decision that put your child’s safety first.

If your child won’t eat it cold while you’re out

Even with a product that doesn’t need heating, some children dislike food served at room temperature or cold.

You might try the product at room temperature at home beforehand, choose venues with a microwave or hot water available, or take a product that doesn’t need heating and that your child is already used to.

Try not to settle on “my child isn’t eating because it isn’t warm” — sleepiness, how hungry they are, what’s going on around them, and how they’re seated all play a part. One outing where the meal doesn’t go to plan doesn’t mean that moving onto solid foods as a whole is off track.

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No-Cook Toddler Lunch Ideas for Summer Break in Japan

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Summer break lunches for toddlers get easier to keep up with when you build a simple rotation around a staple, a protein, and a go-to side — it cuts down on the parent's load.Once summer break starts, lunch for the toddler suddenly becomes a bigger job at home. Kindergartens (yochien) and certified centers for early childhood education and care (nintei kodomoen) typically close for an extended break, while licensed daycare (hoikuen) tends to stay open since it's tied to parents&#039...

If you do warm it, pay attention to the container and the temperature

How to warm a product depends on the container and the range. Follow the stated method, stir after heating, and check the temperature before serving.

Pouches, cups, and jars aren’t warmed the same way

With pouches, some can’t go into a microwave in the bag, while others can be microwaved in the bag once you cut off a specified part.

Cups vary too: some can be heated in the container, others need the food transferred first. With jars, don’t assume the glass is heat-resistant — portion out what you need and warm it by the method the manufacturer specifies.

Similar shapes don’t mean similar instructions. Work from the procedure printed on the product you’re using, not from the type of container.

In the microwave, watch for uneven heating and overheating

A microwave warms food quickly, but parts of it can get very hot.

Thickened baby foods can boil suddenly and spatter, during or after heating. Wakodo advises taking the food out of the microwave gently and taking care when stirring it with a spoon.

Don’t extend the heating time based on your own judgment — check the specified wattage and time. Some products also specify not to use an auto-heat setting.

After heating, stir well so the temperature is even, and check it yourself before serving. If it’s too hot, don’t hurry to serve it — wait until it has cooled to a suitable temperature.
(Source: Precautions when heating | Wakodo)

Check the manufacturer’s labeling before storing a warmed product again

Once a product has been warmed, its flavor and quality may change even if the package is still sealed.

Rather than assuming that a sealed product can be reheated any number of times until its best-before date, check the manufacturer’s guidance. When you can’t predict what time you’ll be feeding your child, warming the food where you are, or choosing a product that doesn’t need heating in the first place, is easier to manage.

FAQ: room temperature, heating, and leftovers

Here are the points people most often find confusing — room temperature, heating requirements, and handling after opening — set against the situations you actually run into when you’re out.

Q1. If it says 常温保存, does that mean I don’t need to warm it?

Room-temperature storage alone doesn’t tell you. Check the usage instructions as well, for wording such as ready to eat as is, already cooked, or always heat before serving.

Q2. Can all retort pouches be eaten as they are?

The container alone doesn’t tell you. Some products are heat-sterilized and ready to eat as they are, while some packaged products need heating before serving. Go by the product labeling.

Q3. Can I serve a product that’s gone cold in winter as it is?

Some products that don’t require heating can be served as they are. That said, cold food can be harder for a child to eat, so check how your child responds and what the product labeling says.

Q4. Is it fine to take unopened products to the park in summer?

Unopened products that keep at room temperature can be used for outings, but keep them out of direct sunlight and away from places that get hot. For specific storage conditions, check the guidance for that product.

Q5. How many hours can I carry it around at room temperature after opening?

There’s no single time limit that applies across products. The room-temperature labeling for unopened products doesn’t carry over after opening, so follow the product’s instructions for handling once it’s open.

Q6. Can I take home what my child didn’t finish?

If a spoon that’s been in your child’s mouth went back into the food, don’t save it for another meal, and follow the manufacturer’s guidance.

Q7. Can I use a sealed product later if I’ve already warmed it in hot water?

Guidance differs by manufacturer and product. Use a warmed product promptly, and check the official information, since some products aren’t recommended for storage after warming.

Q8. Can I microwave a pouch or jar as it is?

It depends on the product. Some pouches are microwave-safe, while others need the food transferred first, and for some jars the manufacturer advises against using the product’s own jar for heating.

Q9. What should I do if my child won’t eat it cold?

You could try the product at room temperature at home, choose a venue with heating facilities, or take a different product your child is used to. Don’t force the issue — check how your child is feeling and whether they’re tired.

Q10. Can I read products from other countries the same way?

Not necessarily. Check the local product labeling and manufacturer guidance, including wording such as “ready to eat,” “serve at room temperature,” “refrigerate after opening,” and “heating instructions.”

Using baby food without warming it is one of the ways these products are meant to be used. What matters isn’t whether you managed to provide a hot meal — it’s whether you’ve separated out the product’s storage conditions, its heating requirement, and how it’s handled after opening.

Reading a label isn’t a test of how much a parent knows. It’s precisely because the information you need is small and scattered across the package that it helps to have a set order for looking at it.

When you’re out and unsure, don’t decide on the strength of the words 常温保存 alone — check three things: the storage method, the usage instructions, and the notes for after opening. That small habit doesn’t add to your load, and it makes it easier to handle your child’s meals calmly.

The post Japanese Baby Food Labels: Which Ones Need Heating? first appeared on TamagoDaruma.

Your child comes home from the park or the daycare yard with a pocketful of acorns. Even when they say they want to use them for crafts and don’t want to throw them away, the thought of grubs crawling out a week later makes it hard to simply leave them sitting in the house.

The method usually recommended for dealing with those larvae is boiling. The process itself is simple enough, but some families are understandably reluctant to boil acorns — carrying soil and possibly insects — in the same pots they cook with.

This article walks through freezing as the realistic alternative to boiling, covering sorting, packaging, freezing, bringing the acorns back to room temperature, drying, and storage, in that order.

If you don’t want to use your cooking pots, freezing is the first option to consider

For households that would rather avoid boiling, freezing is easy to adopt because the acorns can be packaged separately from food. But it isn’t a matter of putting them in the freezer and calling it done.

Parenting information from the City of Yokohama describes using nuts and seeds that have been frozen or boiled in advance for nature play. Biwako Bunka Park likewise publishes a procedure in which washed acorns are bagged, frozen, and then dried.

On that basis, freezing can be treated as one realistic alternative to boiling. The sources do not, however, all specify the same freezer temperature or the same length of time.

What matters is treating the following as three separate steps.

• Washing: removing soil and dirt from the surface
• Cold treatment: reducing the chance that larvae inside will emerge later
• Drying: preventing mold caused by condensation and residual moisture

Washing alone does nothing about insects inside the nut, and freezing alone won’t prevent mold if the acorns are not dried properly afterward. Treat everything from collection to storage as a single connected process.
(Source: Let’s play with fallen leaves and nuts! | City of Yokohama parenting media)
(Source: How to treat acorns | Biwako Bunka Park)

What’s the difference between freezing, boiling, and doing nothing?

Freezing and boiling differ in the equipment they need, the time they take, and the state the acorns are left in. Floating them in water, or simply letting them air-dry, cannot be confirmed as a reliable way to deal with insects.

You can’t conclude that floating means infested and sinking means safe. Acorns that float may be insect-damaged, dried out, cracked, or deteriorating inside, but there is no way to check the interior of a sinking acorn by appearance alone.

Treat the float test as a way to weed out acorns that are obviously in poor condition, and follow it with freezing or heating.

If you don’t want acorns in your freezer either, rather than substituting methods whose reliability can’t be confirmed, such as soaking or leaving them alone, it’s easier to decide between setting aside a dedicated pot for acorns, checking the procedure used by your child’s daycare or preschool, or buying craft materials that have already been treated.

In what order should you handle acorns before freezing?

Work through sorting, washing, removing moisture, packaging, and labeling with the date, in that order. It also matters that you never mix treated acorns with untreated ones.

Step 1: Check whether collecting is allowed there

Rules on taking plants and nuts vary from one park or facility to another. The City of Yokohama states that fallen nuts and seeds may be taken home, while asking visitors to be considerate — not collecting large quantities, and not picking fruit still attached to branches.

These are not nationwide rules. National parks, nature conservation areas, botanical gardens, private land, and shrine and temple grounds may prohibit or restrict collecting. Check the signage on site or ask the facility staff.
(Source: May I take nuts, fruit, or bamboo shoots from a park? | City of Yokohama)

Step 2: Check for holes, cracks, softness, and odd smells

Sort the acorns you’ve collected as follows.

• A round hole in the shell
• The shell is cracked
• Soft when pressed
• Sprouting
• Visible darkening or mold
• An unusual smell

A hole may be where a weevil larva has already exited. However, the absence of a hole is not proof that there are no insects or eggs inside.

Rather than trying to judge infestation from appearance alone, treat this as sorting out the acorns that are clearly in poor condition.
(Source: There are small, round holes in many of the acorns on the ground. What made the holes? | Iowa State University Extension)

Step 3: Wash off surface soil and dirt

If an acorn is in good enough shape to wash, rinse the soil and dirt off the surface with water. If you’re uncomfortable using your usual bowls or colanders, set aside separate ones that you don’t use for food.

Once washed, wipe the surface moisture off with a cloth or kitchen paper. Don’t leave them wet for long periods, and don’t seal them up damp and leave them at room temperature.

Washing removes surface dirt. It is not a step that deals with insects inside the nut.

Step 4: Put them in a freezer bag or container

Put the acorns into a freezer-safe bag, spreading them flat so they don’t pile up too much. Writing the following on the bag keeps batches from going untreated or getting mixed up.

• The date collected
• The date freezing started
• Where they were collected
• Whether they are untreated or already treated

If you’re uneasy about contact with food, double-bag them or place the sealed bag inside a lidded freezer-safe container. Double packaging helps keep them separate from food and contains any dirt, but it does not make the treatment any more effective against insects.

Step 5: Check your freezer’s temperature setting

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries describes household freezer compartments as normally running at around -18°C (0°F). The actual temperature varies with the model, the setting, how much food is inside, how often the door is opened, and where items sit in the compartment.

Check your freezer’s temperature in the manual, and use a freezer thermometer if you can. Don’t overpack the freezer, and don’t let the acorns sit in a thick pile in one spot.
(Source: Points to note when home-freezing food | Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)

How many days do you need to freeze them in a home freezer?

Duration can’t be settled by days alone. You need to consider your freezer’s actual temperature, the quantity of acorns, how long it takes for the center of each nut to reach that temperature, and the species and developmental stage of the insects.

The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties gives the following reference conditions for cold treatment of cultural property and similar materials.

• -30°C (-22°F) for one week or more
• -20°C (-4°F) for two weeks or more

To keep materials from getting wet through condensation, it also advises sealing them in a waterproof bag and waiting until the material and the surrounding air are at a similar temperature before opening the bag.

Note, though, that these are cold-treatment conditions for pests affecting cultural property, not experimental values obtained specifically for insects inside acorns collected at home.
(Source: Low-temperature treatment | Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties)

Guidance published by NARO on food pests also lists general cold conditions for killing insects, but again, this covers food pests in general. The same conditions do not necessarily transfer directly to insects inside acorns.
(Source: Food pest site, past questions | NARO Institute of Food Research)

If you can confirm -20°C (-4°F) or below

If you can confirm that your freezer holds at -20°C (-4°F) or below, the two weeks or more given by the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties is a useful reference point.

Even then, this is not a guaranteed condition for acorns specifically. Don’t assume that two weeks means larvae definitely won’t appear — keep checking during the drying period and while the acorns are in storage.

If your household freezer runs at around -18°C (0°F)

You can’t apply a -20°C (-4°F) treatment condition directly to a household freezer running at around -18°C (0°F). Nor could we find any official standard for acorns stating how many days would be sufficient in a home freezer.

Park facilities do publish examples of freezing for a week or more, but this is not a nationally established, research-backed standard.

If reliability is your priority, consider one of the following.

• Use a freezing environment where you can confirm the actual temperature
• Heat-treat the acorns using equipment kept separate from your cookware
• Buy craft materials sold as already treated
• Follow the procedure set by your child’s daycare or preschool

After freezing, bring them back to room temperature in the bag and dry them thoroughly

If you take acorns straight out of the bag after freezing, moisture in the air readily settles on their cold surfaces. Keep the bag closed first, and wait until the acorns have warmed up.

Open the bag only after it reaches room temperature

Put the bag somewhere out of reach of babies and toddlers, away from direct sunlight and direct heating. Wipe off any condensation that forms on the outside of the bag.

Once the acorns have come back to room temperature, open the bag and spread them out in a single layer to dry.

Dry them in a shaded, well-ventilated spot

How long drying takes depends on how wet they got during washing, the size of the acorns, the temperature, the humidity, and the airflow. Don’t fix on a set number of days — check their condition daily.

Here’s what to look for while they dry.

• Whether moisture remains on the surface or underneath
• Whether there are white, green, or black mold-like changes
• Whether there is a sour or rotten smell
• Whether the shells have gone soft
• Whether new holes, powder, or insects have appeared
• Whether rapid drying has caused large cracks

Keep checking them after they’re dry

Once thoroughly dry, put the acorns into a paper bag or breathable box labeled with the treatment date, and store them somewhere with low humidity.

If they are left in a plastic bag or sealed container while still not fully dry, moisture may remain inside. For long-term storage, don’t rely on the type of container alone — check regularly for mold, smells, and insects.

The National Diet Library’s Collaborative Reference Database includes references from published sources on storing acorns, noting that they should be dried after heating and should not be sealed in plastic bags, to avoid mold.
(Source: Acorns get infested with insects when kept for a long time — is there a good way to store them? | National Diet Library Collaborative Reference Database)

Can you use a microwave, or just pour boiling water over them?

Microwaving, and simply pouring boiling water into a heatproof container, are not recommended in this article, because neither the safety nor the treatment conditions can be confirmed.

We don’t recommend the microwave

We could not find any official conditions from appliance manufacturers or public bodies for treating acorns safely and effectively in a microwave.

The National Institute of Technology and Evaluation warns that overheating food in a microwave can cause charring or fire, and that foods with shells or membranes may burst. That warning was not based on testing acorns. But the absence of acorn-specific testing is not a reason to heat a natural material at your own discretion when safe conditions cannot be confirmed.

Don’t assume that short bursts with a careful eye make it safe. Avoid using a microwave for purposes not described in its own instruction manual.
(Source: Use cooking appliances correctly | National Institute of Technology and Evaluation)

Pouring boiling water doesn’t let you confirm what happens inside

Even if you pour boiling water from an electric kettle over acorns, it’s difficult at home to confirm what temperature the inside of each nut reaches and how long it stays there.

It avoids using a pot, but it can’t be said to have the same effect as boiling. You also need to make sure the container is heat-resistant, and to watch out for scalding.

If you choose to heat them, use equipment set aside for the purpose, follow procedures you can confirm from public or specialist sources, and have adults do it without children involved.

Before children use them, check for choking risk, mold, and cracks

Even once insect treatment is finished, acorns are a size that can lead to swallowing or choking in small children. Being treated and being safe as a plaything are two separate questions.

The Consumer Affairs Agency notes that a young child’s mouth is about 4 cm in diameter, warning that anything smaller can fit inside the mouth and may be swallowed.
(Source: Beware of accidents where children swallow toys and other small items | Consumer Affairs Agency)

Safety checks before use

• No mold or unusual smell
• No cracked, sharp-edged shells
• No glued parts coming loose
• You can supervise so children don’t put them in their mouth, nose, or ears
• You can store them out of reach of babies and younger siblings
• You can count them and check the floor area after play

Where there is visible mold, a smell suggesting the inside has rotted, or a badly cracked shell, the safe call is not to use them for children’s crafts.

Acorns are not prepared as food. Tell children clearly that they are for crafts and must not be put in the mouth. Adults should stay nearby, adjusting supervision to the child’s age and development.

A checklist for the day you collect acorns

Finishing the sorting and date labeling on the same day you collect makes freezing and drying easier to keep track of.

• Checked that collecting is allowed there
• Took only fallen acorns, only as many as needed, not picking from branches
• Checked for holes, cracks, softness, mold, and unusual smells
• Washed off surface soil and dirt
• Wiped off moisture after washing
• Put them in a freezer-safe bag or container
• Wrote down the collection date and the date freezing started
• Checked the freezer’s temperature setting
• Kept treated and untreated acorns separate
• Brought them back to room temperature in the bag after freezing
• Dried them in a shaded, well-ventilated spot
• Rechecked for mold, smells, cracks, and insects before use
• Decided how to supervise based on the child’s age

Common questions about treating acorns for insects

Here are the points people most often get stuck on — freezing time, washing, floating acorns, mold, microwaves, and storage.

How many days in the freezer is enough to feel confident?

No official standard for acorns sets a sufficient number of days in a home freezer. At -20°C (-4°F) or below, the two weeks used for cultural property pest treatment is a reasonable benchmark. Most home freezers run nearer -18°C (0°F), so don’t treat the two figures as equivalent — verify your own temperature and inspect the acorns afterward.

Should you wash acorns before freezing?

If there’s soil or dirt on the surface, rinse them with water and wipe the surface moisture off before packaging. Washing alone, though, does nothing about insects inside the nut.

Should you throw away every acorn that floats?

Floating isn’t caused by insect damage alone — drying out, cracks, and internal deterioration can also be behind it. At the same time, sinking doesn’t prove there are no insects. Use the float test as supplementary sorting, and also check for holes, cracks, softness, and unusual smells.

If there’s no hole, is insect treatment unnecessary?

Not necessarily. If a larva is still inside, there may be no visible exit hole yet. Don’t rely on appearance alone to judge what’s happening inside.

Is it all right to put them in the freezer with food?

If that makes you uncomfortable, put the acorns in a freezer-safe bag, then place that sealed bag inside a second bag or a lidded container. Keep them from touching food directly, and follow the hygiene rules of your household or facility.

Can you take them straight out of the bag after freezing?

Don’t open it straight away — keep the bag closed and let the contents come back to room temperature. Exposing cold acorns directly to indoor air makes condensation form easily on the surface.

If mold appears, can you wipe it off and still use them?

We don’t recommend reusing them for children’s crafts. Wiping the surface doesn’t tell you anything about the inside, so the safe call is not to use acorns with mold, a rotten smell, or softness.

Can you microwave them a little at a time?

Not recommended. There are no confirmed official conditions for treating acorns safely and effectively, and you can’t judge the risk of smoke, fire, or bursting from overheating at home.

I don’t want acorns in my freezer either. Are there other options?

You can heat them using a pot kept separate from your cookware, check the procedure used by your child’s daycare or preschool, or use craft materials sold as already treated. Soaking them or leaving them in a paper bag can’t be substituted for freezing or heating as reliable insect treatment.

How long do treated acorns keep?

There is no guaranteed period that applies across all home environments. Dry them thoroughly, record the treatment date, and check regularly for mold, unusual smells, cracks, and insects. Rather than assuming they’ll last until next year, it’s easier to manage if you treat only as many as you need.

Summary: insect treatment isn’t just freezing — drying and checking are part of the set

If you don’t want to use your cooking pots, freezing the acorns in bags or containers kept separate from food is the easiest first option to adopt.

Just remember that a home freezer’s roughly -18°C (0°F) isn’t the same thing as specialist cold treatment built around -20°C (-4°F) or colder. Instead of trusting that a few days will do it, look at your freezer’s temperature, how many acorns you’re treating, and what condition they’re in when they come out.

After freezing, bring them back to room temperature in the bag and dry them thoroughly in a shaded, well-ventilated spot. Before use, check once more for mold, unusual smells, cracks, and insects.

And remember that even treated acorns can be swallowed by small children. Adults should supervise, and check the floor and the storage spot once play is over.

The post Freezing Acorns for Crafts: No-Boil Insect Treatment Guide first appeared on TamagoDaruma.

Being outside the statutory list does not mean there is no way to take the day off. Your employer may offer leave for childcare purposes, leave for balancing work and childcare, or ordinary paid annual leave that can be used instead.

This article sets out which events fall inside and outside the statutory scope, how to choose between the available leave types, what to look for in your employer’s work rules, and how to raise it with HR and your manager.

Sports day is not covered by child nursing and care leave

Sports day and classroom observation days are not included in the statutory grounds for child nursing and care leave. Your employer may still have its own leave scheme that covers them.

Child nursing and care leave (子の看護等休暇, ko no kango-tō kyūka) is available to employees raising a child up to the end of third grade of elementary school, roughly age nine. It can be taken to care for a sick or injured child, to take your child for vaccinations or health check-ups, to respond to class closures caused by infectious disease, and to attend the ceremonies covered by the law.

Employees with one eligible child can take up to five days per leave year, and employees with two or more eligible children up to ten days. Unless the employer sets a different period, the leave year runs from 1 April to 31 March. As a rule, the leave can be taken in units of one working day or one hour.

The revision that took effect on 1 April 2025 extended the eligible age range from pre-school children to children through the end of third grade. It also added two new grounds: responding to class closures due to infectious disease, and attending a child’s entrance or graduation ceremony at a daycare centre or kindergarten, or a child’s elementary school entrance ceremony.
(Source: Child Nursing and Care Leave | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, in Japanese)

The Ministry’s Q&A on the revised law states plainly that attending a classroom observation day or a sports day is not among the statutory grounds. Employers are, however, free to go beyond the legal minimum and add these events to their own scheme.
(Source: Q&A on the 2024 Revised Child Care and Family Care Leave Act | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, in Japanese)

Entrance and graduation ceremonies are covered

Since April 2025, child nursing and care leave can be taken to attend a child’s entrance or graduation ceremony at a daycare centre or kindergarten, or a child’s entrance ceremony at elementary school.

This covers the entrance and graduation ceremonies held by hoikuen and yochien, and the entrance ceremony at elementary school. Because eligibility stops at the end of third grade, a standard elementary school graduation ceremony falls outside the age range.

Year-advancement ceremonies, ceremonies held when a child transfers to a different facility, and recital-style events are best not judged by their name alone. Check with your HR or labour affairs contact whether the event counts as one of the ceremonies named in the law, or whether your employer has widened the scope on its own.

Entrance ceremonies are one of the events you can see coming well in advance. Even before you have decided which leave scheme to use, sharing the date with your manager as soon as you know it makes the later scheduling easier.

Why sports day and observation days are excluded

Child nursing and care leave is not a general-purpose allowance for anything related to raising a child. The permitted uses are set out in law, and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has explained that sports day and classroom observation days are not among them.

The Japanese name of the scheme changed from 子の看護休暇 to 子の看護等休暇, adding the character 等, which suggests the leave covers additional purposes. It is understandable that parents read that as covering sports day and observation days. A change in name, however, is not the same as every daycare and school event becoming eligible.

The law sets a floor. Keep “not covered by statutory child nursing and care leave” separate from “there is no leave I can use at my company.”

Health check-ups and vaccinations are covered

Taking your child for a health check-up or vaccination is covered by child nursing and care leave. Your own health check-up is not.

The word “check-up” on its own can make the boundary hard to see. The basic test is whether the purpose of the leave is to have an eligible child receive a health check-up or vaccination.

The scheme is not limited to appointments after an illness has been identified. Health check-ups intended to confirm how your child is doing, and vaccinations intended to prevent illness, are both described as qualifying uses.
(Source: Child Nursing and Care Leave | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, in Japanese)

How to judge which check-ups qualify

Child nursing and care leave can be used when you need to take time off work so that an eligible child can receive a health check-up.

This covers situations such as the infant and toddler health check-ups run by your local municipality, or accompanying your child to a check-up at a clinic or hospital. Taking your child to a medical facility for a routine vaccination also qualifies.

Your own annual health check-up or a full medical screening does not qualify, because the purpose is not to have your child examined. For your own appointments, look instead at paid annual leave or any medical appointment leave your employer provides.

Depending on the appointment time, a check-up or vaccination may not require a full day off. Once you have allowed for travel and waiting time, taking the leave in hourly units can let you take only the hours you actually need.

Check-ups at the facility, municipal check-ups, and accompanying your child

Municipal infant and toddler health check-ups, and vaccinations at a medical facility, are straightforward cases: you need to take your child there yourself, which is exactly what the scheme is for.

Check-ups held at the daycare centre or kindergarten depend on how they are run. If the check-up takes place during normal hours at the facility and parents are not required to attend, there is no need to take time off at all.

If the facility asks you to accompany your child, or if the results mean your child needs to be seen at a clinic, child nursing and care leave is worth considering. Rather than judging by the name of the event or where it is held, explain to your employer that your child’s examination or care requires you to be there.

Some employers ask to see a notice or appointment slip. That said, the Ministry’s guidance on the scheme indicates that where documentation is requested, employers should allow it to be submitted after the fact and should avoid placing an excessive burden on the employee.
(Source: The Child Nursing and Care Leave System | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, in Japanese)

Event-by-event eligibility at a glance

Among daycare and school events, some fall under the statutory scheme and others have to be handled through company schemes. It helps to separate them by purpose.

Events and purposes covered by law

The main qualifying grounds described by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as of publication are as follows.

Child nursing and care leave is separate from your paid annual leave. The allowance is five days a year for one eligible child and ten days for two or more, but note that this is a per-employee ceiling, not five days per child.

Events outside the statutory scope worth raising with your employer

For the events below, look at schemes other than statutory child nursing and care leave. Sports day and classroom observation days are explicitly identified as outside the statutory scope in the Ministry’s Q&A.

Recitals, year-advancement ceremonies and similar events are named and positioned differently from one facility to the next. Rather than deciding for yourself that an event qualifies because it is called a ceremony, check separately whether it is one of the ceremonies covered by the law and whether your employer’s own scheme recognises it.

Four schemes to check when taking sports day off

For sports day, paid annual leave is not the only option. Childcare purpose leave and childcare balance support leave may also be available. Start with your employer’s work rules.

There are four main candidates to look at.

Even among schemes described as leave for raising children, the eligible age, whether the employer must provide it, the permitted uses and the number of days all differ. Rather than going by the name of the scheme, check what your employer’s work rules (就業規則, shūgyō kisoku) actually say.

Childcare purpose leave

Childcare purpose leave (育児目的休暇, ikuji mokuteki kyūka) is a leave scheme that can be used for childcare-related purposes such as a partner giving birth or attending a child’s school event.

Employers have a duty to make efforts to provide this kind of leave for employees raising pre-school children. That said, not every company has a scheme with the same name or the same terms.

Even where a scheme exists, the events it covers, the number of days, the units in which it can be taken, and whether it is paid or unpaid all vary. The Ministry’s Q&A gives examples of childcare purpose leave being used for a daycare field trip, accompanying a child on sports day, and attending an observation day.
(Source: Q&A on the 2024 Revised Child Care and Family Care Leave Act | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, in Japanese)

Your work rules and company intranet will be in Japanese, so search them using these terms.

• 子の看護 (child nursing)
• 育児目的 (childcare purpose)
• 養育両立支援 (childcare balance support)
• 特別休暇 (special leave)
• 学校行事 (school events)
• 柔軟な働き方 (flexible working)

Some companies use their own names instead, such as family support leave, childcare leave days, or family leave.

Childcare balance support leave

Childcare balance support leave (養育両立支援休暇) is intended to help employees raising a child from age three until the child starts elementary school combine work and childcare.

From October 2025, employers must provide at least two of the following five measures to eligible employees.

• Changes to start and finish times
• Telework and similar arrangements
• Setting up and running childcare facilities
• Providing childcare balance support leave
• Shorter working hours

Employers do not have to adopt all five. That means childcare balance support leave is not available at every workplace.

Where an employer has chosen this measure, it must provide at least ten days a year and, as a rule, allow the leave to be taken in hourly units. The purpose is largely left to the employee, as long as it relates to raising a child while continuing to work, so attending sports day is a reasonable use to consider.
(Source: Measures for Flexible Working Arrangements | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, in Japanese)

The eligible age range runs from age three until the child starts elementary school. For a sports day at elementary school, look instead at paid annual leave or any school event leave your employer provides.

Paid annual leave and adjusting your hours

Sports day is a legitimate reason to take paid annual leave. As a rule, you are not required to justify how you use it.

Paid annual leave is taken at the time the employee chooses, although an employer may ask you to move it if it would interfere with the normal operation of the business. Since the event date cannot be moved, applying as soon as you know the date is the practical approach.
(Source: What is the paid annual leave system? | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, in Japanese)

If you do not need the whole day, check whether these options are available.

• Half-day paid annual leave
• Hourly paid annual leave
• Flexitime
• Staggered start times
• Stepping out mid-shift
• Working from home
• Swapping shifts

Sports day also needs a plan for rain. When you apply, ask how to move your leave to the rain date and whether you can cancel it if the event is called off, so you are not scrambling on the day.

How should I raise this with HR and my manager?

Rather than naming a scheme up front, give the date and purpose of the event and ask about available leave, whether it is paid, and the application process together.

Ask HR which schemes you can use, and talk to your direct manager about when you will be away and how the work will be covered. Keeping those two conversations separate stops policy questions and workload questions from getting tangled.

Sample message to HR

When asking about sports day, the key is not to narrow the question to one scheme, but to ask what leave is available overall.

If you ask about one named scheme, the conversation can end with “that scheme doesn’t cover it.” Asking which leave schemes are available makes it easier for HR to point you to a company scheme or a different working arrangement.

Whether child nursing and care leave is paid or unpaid is not fixed by law; it depends on your employer’s rules. It is separate from your paid annual leave allowance, so if you want to avoid an impact on your pay, confirm this before applying.

Sample message to your manager

With your manager, focus less on explaining the scheme and more on the date and the work.

When the annual calendar first arrives, you can also share the dates alone, like this.

There is no need to over-explain out of a sense of guilt about taking leave. Calmly sharing the date, the procedure and how the work will be handled is enough.

Raising it early and handing work over is not compensation for being away. It is the ordinary coordination that combining a family and a job requires.

What if my employer’s explanation is unclear?

Start with your work rules and HR’s answer. If an application that qualifies under the law is refused, you can consult your Prefectural Labour Bureau.

Because sports day is outside the statutory scope, you may not be able to take it as child nursing and care leave if your employer has no scheme of its own. Cases that do qualify under the law, such as entrance and graduation ceremonies at daycare centres and kindergartens, elementary school entrance ceremonies and children’s health check-ups, need to be treated separately.

Separate the statutory scheme from company schemes

If HR or your manager says the leave cannot be used for that event, check which scheme the answer refers to.

• Is it outside the scope of statutory child nursing and care leave?
• Is company childcare purpose leave also unavailable?
• Has childcare balance support leave been introduced?
• Could paid annual leave or adjusted hours work instead?

For example, being told that sports day is not covered by child nursing and care leave is consistent with the current statutory scope. That answer alone does not mean the company has nothing you can use for a child’s event.

Conversely, if you are told that leave is not available for an entrance ceremony or your child’s vaccination because it is not written into the work rules, it is worth going back to HR or labour affairs to ask whether the revised rules have been reflected in the internal regulations.

The April 2025 revision also removed the arrangement that allowed employees with less than six months of continuous service to be excluded by a labour-management agreement. For employees who are not full-time permanent staff, eligibility should be checked case by case rather than assumed from employment type.

Employees hired on a daily basis are excluded, however. Where a labour-management agreement is in place, employees whose scheduled working days total two or fewer per week may also be excluded.
(Source: Explanation of the 2024 Revisions to the Child Care and Family Care Leave Act | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, in Japanese)

Keep records and use the consultation service

If you have doubts about your employer’s explanation, avoid leaving the exchange entirely verbal and keep a note of the following.

• The date you applied
• The type of leave you applied for
• Your child’s age
• The purpose and the dates and times you requested
• The answer you received
• The provisions of the work rules you checked
• Emails or screenshots of the application system

Dismissal, demotion and disadvantageous transfers on the grounds of applying for or taking child nursing and care leave are prohibited. Employers also may not treat pay or bonuses unfavourably beyond the days or hours actually not worked.
(Source: Prohibition of Disadvantageous Treatment Based on Taking Childcare Leave | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, in Japanese)

If the matter cannot be resolved internally, you can consult the Employment Environment and Equal Employment Department or Division of the Prefectural Labour Bureau for the area where your workplace is located. They can provide information on what the law requires and, depending on the situation, explain dispute resolution assistance.
(Source: Consultation Services on the Child Care and Family Care Leave Act | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, in Japanese)

Frequently asked questions about child nursing and care leave

Short answers to the points parents most often get stuck on: which events qualify, whether the leave is paid, the units available, and employment type.

Is sports day covered by child nursing and care leave?

It is not among the statutory grounds. Your employer may have added sports day to its own scheme, or you may be able to use childcare purpose leave or something similar.

Are daycare and kindergarten ceremonies and elementary school entrance ceremonies covered?

Yes. Attending a child’s entrance or graduation ceremony at a daycare centre or kindergarten, or a child’s elementary school entrance ceremony, was added to the qualifying grounds on 1 April 2025. An elementary school graduation ceremony falls outside the eligible age range.

Are children’s health check-ups and vaccinations covered?

Yes. The leave can be taken so that an eligible child can receive a health check-up or vaccination. Your own check-up is not covered.

Is child nursing and care leave paid?

Whether it is paid or unpaid depends on your employer’s rules. It is a statutory leave separate from paid annual leave, but the law does not impose a blanket requirement to pay wages during it.

Can I take it in hourly units?

As a rule, yes, in units of one hour or one working day. A labour-management agreement may exclude employees in roles where hourly leave is difficult to accommodate. Even then, leave in units of one working day remains available if the requirements are met.

Are part-time and contract employees eligible?

Employment type alone does not make you ineligible. Employees hired on a daily basis are excluded, and where a labour-management agreement is in place, employees whose scheduled working days total two or fewer per week may also be excluded.

Can a company choose to cover sports day?

Yes. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has explained that there is no problem with an employer adding sports day or classroom observation days as qualifying grounds, as a measure exceeding the statutory minimum.

Where can I turn if I am told there is no scheme?

First, ask HR or labour affairs whether the answer refers to statutory child nursing and care leave or to a company childcare leave scheme. If an application that qualifies under the law is refused, or the explanation leaves you with doubts, you can consult the Employment Environment and Equal Employment Department or Division of your Prefectural Labour Bureau.

Whether sports day falls under statutory child nursing and care leave, and how much being there matters to you and your child, are two separate questions. There is no need to read “outside the scope of the scheme” as “not reason enough to take a day off work.”

The current rules draw a clear line, but once company leave schemes and adjusted working hours are included, there are often options to be found. When the annual calendar arrives from your child’s facility, start by writing down the event dates and rain dates, then look at your work rules.

A supportive workplace makes it easier to discuss family commitments in advance. Parents should not have to feel guilty or handle every adjustment alone. Leave schemes and working arrangements need to account for the fact that family life does not always go to plan.

Note: this article provides general information based on the laws and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare materials in force at the time of publication. Actual eligibility, whether the leave is paid, and application procedures vary according to your employer’s work rules and labour-management agreements. For individual cases, consult your employer’s HR or labour affairs contact, or your Prefectural Labour Bureau.

The post Child Nursing and Care Leave in Japan: Which Events Qualify first appeared on TamagoDaruma.

You’ve spotted an add-on set in a store and you’re wondering: we have one of these machines at home, but will this actually work with it? The name comes from Japanese, where shīru means sticker and gacha refers to capsule-toy vending machines. Several products share the Kira★Gacha Seal name, and each one takes different add-on sets.

This article covers the Kira★Gacha Seal Pukkuri Drop (キラ★ガチャシール ぷっくりドロップ), released in Japan on August 1, 2026 by Takara Tomy. Using official information, it explains how the new sets relate to older machines, how to identify the one you own, and what to confirm before buying more. You’ll be able to judge quickly, in a store or on a shopping site, whether a combination will work.

Pukkuri Drop add-on sets do not work with older machines

The short answer: add-on sets made for Pukkuri Drop are not compatible with machines from the earlier series. Start by checking the name of the machine you own against the table below.

Which machines work with the Pukkuri Drop add-on sets

The official sales page on Takara Tomy Mall states that to play with the Kira★Gacha Seal Pukkuri Drop Dedicated Add-On Set, you need the separately sold Kira★Gacha Seal Pukkuri Drop machine. It also says plainly that the set cannot be used with the earlier products: Kira★Gacha Seal, Kira★Gacha Seal Deluxe and Kira★Gacha Seal Rame Jewel.
(Source: Kira★Gacha Seal Pukkuri Drop Dedicated Add-On Set | Takara Tomy Mall)

The Hello Kitty edition can’t be used with those same three older machines either. Both the standard and Hello Kitty editions need a Pukkuri Drop machine.
(Source: The Hello Kitty edition of the Kira★Gacha Seal Pukkuri Drop Dedicated Add-On Set arrives | Sanrio)

This table shows which machines the new add-on sets can be used with. It doesn’t cover the reverse question of whether parts from the older series fit the new machine, or whether individual components such as guide plates can be reused.

Be careful not to confuse “Deluxe” with the “Pukkuri Drop DX Set”

Two names deserve extra attention: the older Kira★Gacha Seal Deluxe and the new Kira★Gacha Seal Pukkuri Drop DX Set Sanrio Characters. If you shorten either one to “Deluxe” or “DX,” you could confuse two different products.

Takara Tomy’s official site lists the Pukkuri Drop DX Set Sanrio Characters as an all-in-one set scheduled for release on October 24, 2026. It’s a different product from the older Kira★Gacha Seal Deluxe, so check the full product name, including “Pukkuri Drop,” before you buy.
(Source: Kira★Gacha Seal Pukkuri Drop product information | Takara Tomy)

Identify the machine at home by its full product name

Color and appearance alone won’t tell you which add-on sets a machine takes. Check the full product name on the box, the manual or your purchase history first.

Check the box, the manual and your order history

If you still have the box, look at the sides and back as well as the large series name on the front. If you have the manual, check the cover and the product information section.

If you bought it online, an order confirmation email, the shop’s purchase history or a receipt can often take you back to the product page. If it was a gift, asking when and where it was bought may give you enough to go on.

The product number for the Kira★Gacha Seal Pukkuri Drop machine is 4904810078371, a Japanese retail barcode number known as a JAN code. Treat it as supporting evidence and confirm it alongside the product name.
(Source: Kira★Gacha Seal Pukkuri Drop | Takara Tomy Mall)

If you can’t identify the product name, check before you buy

If there’s no box or manual and you can’t find a purchase record, don’t go by appearance. Hold off on buying for now.

When you contact the manufacturer, it helps to have photos showing the whole machine, any text or numbers printed on it, and the accessories you have. With secondhand items and flea-market listings, photos often won’t confirm the product name or what’s included. Ask the seller to confirm any missing details before you buy, rather than deciding on price alone.

When product names are this similar, a few minutes of checking beforehand saves the disappointment of an item arriving that can’t be used.

Before buying more, check the machine and the accessories you need

An add-on set won’t work on its own; you need a compatible machine. Check what you already have, then decide what to add.

If you have a compatible machine, check what the add-on set includes

Once you’ve confirmed you have a Kira★Gacha Seal Pukkuri Drop machine, compare the add-on set’s full name with what’s inside it.

The standard and Hello Kitty editions both make 48 stickers. What differs is the sticker designs and the shapes of the drop-shaped pieces that form each sticker. The standard edition has five shapes: circle, heart, strawberry, cat and rabbit. The Hello Kitty edition has four: circle, heart, strawberry and Hello Kitty.
(Source: Gacha-machine-style 3D sticker maker Kira★Gacha Seal Pukkuri Drop, released August 1, 2026 | Takara Tomy)

It also helps to know whether your child is looking forward to the process of making stickers, or to one particular character or shape. If it’s a gift, check in advance whether the family receiving it has a compatible machine.

If you only have an older machine, wait before buying

If your only machine is from the older series, the new Pukkuri Drop add-on sets won’t fit it. That doesn’t automatically mean you need to replace it.

First, check whether any parts or sticker sheets that still work with your older machine are left at home. Then talk with your child about whether they want to make new puffy stickers themselves or collect finished ones. That makes the question of replacing the machine much easier to answer.

Don’t try to force an add-on set onto an older machine when compatibility isn’t confirmed. Follow the official compatibility information and the instruction manual.

Run through the pre-purchase checklist

Before you confirm an order, check these seven points. Take a screenshot so you can look back at it in a store.

• I know the full product name of the machine we own
• I’ve checked the full product name of the item I want to buy
• I’ve confirmed from official information that the two work together
• I’ve checked the age guidance and the instruction manual
• We have the machine and accessories needed to play
• I’ve checked the total cost, including shipping
• I’ve asked the manufacturer or seller about anything I’m unsure of

If even one point is still unclear, there’s no need to decide on the spot. Checking first and buying later costs you nothing.

For ages 6 and up: check the age guidance and manual before buying

The Pukkuri Drop machine and the add-on sets covered here are all for ages 6 and up. Rather than filing it mentally as a preschool toy, check the age labeling on the product itself and the instruction manual.

Age guidance and “can use it alone” are two different things

According to the official announcement, the Kira★Gacha Seal Pukkuri Drop machine and both the standard and Hello Kitty add-on sets are for ages 6 and up. There are no batteries; you turn a handle to make the stickers.
(Source: Kira★Gacha Seal Pukkuri Drop product overview | Takara Tomy)

Being old enough for a toy isn’t the same as being able to use it alone from day one. Reading the manual together and working through the steps for the first few goes is often the easier route.

Follow the manufacturer’s age guidance either way. Adult supervision doesn’t make the product suitable for a child below the stated age, so go by the labeling on the product rather than your own judgment.

If there are younger children at home, read the safety warnings

In a household with younger children, what matters isn’t only the age of the child playing, but where the parts are kept and how everything is put away afterwards.

For how to remove each part, safety warnings, prohibited uses and storage, check the current instruction manual for the product you bought. Don’t rely on this article alone; follow the manual that comes with the toy.

If you’re unsure, work out what your child wants before replacing anything

Wondering whether to buy a new machine? Start with the stickers your child wants to make and the things you already own. You can also wait to buy until you’ve checked what’s at home.

Separate “make,” “collect” and “trade”

When a child says they want puffy stickers, they may mean several different things.

Wanting to enjoy the process of making them, wanting stickers of a favorite character, and wanting something to trade with friends all lead somewhere different. If the goal is collecting or trading, a new machine isn’t necessarily the answer.

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Kids' Sticker Swapping: 5 Family Rules for "Shiru-katsu"

https://en.tamagodaruma.com/trend/seal-katsu

Have you noticed your child heading out to meet friends with a sticker book lately, or talking about how "this sticker has a high rate"?"Shiru-katsu"—collecting, sharing, and swapping stickers—is spreading among elementary-school children. It can look like nothing more than gathering cute stickers, but in practice the back-and-forth between kids ("which one should I trade?" "I don't want to give this one up" "how many will you swap for this?&q...

Check what still works, then choose

Common questions about compatibility and buying add-on sets

Here are short answers on older machines, how the add-on sets are used, and the age guidance. For combinations you can’t confirm from official information, ask the manufacturer rather than guessing.

Q1. Can the Pukkuri Drop add-on sets be used with an older machine?

No. Kira★Gacha Seal, Kira★Gacha Seal Deluxe and Kira★Gacha Seal Rame Jewel are all officially listed as incompatible.

Q2. What if I have the Rame Jewel machine?

It won’t work. The Kira★Gacha Seal Rame Jewel machine is not compatible with the Pukkuri Drop add-on sets either.

Q3. Is the Kira★Gacha Seal Deluxe compatible?

The older Kira★Gacha Seal Deluxe is not compatible. It’s a different product from the new Kira★Gacha Seal Pukkuri Drop DX Set Sanrio Characters, so go by the full product names.

Q4. Can we play with just an add-on set?

No. You need a compatible Kira★Gacha Seal Pukkuri Drop machine.

Q5. What age is it for?

The machine and add-on sets covered here are all for ages 6 and up. Check the labeling on the product you’re buying and its instruction manual as well.

Q6. What if I don’t know the name of the machine we have?

Check the box, manual or purchase history for the full product name. If you still can’t identify it, take photos of any text or numbers printed on the machine and of the accessories you have, and ask the manufacturer before buying.

Q7. Can parts from the older series be used with the Pukkuri Drop machine?

Whether individual older parts can be reused isn’t something the official information confirmed here can answer. Don’t assume they’ll fit; give the manufacturer the full product names of both the part and the machine and ask.

Q8. Is an add-on set on its own a reasonable gift?

Only if the family already has a compatible Pukkuri Drop machine. If you don’t know, check first or consider a set that includes the machine.

Q9. Can I still use the stickers we’ve already made if we replace the machine?

Yes. Compatibility only affects the combination of machine and add-on parts used to make stickers. Finished stickers can still be stuck on things or kept in a collection.

Products sharing the Kira★Gacha Seal name don’t all take the same add-on sets. When choosing something to add to a Pukkuri Drop, check these in order: the full product name of your machine, the official compatibility information, the age guidance and the accessories you need.

Our aim at TamagoDaruma isn’t to steer families away from what children are into, but to lay out the information so a household can decide calmly. Before you buy, check which machine you have and what your child wants to do with it. Whether you add a set, replace the machine or hold off for now, those few checks are what make the decision one you can live with.

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What Is Stickerbox? The AI Sticker Toy for Kids, Explained

https://en.tamagodaruma.com/tech/stickerbox-ai-toy

"I don't want it to be all tablets. But thinking about the years ahead, keeping AI completely at arm's length doesn't feel right either." For parents caught between those two feelings, an interesting kind of AI toy has appeared in the United States.Its name is Stickerbox. It's a device that takes an idea a child says out loud, turns it into an illustration with AI, and prints it on the spot as a black-and-white sticker.Stickerbox is a creative toy that makes AI s...

The post Kira Gacha Seal Pukkuri Drop: Will Add-Ons Fit Old Models? first appeared on TamagoDaruma.

Keep the flashlight still and move the ghost cut-out closer to it, and the shadow on the wall grows larger. You don’t need to build a special stage. If you have a white wall, you can try it right away.

Children don’t have to make all of the cut-outs themselves, either. An adult can do the cutting, while the child takes part by choosing, moving, and watching.

This article covers how to make the puppets, how to make the shadow bigger, how different light sources change what you see, what to watch for when you dim the room, and ways for a child who feels scared to join in. It assumes a child aged three to five playing together with an adult, but interest and confidence with tools vary from child to child, so choose the approach that suits yours.

A Halloween shadow theater can be made from things you already have

Shadow theater needs no special equipment. Paper that light doesn’t pass through easily, a handle, tape, a flashlight, and a wall to cast shadows on are enough to begin.

If you try to prepare a whole cast of puppets, the cutting alone will eat up your time. It works better to make one ghost with a simple outline first and see what its shadow looks like on the wall.

What you will need (materials and tools)

Here are the basic materials and tools.

• Black construction paper, or lightweight cardstock that light doesn’t pass through easily
• A printed template, or a ghost you have drawn on paper
• A handle such as a round-ended craft stick or a thick paper straw
• Clear tape or masking tape
• Scissors
• A light source such as a flashlight
• A white or pale-colored wall

If you use ordinary copy paper, light may pass through it and leave the shadow faint. Gluing the printed sheet onto construction paper, or layering two sheets cut to the same shape, will fix that.

For the handle, avoid pointed bamboo skewers and choose something with rounded ends. If you use disposable chopsticks, keep them to puppets an adult operates, so there’s no risk of breakage or of the stick reaching the child’s mouth.

A screen or box-shaped stage isn’t essential. Cast directly onto a white wall at first, then build a stage from poster paper or a white sheet once you’re used to it. That keeps the preparation light.

How long it takes, and what ages it suits

Preparation time depends on the size of the template, how many shapes you cut out, and whether you make holes for eyes and a mouth. Start with one ghost cut only around the outline, and a short test run.

This article is written mainly for ages three to five, but you can’t decide by age alone that “a three-year-old can do this much” or “a five-year-old can make one alone.” Choose steps that are manageable based on the child’s experience with scissors, their interest, and how they’re doing that day.

Even if an adult makes the puppet from start to finish, the child can take part by choosing which one to use, moving the handle, describing how the shadow changes, or taking on the voices in the story.

Preparing ghost, pumpkin, and bat templates

In shadow play, the outline that blocks the light shows up far more strongly than the color of the paper or any pattern drawn on its surface. Choose shapes that read clearly from the silhouette alone, such as a ghost, a pumpkin, or a bat.

If you want eyes and a mouth to appear in the shadow, cut those parts out as holes. Fine holes call for a craft knife, so an adult must always handle that step. To begin with, a ghost cut only around the outline, with no holes at all, is plenty to play with.

The printable materials currently available on TamagoDaruma are listed in the free download index below.

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[Free Download Resources] Childcare & Early Childhood Support

https://en.tamagodaruma.com/downloads

Free Downloadable ContentChildcare & Early Education SupportWe offer a collection of free educational worksheets that can be used immediately at preschools or at home. All materials are printable in A4 size. Please use them according to your child’s age and developmental stage.Circle Sticker SheetsA popular activity that develops fine motor skillsThese sheets allow children to enjoy sticking store-bought circle stickers onto various motifs such as animals and food. They help build concent...

Why does the ghost get bigger when you move it closer to the flashlight?

The size of a shadow depends on where the light source, the cut-out, and the wall sit in relation to one another. Leave the light and the wall in the same position, and the shadow grows as you move the cut-out toward the light and shrinks as you move it toward the wall.

Light spreads outward as it travels from its source. Moving the cut-out toward the light means it blocks a wider spread of light, so a larger shadow lands on the wall. Move it toward the wall instead, and the shadow comes out close to the actual size of the paper, with a relatively sharp outline.
(Reference: Making Shadow Puppets｜Science Buddies)

The important thing here is not to move the light and the cut-out at the same time. If you keep the light still and move only the cut-out, it’s much easier to show the child what caused the change.

Make your ghost grow in three simple steps

Here is how it works, in three steps.

1. Point the flashlight at a white wall and set it somewhere it won’t tip over.
2. Hold the ghost cut-out near the wall so it casts a small shadow.
3. Ask, “Do you think it will get bigger?” and slowly move only the cut-out toward the light.

To shrink the enlarged shadow back down, move the cut-out toward the wall. Even a short arc — a small ghost becomes a big ghost, then goes back to normal — is enough to make a game of it.

You don’t need to give away the answer straight away. Ask, “What do you think happens if we move it toward the light?” or “How does it look near the wall?” and check the change together.

Light that gives a sharp outline, light that gives a soft one

The sharpness of a shadow’s edge changes with the brightness of the light, how wide the lit surface is, and the distance between the cut-out and the wall.

Lights that emit from a relatively small area, such as a handheld flashlight, tend to give an outline that’s easy to make out. With a lantern that lights up across a wide surface, light arriving from several directions overlaps, and the edge can look softer.

Even lights of the same type spread their light differently from product to product, though. “A flashlight will always give a sharp shadow” isn’t a safe assumption, so have an adult test the setup before children join in.

Compare the shadow at three positions

With the light and the wall in the same position throughout, move the cut-out to these three spots and compare.

• Near the wall
• Roughly midway between the light and the wall
• Near the light

At each position, compare the size, how the outline looks, and whether it seems scary or cute. You can also draw three circles on paper and let the child record the size they saw with lines or color.

Rather than measuring exact lengths, what matters is the realization that it’s the same ghost, but it looks different depending on where you put it.

Ages three, four, and five: how much can you leave to the child?

Which steps you hand over depends not on age alone but on experience with scissors, how the child uses their hands, and how they feel about dark spaces. It works best when the adult takes the difficult steps and the child can choose how they want to be involved.

At three, keep the focus on watching, choosing, and moving; at four and five, if the child wants to, you can extend to taping and simple storytelling. This isn’t a uniform developmental benchmark, though. Whatever the age, adults should manage the safety of blades and lights.

Learning goals for early childhood educators

The official commentary on Japan’s national guidelines for nursery care at licensed daycare centers (hoikuen) places weight on experiences in which children encounter the beauty and wonder of nature close at hand, and express what they have felt and thought in their own way.
(Reference: Commentary on the Guidelines for Nursery Care at Daycare Centers｜Children and Families Agency (in Japanese))

If you bring shadow play into a childcare program, the following aims follow from that way of thinking.

• Noticing that blocking light creates a shadow
• Testing how the position of the cut-out changes the size of the shadow
• Using the shape and movement of shadows to express something in their own way
• Choosing a role: performing, watching, or adding voices

These are activity ideas drawn from the characteristics of shadow play; the guidelines don’t specify shadow play as an activity. Adjust them to the children in your setting and to your own program plan.

With shadow puppets, finishing the craft is just the beginning

Ten shadow play ideas

Which light source should you use? Flashlights, smartphones, and LED lanterns compared

How the shadow looks depends not only on how the puppet turned out but on the light source. As a rule, choose a light that’s easy to aim at the wall and keep steady, with no damage to the battery compartment or the body.

If you want the ghost growing larger to come across clearly, keep the light still and move only the cut-out back and forth. How it looks varies by product, so have an adult check it before playing with the child.

What to watch for when using a smartphone light

A smartphone light is convenient, but it’s safer not to build the activity around handing the device to the child. Place it in a stable phone stand where it won’t fall, and have an adult operate it.

Don’t aim the light at anyone’s face or eyes, and if you put it directly on the floor, choose a spot where it won’t be stepped on. If you’re also filming, using a separate device for the light means you won’t have to switch the light off or move it partway through.

Leaving the light on for a long time can also make the device hot. If it heats up unusually, stop using it and follow the product’s instruction manual.

Five safety rules to settle before you dim the room

Safety in shadow play is settled by the preparation before you start, not by how you respond once the lights are down. Adults should confirm these five points.

• Don’t make the room pitch dark; leave enough light to see where you’re stepping
• Don’t aim the light at anyone’s face or eyes
• Choose a spot where no one will trip over the light, cords, or furniture
• Have an adult check the battery compartment, the handles, and the tape
• Don’t leave scissors, small scraps of paper, or spare batteries in the play area

Put the “don’t point the light at eyes” rule into words first

Before you start, say it briefly: the light goes on the wall, not on your own face or your friend’s face.

Even if the child becomes interested in moving the light themselves, have an adult guide their hand at first and check the direction of the light together. Don’t let it turn into a game of swinging the light around; keep it on the agreed area of the wall.

Follow the product’s instruction manual for the recommended age, how to use it, and how long it can be left on continuously.

Button batteries in small lights are for adults to manage

Small lights and light-up novelties often run on button batteries or coin-type lithium batteries.

The National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan warns that swallowing a button battery risks damage to the esophagus, stomach, and other parts of the digestive tract from the alkali produced as the battery discharges.
(Reference: Take Care to Prevent Children From Swallowing Button Batteries!｜National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan (in Japanese))

The Consumer Affairs Agency likewise points out that button batteries are used in everyday products such as LED lights, and advises checking whether the battery cover has come loose, and storing both unused and spent batteries out of children’s reach.
(Reference: Preventing Button Battery Ingestion｜Consumer Affairs Agency (in Japanese))

Change batteries away from children, and don’t leave batteries sitting on a desk or the floor before or after the swap. If a battery is missing and you suspect a child has swallowed it, don’t decide on your own to wait and see — get medical help right away.

What to watch for in households with a younger sibling

Offcuts from the paper, tape that has peeled away, and small scraps are visible in a bright room but easy to miss once you dim the lights.

The Children and Families Agency notes that fragments such as packaging film and stickers can also lead to choking or ingestion, and advises not leaving small objects within children’s reach.
(Reference: Choking and Ingestion Accidents｜Children and Families Agency (in Japanese))

If there’s a younger sibling, keep the materials together on a tray and collect the offcuts as you go. When you finish playing, turn the lights back on and check the floor, under the table, and the gaps between furniture.

[Checklist] 10 preparation and safety checks

• Check the instruction manual for the light you’re using
• Check the light body and battery cover for damage or looseness
• Tell everyone not to aim the light at faces or eyes
• Leave enough light to see where you’re stepping
• Clear cords, toys, and furniture from the floor
• Set the light somewhere it won’t tip over
• Keep the scissors and offcuts under adult control
• Store spare and spent batteries somewhere separate
• Set aside a brightly lit spot the child can move to if they get scared
• Collect the tools, batteries, and small materials afterward

More ways to play, plus a short script

Simply moving a puppet’s shadow across a wall can be fun, but adding a short story or a repeated phrase lets you extend the play with the same cut-outs.

There’s no need to memorize a long script. Three scenes — a small ghost arrived, it grew bigger and bigger, it grew too big and went back to normal — are enough.

Common problems and simple fixes

How to proceed when a child is frightened

How children feel about darkness and about ghosts varies. There’s no need to ask a child who’s uncomfortable to get used to it or to stay until the end.

Start without dimming the room, showing the cut-outs and the light with the lights still on. After that, lower the lighting gradually, just until the shadow becomes visible.

If ghosts are the problem, you can switch to moons, stars, animals, or vehicles. The child can also just watch, sit next to an adult, take part from a brightly lit spot, or choose a different activity.

Rather than dismissing the feeling with “It’s not scary,” acknowledging it first — “The dark is bothering you, isn’t it?” or “What if we tried a moon shape?” — and then offering choices means no one has to be pushed into taking part.

A short shadow play script: the ghost grows, then shrinks back

The script below can be performed just by moving the cut-out back and forth.

Asking “What do you think happens next?” or “Shall we make it even bigger?” partway through lets the child take part in where the story goes. Don’t look for the correct answer; work in whatever words and movements come up on the spot.

Halloween shadow theater: frequently asked questions

Do shadow puppets have to be made from black construction paper?

Any paper that light doesn’t pass through easily will work. The color of the paper barely shows in the shadow, so check the thickness and opacity rather than the color.

If we don’t have a white wall, what can we use as a screen?

A large sheet of white poster paper, or a white sheet smoothed out and fastened in place, will do. Arrange it so that children can’t get behind the material.

Does the room need to be completely dark?

No. Lower the lighting just until the shadow is visible, and leave enough light to see where you’re stepping and what’s around you.

Can a three-year-old take part?

Yes. If an adult handles the cutting and sets up the light, the child can take part by choosing which puppet to use, watching the shadows, and moving the finished puppets.

What if the child is frightened of ghosts or of a dark room?

You can brighten the lighting, swap the ghost for a moon or a star, or let them watch from further away. If they’re uncomfortable, it’s fine to stop and choose a different activity.

Why is the shadow blurry?

The cut-out may be too close to the light, or you may be using a light with a wide lit surface. Start by moving the cut-out slightly toward the wall and see how the outline changes.

Can we do this with a smartphone light?

It can cast a shadow, but watch for drops, heat, and accidental taps. Have an adult set it in a stable position, and follow the product’s instruction manual.

Can a child who can’t use scissors still take part?

Yes. Choosing the puppets an adult has made, moving them, watching, and adding voices are all ways to be involved without cutting.

In shadow play, finishing a neat cut-out isn’t the only goal. Moving a shape between the light and the wall and noticing that it’s the same ghost but the size has changed is where the particular interest of this activity lies.

One child can make, another can move, another can watch — and stepping away partway through is fine too. Start by making just one ghost, keep the light and the wall still, and move the cut-out slowly back and forth.

If you’d like to make Halloween decorations as well, our related article on folding pumpkins, ghosts, and bats may also help.

The post Halloween Shadow Puppets: Make Ghosts Grow with a Flashlight first appeared on TamagoDaruma.

Then, a few months later, your employer says: “We need a copy of your daycare application for the childcare leave benefits extension.”

And there is no paper copy anywhere in the house.

Here is the short answer first. What you need to keep is a complete record of everything you actually submitted to your municipality. Not just the confirmation email or the receipt number, but something that shows the contents of your application: print-ready data, a PDF, or a printout of the application screen. If you revised your application after submitting it, you need the updated record too.

Since April 2025, extending the payment period for childcare leave benefits (ikuji kyugyo kyufukin) on the grounds that your child could not get a daycare place requires two documents in addition to the notice of deferred enrollment you already needed: a copy of the daycare application you filed, and a declaration form certifying the grounds for the extension (育児休業給付金支給対象期間延長事由認定申告書). Hello Work, the public employment security office, also checks whether you applied for childcare intending to return to work without undue delay.
(Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, “Procedures for extending the childcare leave benefit payment period” [Japanese])

If you have already missed the chance to save a copy, work through your device files, your confirmation email, and your online application history, in that order. Then ask your municipality whether it can provide a copy, and ask your employer’s HR contact about the submission format and the deadline. Whether a copy can be reissued differs by municipality, so do not assume one will always be available.

Start by saving a record of the application you actually submitted

What you want on hand for a childcare leave benefits extension is the full content of what you submitted. That serves a different purpose from a notice of receipt, so treat the two separately.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) lists three documents as the standard requirement.

• The declaration form certifying the grounds for extending the childcare leave benefit payment period
• A copy of the daycare application you submitted to your municipality
• A municipal notice showing that childcare was unavailable, such as a notice of deferred enrollment (入所保留通知書) or a notice that enrollment was denied (入所不承諾通知書)

The copy of your application does not need the municipality’s receipt stamp, as long as the contents match the information you actually submitted. For online applications, what is expected is a printout of the application contents, or a printout of the screen on which you applied.
(Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Prefectural Labour Bureaus and Hello Work, “From April 2025, the procedure for extending the childcare leave benefit payment period when a child cannot be enrolled in daycare is changing” [Japanese])

How is extending childcare leave different from extending the benefit?

Extending your childcare leave and extending the payment period for childcare leave benefits are related, but they are not the same procedure.

The length of your childcare leave is something you notify your employer about. Childcare leave benefits, on the other hand, are an employment insurance benefit, and whether the payment period can be extended is confirmed by Hello Work. The benefit application itself normally goes through your employer, though you can apply yourself if you prefer.
(Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, “Q&A on childcare leave benefits” [Japanese])

So: questions about how to obtain a copy of your daycare application go to your municipality, and questions about extending leave at work or submitting the benefit application go to your HR contact. Simply knowing which office to contact cuts down on the “do I ask city hall or my company?” confusion.

Treat the confirmation email and the application record as two separate things

A confirmation email is useful for showing that your application was sent, along with the receipt number and the date and time it was received. But unless the email itself contains the full contents of your application, it will not necessarily stand in for a copy of the application.

Proof that something was sent and a record of what was sent are two different things. With online applications, you need both so you can document your submission later.

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Rejected from Licensed Daycare in Japan? What to Do Next

https://en.tamagodaruma.com/childcare/hoikuen-ochita

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 the...

How much of the “application copy” do you need to keep?

As a rule, you should retain every page, not a selected part. After saving, open the file again and check that the necessary items are actually readable.

Check every page, and check the specific items

The MHLW Q&A states that all pages of the daycare application are required. On top of that, it specifies that at minimum the following should be verifiable.

• The name of the child the daycare application was made for
• The date of application
• The requested start date
• What you indicated about enrollment on the application
• The daycare facilities you applied to

If these can be confirmed from the copy of your application, supplementary documents or notices from the municipality are not required. That does not mean you only need to save the pages containing those items. As a rule, you should retain every page.
(Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, “Q&A on childcare leave benefits” [Japanese])

After saving, do not stop at seeing the file name. Open it. Check for cut-off text, blurred images, missing pages, and pages that saved as blank. If you are using screenshots on a smartphone, part of a long page may be omitted, or selections may be hidden because a section was collapsed.

How should you manage attachments and records of revised applications?

Keep the original files you attached to your application as well, such as your employment certificate. Some municipalities state that attachments may be deleted after a certain period following an online application. Both Kita City, Tokyo, and Hino City, Tokyo, ask guardians to keep attachments themselves.
(Source: Kita City, Tokyo, “Online applications for daycare-related procedures” [Japanese])
(Source: Hino City, “Please read: points to note for online applications” [Japanese])

That said, it does not mean every attachment, such as an employment certificate, will be needed for the childcare leave benefits extension. Distinguish between two categories: documents required for the benefit application, and documents you keep at home in case of follow-up questions or a resubmission.

If you revised your preferred facilities after submitting, do not overwrite the earlier version. Save the before and after separately, with dates in the file names. The MHLW states that if you revise the contents of your daycare application, you need to submit a copy of the updated application.
(Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Prefectural Labour Bureaus and Hello Work, “From April 2025, the procedure for extending the childcare leave benefit payment period when a child cannot be enrolled in daycare is changing” [Japanese])

File names like “2026-10-03_daycare_application_submitted” and “2026-10-18_facility_change” make it much easier to tell which version is current.

How do you get a copy under your municipality’s application method?

How you obtain a copy depends on the municipality, the application service, and whether you were logged in. Always check the official guidance for your own municipality and the relevant fiscal year. Japan’s fiscal and administrative year runs from April to March, so FY2026 means April 2026 to March 2027.

What this comparison shows is that applying online does not guarantee you can retrieve the same copy later. Even with similar application services, how each municipality operates and what it tells applicants are not identical.

Example: downloading a copy at the time of application

Yokohama City’s process for enrollment starting in FY2026 is an online application using Mynaportal. The official FAQ explains the steps for downloading a copy of the submitted data after applying, and notes that the receipt number is printed on the application confirmation email and on the downloaded data.
(Source: Yokohama City, “Online application for daycare use, for enrollment starting in FY2026” [Japanese])

Beginning with the first application round for enrollment in April 2027, Yokohama City plans to move to online applications using a My Number Card as the standard method. Because the procedure and required documents can change with the fiscal year, do not rely on articles about past years or a family member’s experience. Check the guidance for the year that applies to you.
(Source: Yokohama City, “For those seeking daycare enrollment in FY2027” [Japanese])

Example: printing from the completion screen or a logged-in application list

Hino City instructs applicants to keep print-ready data via the “Print your entries” option on the LoGo Form submission complete screen. A confirmation email that includes your responses is also sent. In addition, applicants who registered an account and applied while logged in can print the relevant application from the application list in My Page.

At the same time, the city states clearly that it cannot help if you forget to print. Note that the options available afterward differ depending on whether you applied while logged in or not.
(Source: Hino City, “Please read: points to note for online applications” [Japanese])

Kita City, Tokyo, also uses LoGo Form, with print-ready data saved from the submission complete screen. Logged-in applicants can print from the application list in My Page, but the ward states that it cannot help if you forget to print.
(Source: Kita City, Tokyo, “Online applications for daycare-related procedures” [Japanese])

Three things to check for your own municipality

On your municipality’s official page, look for these three points.

• What you are supposed to save at the moment of submission
• Whether you can retrieve it later from an application history or My Page
• Where to obtain the updated copy if you revise your application

Check the page’s update date and the fiscal year it covers, too. The description in search results may not match the current application method. Reading the official guidance once before you start, and checking how to save your copy, takes a lot of the worry out of the moment after you press send.

What if you forgot to save it, or cannot find it?

Even if you cannot find your copy, do not reapply straight away. Work through your device, your email, and your application history, then talk to your municipality and to whoever is receiving the documents.

Work through your device, your email, and your application history

Searching in this order saves you from checking the same place repeatedly.

• “Downloads,” “Files,” and “Recents” on your smartphone or computer
• Screenshots in your photo app
• The application confirmation email, plus spam, trash, and archive folders
• The receipt number and response details written in the email
• My Page, the application list, or the application status page on the application service
• Cloud storage or messages shared with family

For any file you find, check that it opens, that all pages are there, and that it matches the information you actually submitted. Avoid sending the same application again just because you cannot find the file. Some municipalities have set rules for how duplicate applications are handled.

The MHLW advises that if you forgot to make a copy or take a photo, you should ask your municipality whether it can provide a copy. That does not mean the municipality will always be able to. As noted above, some municipalities, such as Hino City and Kita City, Tokyo, state clearly that they cannot help if you forget to print.
(Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, “Q&A on childcare leave benefits” [Japanese])

If the municipality cannot help, explain the situation to the office receiving your documents

Once you know the municipality cannot provide a copy, tell your HR contact early. If you plan to apply yourself, check with the Hello Work office handling your application. The municipality is the office that handles daycare applications. It is not the office that makes the final decision on whether your benefit payment period can be extended.

Having the following ready makes the conversation go more smoothly.

When no copy exists, how the case is handled depends on the circumstances of your application and what records remain. Do not assume that a particular email will be accepted as a substitute, and make a note of the date you asked, which office you asked, and what you were told.

Where should you submit the saved documents, and what should you check?

Once your documents are together, confirm the submission format and your company’s internal deadline with your HR contact. Obtaining a copy from the municipality and having the extension reviewed are two separate procedures.

Ask the municipality how to get it, ask your employer how to submit it

Sorting your questions by topic keeps you from approaching the wrong office.

The MHLW Q&A explains that the childcare leave benefits extension procedure is carried out when you file the benefit application for either the payment unit period immediately before the extension or the payment unit period after it. Check your next payment period and application date with your HR contact.
(Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, “Q&A on childcare leave benefits” [Japanese])

Run a pre-submission check on what you have saved

Open your saved application copy and go through these items one by one.

• All pages of the application are present
• The child’s name is legible
• The application date is legible
• The requested start date is legible
• What you indicated about enrollment is legible
• The daycare facilities you applied to are legible
• If you revised your application, the updated contents are saved
• You still have the confirmation email and receipt number
• The notice of deferred or denied enrollment is saved
• The declaration form for the grounds of extension is ready
• You have confirmed the submission format and deadline with your employer
• Your family knows where the files are kept

Rather than keeping everything only on one device, you can back files up to cloud storage with access restrictions. These documents may contain your child’s name, your address, your workplace, and information connected to your My Number, so do not share them on social media or through public links.

The relief of having finished the application and the relief of having the right documents later are two different things. Digitization may have removed the trip to the counter, but the work of finding the copy, cross-checking the contents, and organizing it for each recipient still sits with the family. That is exactly why “do not forget to save it” is not enough. It is worth knowing what you need on hand to use at the next stage of the process.

Common questions about copies of online applications

Here are the points people most often get stuck on, such as having only the email, or having no way to print. For anything specific to your municipality, always check the latest official guidance.

Is the confirmation email enough on its own?

If the email does not let you confirm the full contents of your application, it generally is not sufficient. Keep the email as a record of the receipt number and the date and time it was received, and save a separate record of the full application contents. If the email does contain your complete responses, check with your HR contact or the Hello Work office handling your application about the submission format.

Are screenshots acceptable?

The MHLW Q&A advises making a copy or taking a photo in the case of paper applications. For online applications, what is specified is a printout of the application contents or of the screen on which you applied. If you use screenshots, check that all pages and the required items are legible, and confirm with the office receiving your documents whether image files can be submitted as they are.
(Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Prefectural Labour Bureaus and Hello Work, “From April 2025, the procedure for extending the childcare leave benefit payment period when a child cannot be enrolled in daycare is changing” [Japanese])

Is the page listing my preferred facilities enough?

No. The MHLW states that all pages of the daycare application are required. Save the full application contents, including the child’s name, the application date, the requested start date, and what you indicated about enrollment, not just the page with your preferred facilities.
(Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, “Q&A on childcare leave benefits” [Japanese])

Can it be reissued if I forgot to save it?

There is no single answer. Check your device, your confirmation email, and your application history, and if you still cannot find it, ask your municipality whether it can provide a copy. The MHLW does advise consulting your municipality, but some municipalities, such as Hino City and Kita City, Tokyo, state that they cannot help if you forget to print.

What if I revised my preferred facilities after applying?

Keep the before and after copies separately, in a form that shows the dates. For the childcare leave benefits extension, a copy of the updated application is required. Check with your HR contact or the Hello Work office handling your application about which change documents to submit and in what format.
(Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Prefectural Labour Bureaus and Hello Work, “From April 2025, the procedure for extending the childcare leave benefit payment period when a child cannot be enrolled in daycare is changing” [Japanese])

What if I do not have a printer?

Start by saving print-ready data such as a PDF, then check whether the office receiving your documents accepts digital submissions. If you need to submit on paper, convenience store print services are an option. Hino City also points applicants without printing equipment at home toward convenience store print services.
(Source: Hino City, “Please read: points to note for online applications” [Japanese])

Do I submit these to city hall?

Daycare applications go to your municipality, but childcare leave benefit applications normally go to Hello Work through your employer. Start by checking the submission format and your company’s internal deadline with your HR contact. If you are applying yourself, check with the Hello Work office handling your application.

The convenience of an online application cannot be judged by the moment you press send. It becomes something that genuinely supports a family only when you can pull up what you submitted when you need it, and use it for the next stage of the process without getting lost. If you have already applied, open your saved copy today and check that every page is readable.

Note: This article is based on information published as of September 11, 2026. Application methods and required documents vary by municipality, by fiscal year, and by individual circumstances. For the latest information, check with your municipality, your employer, and the Hello Work office handling your application.

The post Extending Childcare Leave Benefits in Japan: What to Save first appeared on TamagoDaruma.

There is no need to rush to a conclusion such as “do we have to sign fresh contracts with every part-time employee?” or “do all allowances now have to be the same amount?” Once you separate what the revision newly requires, what was already required, and what the guidelines describe as desirable, the preparation becomes much clearer.

This article sets out the documents, the employees covered, the way explanations are given, and the review steps that principals, head offices, and HR staff will want to work through at private hoikuen (licensed daycare centers), nintei kodomoen (integrated centers for early childhood education and care), and small-scale childcare facilities. Whether an individual employment contract or a specific difference in treatment is lawful depends on the facts, so if you are unsure, check with your Prefectural Labour Bureau or a professional such as a labor and social security attorney (sharōshi).

October 2026: what to put in writing, what to explain, and what to review

Preparing for October 2026 breaks into three jobs: adding the new wording to your notice, getting ready to explain differences in pay and benefits, and reviewing those differences themselves. Start by separating what changes from what was already required.

The effective date is October 1, 2026. The main group covered is part-time employees and fixed-term employees directly employed by the operator, such as a private center. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare lists three pillars of the revision: additional information that must be stated when hiring, a revision of the equal pay for equal work guidelines, and a revision of the employment management guidelines.
(Source: Equal Pay for Equal Work special page | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, in Japanese)

What is new, and what was already required

What the revision adds is a requirement to tell part-time and fixed-term employees, in writing, that they may ask the employer to explain the nature of and the reasons for any differences in treatment compared with regular employees (the Act’s own term is “ordinary workers”).

The duty to explain those differences, and the matters taken into account in deciding treatment, when an employee asks for it, already exists under Article 14, paragraph 2 of the Part-Time and Fixed-Term Employment Act. It has also long been necessary, at hiring and at contract renewal, to explain the employment management improvement measures the employer takes: wages, training, welfare facilities, and measures for converting to regular employee status.

In other words, October 2026 is not the point at which explaining differences begins. It is more accurate to see it as creating a clear written route to a right employees already have.
(Source: The rules for part-time and fixed-term employment change from October 2026 | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, in Japanese)

See every document you need to change in one list

Not every item carries the same weight. When you share this inside the center, distinguish between legal obligations, obligations that already existed, steps that follow the guidelines, steps the guidelines call desirable, and practices we recommend as an editorial team.

An MHLW leaflet states that failing to provide the new disclosure may be subject to an administrative fine of up to 100,000 yen. Still, rather than emphasizing the penalty, the practical purpose of the change is to create an environment where employees can raise questions and receive clear answers.
(Source: The rules on part-time and fixed-term employees are changing | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, PDF in Japanese)

Determine who is covered by checking the employer, the contract, and the working hours

Do not decide who is covered from the word “part-timer.” Check the employer, the contract period, and the prescribed working hours. List hiring dates and renewal dates as well.

Short hours, fixed-term full-time, childcare assistants: how to tell who is covered

Under the Act, a part-time worker is an employee whose prescribed weekly working hours are shorter than those of a regular employee working for the same employer. Workplace labels such as “part,” “arubaito” (casual work), “non-regular,” or “childcare assistant” do not settle the question.

A childcare assistant on an indefinite-term contract, for example, is still covered if their prescribed weekly hours are shorter than those of regular employees. Someone on a fixed-term contract who works the same prescribed hours as regular staff, often described as fixed-term full-time, is covered as a fixed-term employee. What decides it is the contract and the working pattern, not whether the person holds a hoikushi (certified childcare professional) qualification.

Non-regular employees with no fixed contract period who work the same hours as regular employees, often described as indefinite-term full-time, may not fall directly within the definitions in the Act. That said, the MHLW Q&A on the revision notes that the intent of the equal pay for equal work guidelines extends to these workers as well. It is important not to read “may not be directly covered by the Act” as “no need to review their pay and benefits.”
(Source: Q&A on communicating the revised ministerial ordinance and notification | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, PDF in Japanese)

Sort your staff into new hires, renewals, and existing staff with no renewal due

MHLW explains that “when hired,” the point at which the new disclosure is required, includes the renewal of a labor contract. So the new form applies not only to covered employees hired on or after October 1, 2026, but also to employees whose fixed-term contracts are renewed on or after that date.
(Source: The rules for part-time and fixed-term employment change from October 2026 | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, in Japanese)

For employees already working at the center on the effective date who have no hiring or renewal date coming up, the official materials we checked do not say that a notice must be reissued to everyone simply because of the revision. If you are unsure about an individual case, such as an indefinite-term part-time employee, check with your Prefectural Labour Bureau rather than redrafting the current contract on your own.

In practice, and separately from whether reissuing is required, telling existing staff about the contact point and about the right to request an explanation keeps anyone from being left out of the loop. A general notice of this kind is not the same as a statutory reissue, and belongs in the category of desirable practice in line with the guidelines.

Dispatched staff and public centers follow a different set of rules

For a dispatched hoikushi, the employer is the dispatching agency. From October 1, 2026, the requirement to state that an explanation of the nature of and reasons for differences in treatment may be requested also applies when a dispatched worker is hired and when they are dispatched. Rather than the host center revising its notice on its own, confirm the division of roles and the flow of information with the dispatching agency.
(Source: Equal pay for equal work for dispatched workers | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, in Japanese)

Local government employees at public centers fall outside the Act under Article 29 of the Part-Time and Fixed-Term Employment Act. Staff such as fiscal-year appointed employees should be checked against the municipality’s ordinances and regulations and the guidance from its personnel department. Where a center is publicly established but privately operated, or run under a designated manager arrangement, and the staff are employed by a private corporation, the judgment rests on the actual employer rather than on the name of the facility.
(Source: Act on Improvement of Employment Management for Part-Time Workers and Fixed-Term Workers | e-Gov Law Search, in Japanese)

What to check on the written notice: the new wording and the contact point

On the notice, check the wording that tells employees they may request an explanation, and a contact point they can actually reach. Put the official model form next to your current one and work through it.

Compare the new fields in the official model against your own form

MHLW has published a model written notice of working conditions for use from October 1, 2026. Place it alongside your current notice and check at least the following.

• Whether pay raises are provided
• Whether a retirement allowance is provided
• Whether bonuses are provided
• A contact point for consultation on employment management improvement
• A statement that an explanation may be requested about the nature of and reasons for differences in treatment compared with regular employees

Written for a center, this might read: an employee may ask the following contact to explain the nature of and reasons for any differences in treatment compared with regular staff, followed by the department, the position responsible, and the contact details. If your center says “regular staff” rather than the statutory “ordinary worker,” the notes to the official model allow you to substitute your own wording.
(Source: Model written notice of working conditions | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, PDF in Japanese)

It is efficient to review your response to the April 2024 changes at the same time. Confirm that the form you use correctly reflects the renewal limit for fixed-term contracts, the opportunity to apply for conversion to indefinite-term employment and the conditions that apply afterward, and the scope of change in workplace and duties.
(Source: The rules on stating working conditions change from April 2024 | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, in Japanese)

How to list a head office contact alongside someone on site

Where the head office decides pay and benefits, naming the head office HR department as the contact point is one option. But a number staff cannot use in practice, or a shared address with nobody assigned to it, does not work as an entry point for consultation.

Even when the head office is the formal contact, decide who passes questions on within the center, whether the employee can contact the head office directly, and by when a first response will come. Avoid treating steps such as submitting a question form or getting the principal’s approval as if they were legal conditions for requesting an explanation.

Confirm how notices are delivered on paper and electronically, and retire the old form

MHLW explains that written notification of working conditions can be given by fax, email, webmail, or certain social media and messaging services if the employee requests it. The condition is that the record received can be printed out to create a written document.
(Source: Notification of working conditions | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, “Check Your Working Conditions”, in Japanese)

When switching to electronic delivery, confirm what the employee wants, and take care not to rely only on formats they cannot open or on links that expire before the employee can save the document. Whichever method you use, track down old versions still sitting in recruitment systems, shared folders, and the computers at each center, so none of them is used by mistake on or after October 1, 2026.

Prepare clear evidence before you explain differences in pay and benefits

When you explain a difference, convey not only what the difference is but the reason for it and the information used to decide. Prepare materials and choose a method the employee can follow.

Separate the explanation given at hiring from the one given when somebody asks

Article 14 of the Part-Time and Fixed-Term Employment Act covers two different kinds of explanation. At hiring and contract renewal, the employer explains the employment management improvement measures it has in place: what wages are based on, what training is provided, which welfare facilities can be used, and what routes exist for converting to regular staff status.

When an employee asks after being hired, the employer explains the nature of and reasons for the difference in treatment compared with the regular employee used for comparison, together with the matters taken into account in deciding it. An abstract answer such as “the employment type is different” or “those are the corporation’s rules” is not enough. Go back to the circumstances that relate to the nature and purpose of the item in question: job content, the scope of change in duties and placement, experience, and ability.
(Source: Q&A on the duty to explain differences in treatment | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, in Japanese)

Treating an employee unfavorably in contract renewal, shifts, placement, or evaluation because they asked for an explanation is prohibited. The starting point is to treat the question as the exercise of a legal right, not as a complaint about the center.

Explain with materials in hand, or hand over materials that cover every required point

The revised employment management guidelines describe explaining orally with the support of materials, or providing clear materials that set out every matter to be explained, so that the employee can follow the content. Where an oral explanation is given with materials, handing over those materials and related documents is described as desirable.
(Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Notification No. 202 of 2026 | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, PDF in Japanese)

Rather than handing over the whole set of work rules and finishing with “it is written in there,” identify the specific item being asked about. For a housing allowance, this order is easier to follow.

• Whether there is a difference between regular staff and the employee in whether the allowance is paid, or in the amount
• What purpose the allowance was created to serve
• What the payment conditions are under the rules
• What differences there are in actual working patterns, such as the possibility of transfer or relocation
• How those differences connect to the payment conditions

Take care with personal information in the materials, and avoid casually including individual names or other employees’ salary amounts.

Decide who handles a question, from the moment it arrives to the answer

A principal who receives a question does not need to provide an immediate answer without first checking the facts. What matters is not guessing in the moment, and instead saying who will check what, and when an answer will come.

• Receive the question
• Identify which pay or benefit item is involved
• Check the rules and how they are actually applied
• Identify the regular employee used for comparison
• Explain using materials
• Confirm any unresolved points and follow up

If the head office sets the system and the center knows the actual duties, you need information from both, not from one side alone.

In your records, keep “received” and “agreed” apart

Recording the date of the explanation, the materials used, the questions and answers, and any unresolved points is a practical way to prevent missed follow-ups. An employee’s signature may confirm that materials were received, but it does not signify agreement with the difference in treatment, a guarantee that it is lawful, or a waiver of rights.

In the record fields, keep “I have received the explanatory materials” and “I agree with the content of the explanation” separate, and we suggest leaving space for further questions. This is a management suggestion from the TamagoDaruma editorial team, not a legal requirement to obtain a signature.

Review each pay and benefit item by its purpose and by how the work is actually done

Do not explain differences by job title or employment type alone. Match the purpose of each allowance against how people actually work. Any item you cannot explain should be flagged for further review.

Map who actually carries class responsibility, support work, and opening and closing shifts

On the ground, job titles such as “regular staff,” “part-time hoikushi,” and “childcare assistant” do not always reveal actual responsibility or workload. Even among staff working in the same class, some also handle lesson plans and records, communication with families, preparation for events, judgment calls when an incident occurs, and mentoring of newer colleagues.

There may also be staff who consistently take opening and closing shifts, handling safety checks at opening and closing time and handovers with families, without that reality showing up in job documentation or evaluation. This is not something observed at a particular center; it is a situation worth keeping in mind during a review.

The points to check also differ by role. For hoikushi and childcare assistants, look at class responsibility, records, communication with families, and how far their judgment extends when an incident occurs. For cooks and kitchen assistants, look at responsibility for menu planning, allergy management, and hygiene records. For nursing staff, look at medication, care for children who are unwell, and health planning and records; for maintenance and transport staff, map the scope of vehicle operation and safety management. Look not only at the content of the work but at the degree of responsibility and the scope of change in placement and duties.

• Is the main work content the same, or different?
• How far does judgment and responsibility extend?
• How do the ranges of transfer, class reassignment, and moves to other centers differ?
• Who handles communication with families, records, meetings, and event preparation?
• Which documents do you use to confirm experience, ability, and results?

Rather than relying on the job title printed on the notice, cross-check with the head teacher and principal, who know the actual work.

Review bonuses, allowances, leave, and welfare benefits separately

Whether a difference is unreasonable is judged item by item, taking into account the circumstances appropriate to the nature and purpose of that item. Neither “part-time staff get none of it” nor “after the revision everything matches regular staff” describes how the system actually works.
(Source: Q&A on the equal pay for equal work guidelines and the employment management guidelines | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, PDF in Japanese)

The 2026 revision of the guidelines added or clarified descriptions covering bonuses, retirement allowances, accident-free allowances, family allowances, housing allowances, sick leave and leave of absence, summer and winter leave, and commendations. Even if your center has no arrangement with the same name, this is a prompt to go through bonuses, long-service recognition, leave, and use of facilities one item at a time.
(Source: Q&A on communicating the revised ministerial ordinance and notification | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, PDF in Japanese)

Keep the funding for wage improvement separate from the grounds for a difference

At daycare centers, it is easy to explain pay improvements by saying “it is set by the wage improvement funding” or “the head office decided it.” But the conditions attached to a funding scheme and the grounds for explaining a difference between individual employees are not the same thing.

When you are dealing with the wage improvement add-on funding for childcare staff (shogū kaizen kasan), check that year’s notifications from the Children and Families Agency and your municipality, along with the center’s wage improvement plan, pay rules, and allocation rules. Then map how coverage, calculation, role, experience, and actual working patterns are reflected in them. The treatment can change from year to year, so do not judge from articles written in earlier years.

tamagodaruma.com

保育士が知るべき処遇改善等加算とは？目的から問題点まで徹底解説 | たまごだるま

https://tamagodaruma.com/childcareworker/2721/

保育士における最近のイメージには、「給料が少なそう」や「キャリアアップできない」と考えている方もたくさんいます。たしかに保育士や介護士などの福祉事業における給与は、全国的にも低い水準となっているところも多いです。保育士が少しでも長く働けるように国は「処遇改善等加算」というしくみを用意しています。

Use a checklist to track outstanding actions, and the FAQ for common questions

To avoid gaps, manage covered employees, documents, explanatory materials, and assigned staff in a single table. Keep difficult judgments on the list as questions, and take them to an official contact.

Fill in the checklist with your principal, head office, and administrative staff

Mark each of the following as done, action needed, needs checking, or not applicable, and enter who is responsible and the date of the action.

• Organized covered employees by employer, contract period, and prescribed working hours
• Confirmed hiring dates and contract renewal dates
• Compared the current notice against the MHLW model form for the revision
• Included the wording on requesting an explanation, and a contact point staff can actually reach
• Confirmed that the items from the April 2024 revision are also reflected
• Confirmed the delivery procedure for paper and electronic notices, and the conditions for electronic delivery
• Checked recruitment and contract renewal systems, shared folders, and old forms left at each center
• Collected the rules, purpose, payment conditions, and actual practice for each pay and benefit item
• Decided who explains at the center and the head office, how questions are passed on, and the target response time
• Able to record unresolved points, who to ask, the person responsible, and the date
• Took points requiring individual judgment to the Prefectural Labour Bureau or a professional

You do not have to fill everything in perfectly from the start. The point of the table is to make sure an item marked “needs checking” is assigned to someone, with a date for checking it, rather than left blank.

Common questions about renewals, explanations, and who is covered

Q1. When does the new disclosure become necessary?

From hiring and labor contract renewals on or after October 1, 2026. You are free to start reviewing pay and benefits and replacing forms before the effective date.

Q2. Are employees whose contracts are renewed covered?

Yes. MHLW states explicitly that hiring includes the renewal of a labor contract. Fixed-term full-time staff are also within scope as fixed-term employees.

Q3. Do we reissue notices to all existing staff who have no renewal due?

The official materials we checked do not say that reissuing to everyone is required simply because of the revision. The new disclosure applies at hiring and renewal. Informing existing staff is still desirable, and if you are unsure about a case such as an indefinite-term part-time employee, check with the Labour Bureau.

Q4. How do we assess indefinite-term part-time and fixed-term full-time staff?

By the contract and the prescribed working hours, rather than the label used at the workplace. An indefinite-term contract is still covered if prescribed weekly hours are shorter than those of regular employees, and a fixed-term contract is covered even at full-time hours.

Q5. Is an oral explanation enough?

Not for the new disclosure. Delivery in writing or an equivalent method is required. A difference in treatment can be explained orally with the support of materials, or by providing clear materials that cover every required point.

Q6. If nobody asks, is there nothing to do?

No. The new disclosure at hiring and renewal, and the explanation of employment management improvement measures, are still required. Explaining an individual difference is an obligation when an employee asks, but even without a request, providing materials and letting staff know about the right to ask is described as desirable.

Q7. Do we pay part-time staff every allowance at the same amount?

Not automatically. Whether a difference is unreasonable is judged from the nature and purpose of each item, together with job content, the scope of change, and other circumstances.

Q8. Are dispatched hoikushi and staff at public centers treated the same way?

No. For dispatched hoikushi, the changes come under the Worker Dispatching Act, and you confirm the roles of the dispatching agency and the host center. Local government employees fall outside the Part-Time and Fixed-Term Employment Act, so you follow the municipality’s own personnel system.

Q9. Can we provide the notice by email?

Yes, if the employee requests it and the method meets the set conditions, such as being able to print out the record received to create a written document. Also confirm that attachments can be opened and that there is no expiry on storage, and keep a record of what was sent.

If something is unclear, gather your documents and ask

When you consult someone, it helps to bring the written notice of working conditions with personal information removed, the work rules, the pay rules, a list of the pay and benefit items involved, the content of the jobs being compared, current practice, and the questions you want answered. For questions about the Part-Time and Fixed-Term Employment Act, the contact is the Employment Environment and Equal Employment Department or Office of your Prefectural Labour Bureau.

tamagodaruma.com

保育士の採用を成功させる方法とは？求人を出すときの注意点も解説 | たまごだるま

https://tamagodaruma.com/childprovider/successful-recruitment/

保育園側にとって保育士を1人採用するためにもそれなりのコストがかかっています。そのため、可能な限り失敗したくないというのが採用担当者の本音でしょう。しかし、保育業界における離職率は2015年の時点で「10.3％」と厚生労働省が発表しており、せっかく保育士を採用できてもさまざまな理由から離職されてしまうケースも多いです。

The October 2026 revision is not a job that ends with one added sentence on a form. Putting a contact point in writing also tells staff that they are entitled to ask how their pay and benefits were decided. Even if a principal cannot answer everything on the spot, you can build a process that takes the question seriously, checks with the head office or a professional, and comes back with the reasoning.

This article is a general summary based on public information available as of September 2026. For the lawfulness of an individual difference in treatment, or for revisions to contracts and internal rules, please check with the Prefectural Labour Bureau with jurisdiction or a professional such as a labor and social security attorney (sharōshi).

The post Japan’s 2026 Equal Pay Rules: Childcare Checklist first appeared on TamagoDaruma.

“Is it okay to let them stay home today?” “If I let them rest now, will they end up unable to go back at all?” “Should I make them go anyway?” With the clock ticking toward the start of school, it can feel like you’re being asked to make a big decision in a very short window.

To put it simply, the first priority isn’t “getting them to school”—it’s checking your child’s physical and emotional state and their safety. Rather than deciding whether to rest or attend by one fixed rule, look at how your child is doing that day, share the situation with the school, and, if needed, reach out to places that can help.

On July 3, 2026, Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) noted that student suicides tend to rise around the end of long school breaks, and called for stronger watchfulness through cooperation among schools, guardians, communities, and related agencies. There’s no need to tie every “I don’t want to go to school” to a serious crisis, but the period after summer break is an important time to look carefully at how a child is doing, rather than trying to handle those changes entirely within the family.
（Source：Notice on efforts related to student suicide prevention, July 3, 2026 | MEXT）

Here we lay out, in concrete terms, how to respond on the day your child says “I don’t want to go to school” after summer break, how to think about whether to let them rest, words to avoid, how to contact the school, and where to turn for support.

When your child says “I don’t want to go to school” after summer break, what should you do first?

You don’t need to draw out the reason first thing in the morning. Start by noticing what’s different from usual, and checking how distressed or overwhelmed your child seems right now.

Mornings after summer break are short on time for parents too. Amid the rush of “we have to leave in 30 minutes” and “I have to get to work,” it’s natural to want to quickly ask “What’s wrong?” or “You were fine yesterday, weren’t you?”

But at that moment, the priority isn’t to fully pin down the cause. First check your child’s state and safety, and then think about how to handle today.

That morning: what to do, and what to avoid

The first thing to check isn’t “the reason they dislike school” but what’s different from their usual morning.

• Did they sleep last night?
• Are they able to eat or drink something?
• Any physical symptoms like headache, stomachache, or nausea?
• Any strong reactions like crying, trembling, or being unable to move?
• Are they expressing strong anxiety or fear?
• Any remarks like “something scary happens at school”?
• Any self-harming behavior or remarks like “I want to disappear” or “I don’t want to be here”?

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) also notes that a child’s emotional distress signals can show up not only as feelings but as changes in physical condition and behavior, and that emotional problems may lie behind things like school non-attendance, self-harm, or remarks hinting at suicidal thoughts.
（Source：A child’s SOS signs | MHLW）

Of course, “not wanting to go to school” doesn’t mean “a mental illness.” Rather than deciding based on words alone, it’s important to look at what’s different from usual.

At the same time, repeatedly pressing “Why?” or “Tell me the reason” from early morning is best avoided. Even the child may not have sorted out what’s hard—whether it’s friends, schoolwork, a teacher, or their daily rhythm.

Some children find it easier to answer when you offer options: “Is it about friends?” “Class?” “A teacher?” “Does your body feel sick or uncomfortable?” “Or is it just hard to explain?” If it’s still unclear, you don’t have to reach an answer that morning.

Don’t label it as “spoiled behavior”

More precisely, it’s important not to label it as “spoiled behavior” based on that morning alone.

After a long break, many things can overlap—a change in daily rhythm, anxiety about schoolwork, friendships, tension about the class, or simple tiredness. At the same time, it’s just as important to avoid deciding from the start that the cause is “just because it’s the end of summer break.”

When a child says “I don’t want to go to school,” rather than concluding “they’re just being spoiled” or “everyone else goes,” look first at their current state. From there, thinking about whether to attend, rest, or discuss another approach with the school makes it easier to decide what to do next.

How do you decide when to rest, monitor, or seek help? [State-by-state guide]

There’s no fixed day-count rule like “seek help after this many days.” You decide how to respond that day from the child’s physical and emotional state, safety, talking with them, and sharing information with the school.

When you want to know “clear guidance on when to let them stay home,” a specific number of days or times might feel more reassuring. But there isn’t a simple rule such as “one day, watch at home” or “one week, go to a specialist.”

If there are strong physical symptoms, fear, or safety concerns, help may be needed even on the first day. On the other hand, when a child can talk relatively calmly, you can weigh the options together with them and with the school.

This table isn’t for diagnosing school non-attendance or illness. Use it as a guide for sorting out “what to prioritize this morning.”

MEXT says that in supporting students who don’t attend school, the goal shouldn’t be only the outcome of “attending school”—it should be that the child can take an active role in shaping their own path and becomes socially independent. It also points to the importance of cooperation among the school, the family, education support centers, and, as needed, medical and welfare services.
（Source：Notice on how to support students who don’t attend school | MEXT）

Under the COCOLO Plan—MEXT’s framework for supporting students who can’t attend class—MEXT is also advancing in-school support rooms, support from school counselors and school social workers, and a range of learning settings such as municipal education support centers. A collection of case studies was added in July 2026.
（Source：On school non-attendance measures (the COCOLO Plan, etc.) | MEXT）

A practical way to think about the first 72 hours is:

• That morning: check their physical and emotional state and their safety
• That day: if needed, share the situation with the school, and prioritize rest and observation
• That evening: if the child seems able to talk, gently check, little by little, what was hard that morning
• The next morning: check their state again, and if it continues, share how things are going with the school
• 48–72 hours: if the child continues to struggle, or it’s hard to judge on your own, seek support inside or outside the school

This doesn’t mean “solve it within 72 hours.” It’s a way of thinking aimed at reaching the people you need in those first few days, rather than carrying it alone as a family.

How should you contact the school? [With absence-message templates]

Even if you don’t know the cause, it’s fine to share the plain fact that your child is having a hard time going to school this morning. You don’t need to fully pin down the cause at home before contacting the school.

Contacting the school is a surprisingly heavy task for parents. The more you think “I have to explain properly” or “I don’t want the school to think my child is simply skipping class,” the harder the message becomes to write.

But what the first message needs isn’t a finished analysis of the cause—it’s sharing the facts of what’s happening at home right now.

Message template for the homeroom teacher

If the reason is still unclear, you could put it like this, for example.

If something of concern about friendships has come up, you can share it without stating as fact what you haven’t confirmed, like this.

If strong anxiety about attending the next day continues even after resting for a day, you might share how things have gone and then ask whether it’s possible to consult not only the homeroom teacher but also the school nurse-teacher (yōgo kyōyu) or a school counselor.

What you don’t need to share, and what’s better to share

You don’t need to explain every household circumstance in detail. But if there are circumstances related to your child’s state or to accommodations at school, sharing them to the extent needed makes support easier to arrange.

Information especially worth sharing includes the following.

• How they were this morning
• Whether there are physical symptoms the school should know about, like headache, stomachache, or nausea
• Whether the child is saying anything about school or friends
• Whether the difficulty going to school has continued from before the previous day
• Anything you’d like to check about whether the school has noticed recent changes

You don’t need to explain everything on the first contact. It’s enough to share what you know now, and add information as things become clearer.

Where can you find support? A list of in-school and out-of-school points of contact

The homeroom teacher isn’t your only option. Even at the stage of “I’m not sure it’s worth consulting anyone,” you can talk over the situation with people inside and outside the school. The resources below are services available in Japan.

There’s no need to put off reaching out with “we haven’t been absent enough to call it school non-attendance yet.” A parent being unsure how to respond is itself one reason to consult.

In-school support (homeroom teacher, school counselor, in-school support room)

Inside the school, the following people and places can help.

• Homeroom teacher / grade head: well placed to know a child’s day-to-day at school, and a starting point for sharing information with the family.
• School nurse-teacher (yōgo kyōyu): a health teacher who may be able to help from a different angle than the classroom, such as physical condition and how the child is at the nurse’s room.
• School counselor: responds to children and parents from a specialized psychological perspective.
• School social worker: provides support linking the family, school, and welfare services.
• In-school support room: an arrangement where students who find it hard to enter the classroom can keep studying or talking things over in a different space within the school.

Placement, names, and how to use these vary by school and municipality. There are cases where “I can’t talk to the homeroom teacher, but I can talk to the school nurse-teacher,” so you don’t need to limit whom you consult to just one person.
（Source：On school non-attendance measures (the COCOLO Plan, etc.) | MEXT）

Out-of-school support (24-hour Kodomo SOS Dial, Childline, etc.)

There are also services you can reach without going through the school.

• 24-hour Kodomo SOS Dial: children themselves or their guardians can consult 24 hours a day about a child’s SOS in general—not only bullying, but also going to school, friendships, and more.
  The nationwide number is 0120-0-78310.
• Board of education / education support center: some municipalities have local points of contact for school non-attendance and reluctance to attend.
• Parent-Child Consultation LINE service: children under 18 and their guardians can consult about parenting and parent-child relationships. It can be used anonymously. Hours vary by municipality.
• Childline: a consultation service that children up to 18 can use themselves. Check the latest official information for how and when it’s available.

The 24-hour Kodomo SOS Dial operates around the clock, including nights and holidays, and in principle connects to the consultation body of the board of education for the area you’re calling from.
（Source：About the 24-hour Kodomo SOS Dial | MEXT）

If you’re struggling with the parent-child relationship itself, the Children and Families Agency’s “Parent-Child Consultation LINE” is another option.
（Source：About the “parent-and-child consultation LINE” | Children and Families Agency）

A note on emergencies when distress is severe

If there’s self-harm, or remarks like “I want to die,” “I want to disappear,” or “I don’t want to be here”—anything raising safety concerns—treat it separately from ordinary reluctance to attend.

In this case, the priority isn’t whether to send them to school—it’s your child’s safety. Rather than carrying it alone as a family, consider reaching out to professional support, such as a medical institution or a public consultation service. If there’s high urgency, such as imminent danger to life, prioritize emergency action, including calling emergency services (119 in Japan).

Also, if physical symptoms like headache, stomachache, or nausea are strong, recurring, or prolonged, don’t decide it’s “just a matter of not wanting to go to school”—consult a medical institution as needed.

MHLW notes that emotional problems may lie behind things like self-harm or remarks hinting at suicidal thoughts.
（Source：A child’s SOS signs | MHLW）

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Here’s a concise summary of the questions parents tend to wrestle with about difficulty going to school after summer break.

Q1. If I let them stay home, won’t it make it harder for them to go back?

You can’t conclude that a single day’s absence “encourages spoiled behavior.” First, check their physical and emotional state that day. If difficulty attending continues, rather than making it only about how you let them rest, it’s important to sort out—together with the school—what they’re finding burdensome.

Q2. How many days absent before it’s called “school non-attendance”?

In MEXT’s statistical surveys, “school non-attendance” (futōkō) counts students absent 30 or more days in a year due to some psychological, emotional, physical, or social factor or background—excluding illness or economic reasons—who don’t attend, or want to but can’t. However, you don’t need to wait until 30 days to consult or seek support.

Q3. How should I contact the school?

It’s fine to share the facts you know now, concisely—for example, “This morning, my child was strongly reluctant to go, so we’ll keep them home and see how they do today. At this point my child can’t quite explain the reason either.”

Q4. Are there people to turn to besides the homeroom teacher?

Yes. Besides the school nurse-teacher, school counselor, school social worker, and in-school support room, there are the board of education, education support centers, the 24-hour Kodomo SOS Dial, and more. Placement and how to use them vary by school and municipality.

Q5. Should I push my child to explain why they don’t want to go?

You don’t need to force it out on the spot. Offer easy-to-answer options like “Friends?” “Class?” “A teacher?” “Does your body feel unwell?” and if it’s still unclear, give it some time.

Q6. They complain of stomachache or headache in the morning but are fine by afternoon. Is it faking?

You can’t judge that the morning’s symptoms were a lie just from the fact that they perked up by afternoon. At the same time, avoid deciding it’s all a psychological matter—if physical symptoms are strong, recurring, or prolonged, consider consulting a medical institution.

Q7. How long should I wait before consulting a school counselor?

There’s no fixed “number of days” rule. You can consult even at the stage where it’s hard to judge on your own, where strong reluctance to attend continues, or where you feel the child has changed a lot.

Q8. What should I do if they say “I want to disappear”?

Don’t treat it as mere reluctance to attend—prioritize their immediate safety. Don’t leave the child to carry it alone, and consider reaching out to professional support, such as a medical institution or public consultation service. If there’s imminent danger to life, prioritize emergency action.

Why parents don’t need to blame themselves for the decision to “let them rest”

What’s hard about responding to a child’s difficulty going to school is that whatever a parent decides, some doubt often remains.

Let them rest, and you blame yourself with “am I being too soft?”; send them in, and you fret with “did I push them too hard?” In those few dozen minutes in the morning, it can feel like you’re being pressed to make a decision that could shape your child’s whole future.

But you don’t need to think of your response as a “failure” just because you let them rest that day.

MEXT also says that support should not focus solely on getting a child back into school. At the same time, it does not simply say that staying away from school is always the answer. The idea is to understand the child’s situation and background, and provide support and encouragement suited to that child, toward social independence and returning to school.
（Source：Notice on how to support students who don’t attend school | MEXT）

If your child says “I don’t want to go to school” after summer break, it’s okay not to try to solve everything in that one morning.

Look at your child’s state. Check their safety. Tell the school if needed. And if it feels hard to manage as a family alone, reach out for help.

Moving through this order, one step at a time, is a realistic way to respond in those first 72 hours.

The post When Your Child Refuses School in Japan: A Calm Guide first appeared on TamagoDaruma.

Its name is Stickerbox. It’s a device that takes an idea a child says out loud, turns it into an illustration with AI, and prints it on the spot as a black-and-white sticker.

Stickerbox is a creative toy that makes AI stickers from a child’s voice, without needing to keep operating a smartphone or tablet. But “screen-free” doesn’t mean “fully offline” — generating a new sticker requires an internet connection.

On top of that, the audio file itself and the transcript and generated image made from that audio are kept for different lengths of time. Rather than simply thinking “no screen, so it’s safe,” it’s worth checking how AI fits into a child’s play experience and what data it handles.

Here we look at how Stickerbox works, its price, its availability in Japan, its safety features, and how it handles voice data, all from official sources. Along the way, we also consider what parents should look for when choosing among the growing range of AI toys for children.

What is Stickerbox? A new learning toy that makes AI stickers just by talking

Stickerbox is an AI creative toy designed for ages 5 and up that turns an idea a child speaks into an image with AI and prints it as a black-and-white sticker. Unlike a typical image-generation AI, there’s no need to type long instructions on a keyboard.

It’s simple to use. The child holds down the white button on top of the device and says what they want to make out loud — “a dragon made of clouds,” “a cat riding a spaceship.” When they release the button, the device processes the request, the AI generates an image, and it prints as a black-and-white sticker.

The official FAQ explains that most stickers are ready within five seconds of the child finishing speaking. The device also has a small black-and-white screen that shows what was said and other information, so strictly speaking it isn’t “a toy with no screen at all.” The maker’s “screen-free” is best understood as meaning you don’t need to keep operating a smartphone or tablet.
(Source: FAQ | Stickerbox)

After printing, children can color the sticker in with the included colored pencils or art supplies they have at home, stick it in a notebook, collect characters, or make up stories.

This is what makes Stickerbox distinctive. Rather than the AI finishing a piece of work and stopping there, the flow is “think → speak → AI gives it form → color it in → stick it → keep playing from there.”

Printing uses a thermal method with no ink cartridges. As of the official product page on August 16, 2026, the device measures 3.75 inches (about 9.5 cm) square and weighs 0.67 pounds (about 304 g). It comes with 8 colored pencils, 4 rolls of dedicated paper, and a US-spec power adapter, and the 4 rolls are said to make about 265 stickers.

The dedicated paper is BPA- and BPS-free thermal paper.
(Source: Stickerbox Product Details | Stickerbox)

The idea behind Stickerbox’s “screen-free” design

Hapiko, the company that developed Stickerbox, is a startup based in Brooklyn, in the United States. The idea grew out of play between co-founder Bob Whitney and his son.

According to the official Stickerbox blog, when Bob was using generative AI with his young son to make coloring pages to play with, it led to the thought, “what if a child could print out what’s in their own head?”

In other words, the starting point was less “I want to get children using AI itself” and more building a tool that converts a child’s imagination into real-world play.
(Source: Introducing Stickerbox | Stickerbox)

New Atlas has likewise reported that Bob’s habit of making coloring pages on a home printer from his son’s ideas led to the idea for the product.
(Source: This AI gadget turns kids’ creative ideas into printable stickers | New Atlas)

In a hands-on review in November 2025, TechCrunch wrote that although the reporter and their daughter were both skeptical of the idea of an AI sticker printer at first, using it in practice suggested it could offer a form of creative play that doesn’t simply hand a child’s imagination over to AI.
(Source: Hands on with Stickerbox, the AI-powered sticker maker for kids | TechCrunch)

Why is Stickerbox “screen-free” if it uses AI?

What’s worth noting about Stickerbox is not the performance of the AI itself, but the fact that after the AI is used, the child’s activity moves off the screen.

Until now, using generative AI at home has mostly come as a set with a smartphone, tablet, or PC screen. Most of what you do — asking questions, reading text, making images — is completed on a display.

With Stickerbox, the child’s main action is “press the button and speak.” What’s generated comes out in your hand as a physical sticker. After that, play shifts to analog activities: coloring, sticking, adding more characters.

The official product page also highlights features like “Physical Creation,” “No adult devices required,” “No open-ended conversation,” and “No open internet access.”
(Source: Stickerbox Product Details | Stickerbox)

What this points to is that, as AI moves into physical toys, “AI time” and “screen time” may no longer mean the same thing from here on.

At the same time, it isn’t right to decide, from the word “screen-free” alone, that this is “a toy away from anything digital.”

The reality of “screen-free,” and the trade-offs

According to the official FAQ, generating a new sticker requires a Wi-Fi or hotspot connection, and it needs to be used within Wi-Fi range even after connecting. It also has no built-in battery and uses the included power adapter.
(Source: FAQ | Stickerbox)

So to be precise, it is “an AI toy that isn’t screen-centered,” but it is not an “offline toy.”

For thinking about digital play and screen time, our article using Minecraft as an example to sort through home rules and safety settings may also help.

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Minecraft, a game loved by children around the world, goes far beyond mere entertainment—it's gaining attention as a powerful learning tool. As players combine blocks to build worlds, they naturally develop creativity, logical thinking, and problem-solving skills. This is the game's greatest appeal.At the same time, there are important safety considerations, including online features and in-game purchases. This article explains, in an easy-to-understand way, the educational benefits...

Is it safe? Checking how voice data and privacy work

Stickerbox has several safety features as an AI product for children: a design that doesn’t listen for audio at all times, content filters, and a companion app for parents.

The most important thing, though, is not to treat “the audio file being deleted” and “all data related to the input being deleted” as the same thing.

First, on audio capture, the official FAQ explains that Stickerbox is not constantly listening to surrounding sound, and captures audio only while the child holds the button on top of the device. When they let go of the button, audio capture stops, and there is no wake word or constant background audio processing.

It also says that before AI generation, several content safety layers are in place to block inappropriate or age-inappropriate prompts. Parents can check what has been generated from the companion app.
(Source: FAQ | Stickerbox)

When it comes to privacy, it’s important to read beyond the product page and check the Privacy Policy itself.

Stickerbox’s Privacy Policy states clearly that while the audio file is deleted after the transcript and image are created, the transcribed content and generated image are kept until you request deletion or delete your account.

Parents can also check the transcript and images from the app and delete them individually.
(Source: Privacy Policy | Stickerbox)

So while the explanation that “the recorded voice itself isn’t stored long-term” is accurate, it doesn’t mean “nothing related to what the child said remains.”

This is a point worth remembering when looking at voice-AI products for children. Checking not only “does it record?” but also what derivative data is created and how long it is retained makes the real picture easier to understand.

Also, regarding the personal information of children under 13, Stickerbox says it does not use it for targeted or behavioral advertising. On the other hand, to the extent necessary for providing and maintaining the service, it may disclose information to service providers such as hosting and technology providers.
(Source: Privacy Policy | Stickerbox)

Stickerbox states on its official site that it is COPPA-compliant and kidSAFE Certified.

COPPA is a US rule that sets certain requirements for websites, online services, and the like aimed at children under 13 when they collect children’s personal information online. COPPA compliance does not mean “the US government has certified the safety of the toy as a whole.”
(Source: Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA) | Federal Trade Commission)

Having safety features doesn’t mean there’s nothing to pay attention to, and being a voice AI doesn’t mean you need to be overly afraid. What matters is breaking the question down into a few concrete points: “when does the microphone work,” “what does it store,” and “can parents review and delete it.”

Stickerbox specs, price, and what’s included

Per official information as of August 16, 2026, the Stickerbox unit is US$129.99. It comes with 8 colored pencils, 4 rolls of BPA- and BPS-free dedicated paper, and a US-spec power adapter.

Standard dedicated paper is listed at US$5.99 for 3 rolls, and hologram paper at US$14.99 for 3 rolls. Prices may change, so check the official site for the latest information when buying.
(Source: Stickerbox Product Details | Stickerbox)

The official FAQ also notes that thermal paper other than Stickerbox’s dedicated paper is not supported, and that using other paper may damage the printer and void the warranty.
(Source: FAQ | Stickerbox)

Comparison table: Stickerbox vs. AI stuffed animals, smart speakers, and AI learning apps

Even lumped together as “AI toys,” the role the AI plays differs greatly from product to product. Stickerbox is designed to turn a child’s idea into a physical object, rather than hold an open-ended conversation.

*Categories other than Stickerbox summarize general characteristics; actual specs and safety features differ by product.

Stickerbox’s official materials also highlight “No always-on listening,” “Closed Loop,” and “No Browsing” as features of its product.
(Source: Stickerbox Product Details | Stickerbox)

What matters here is what role the AI actually plays in the product, more than whether it has AI built in.

An AI that converses freely with a child for long stretches, and an AI that receives audio only when a button is pressed and returns a single image, differ both in the experience and in the points parents should check.

Can you buy it from Japan? What we know at this point

As of August 16, 2026, the official Stickerbox product page states that it “currently ships within the United States.” The included power adapter is also US-spec.

For that reason, at this point we can’t recommend it as a product officially sold for the Japanese market. For official sales and support for Japan, you’ll need to check future announcements from the maker.
(Source: Stickerbox Delivery Information | Stickerbox)

On language, the official FAQ clearly states that it “understands multiple languages.” However, we couldn’t find a list that explicitly names Japanese as a specifically supported language.

So at this point we can’t state for certain that it works in Japanese with the same recognition accuracy as English. If it officially launches in Japan, the supported languages, warranty, and power specifications will need to be checked again.
(Source: FAQ | Stickerbox)

Rather than seeing it as a recommended toy you can buy in Japan right now, at this stage it’s more meaningful to see it as an example of a new kind of product design that uses AI while moving a child’s play back into the physical world.

5 things to check when choosing an AI learning toy

Whether it’s Stickerbox or anything else, when choosing AI toys or AI services for children from here on, don’t decide on impressions alone — “AI, so it sounds convenient,” “screen-free, so it’s safe.” Try checking these five things.

• 1. What does the AI take in as input?
  Is it voice only, or does it also use a camera or location data? Check whether the microphone is always on standby, or works only when operated.
• 2. What is the input data turned into, and what remains?
  Check not just the audio itself but derivative data such as transcripts, images, and conversation history, along with retention periods.
• 3. Does the AI interaction end after one task, or continue over time?
  Whether it ends with one generation, keeps up a free conversation, or can access the open internet makes for a very different kind of interaction.
• 4. Can parents review, manage, and delete?
  Check how to see usage history and generated content, data deletion, account management, and whether there are content filters.
• 5. After the AI is used, what does the child do next?
  Whether it ends with just looking at the generated result, or leads to the next play — drawing, making, thinking, talking — is also an important factor.

The fifth point matters for a different reason: it is about the quality of the child’s play, not just safety.

Higher AI performance isn’t necessarily better for a child. Rather than the AI completing everything, there are cases where it suits home play better to have room for the child’s actions to continue — “I want it more like this,” “next I want to make this” — using the AI’s output as a starting point.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Here we gather the points parents may want to check before buying Stickerbox.

Q. From what age can Stickerbox be used?

Officially it’s designed for ages 5 and up. The recommended age is one benchmark for thinking about safety and ease of use, so for use outside that age, check the maker’s guidance.

Q. Is Stickerbox completely screen-free?

You don’t need to keep operating a smartphone or tablet, but the device has a small black-and-white screen. So rather than “no screen at all,” it’s better thought of as a design that keeps screen dependence down.

Q. Is voice data stored?

The official Privacy Policy says the audio file is deleted immediately after the transcript and image are created. The transcript and generated image, meanwhile, are kept until you request deletion or delete your account.

Q. Is Stickerbox always listening to surrounding sound?

The official FAQ explains that it captures audio only while the button on top is held, and does not continuously listen or record in the background.

Q. Could inappropriate images be generated?

Stickerbox says it passes prompts through several content safety layers before generation to block inappropriate or age-inappropriate content. That said, it doesn’t claim the AI’s output makes anything unexpected “absolutely impossible,” so it’s worth using the feature that lets parents check the generation history.

Q. Can you buy it from Japan?

As of August 16, 2026, the official site states it ships only within the United States. We haven’t been able to confirm official sales for Japan.

Q. Can it be used in Japanese?

The official FAQ says it understands multiple languages. However, since we can’t find a statement explicitly naming Japanese as a specifically supported language, we can’t state its specific recognition accuracy in Japanese.

Q. Does it run on batteries?

No. It has no built-in battery, and the official FAQ says it uses the included power adapter.

Q. Can it be used without Wi-Fi?

Generating a new sticker requires a Wi-Fi or hotspot connection. It also needs to be used within Wi-Fi range even after connecting.

Q. Can I use thermal paper other than the dedicated paper?

The official FAQ says that only Stickerbox’s dedicated paper is supported. It notes that using other paper may damage the printer and void the warranty.

Q. What are the running costs?

As of August 16, 2026, standard dedicated paper is US$5.99 for 3 rolls, and hologram paper is US$14.99 for 3 rolls. Prices may change, so check the official site when buying.

(Source: FAQ | Stickerbox)
(Source: Privacy Policy | Stickerbox)
(Source: Stickerbox Product Details | Stickerbox)

TamagoDaruma’s take

What Stickerbox shows isn’t the simple equation of “AI = something that ties children to a screen.”

Even when AI is used, depending on the design, it can send play back to physical activities from there — coloring, sticking, thinking up stories, talking together as parent and child.

At the same time, it isn’t right to look only at the word “screen-free” and decide it’s “not digital” or “handles no data.” Stickerbox is also an AI product that connects to the internet, processes voice, and handles transcripts and generated images.

What matters is not whether a product “has AI,” but what role that AI actually plays in the child’s experience.

And there’s one more thing we want to value with children’s AI: what happens “after” the AI has done its work.

Does the AI give an answer and stop there? Does the AI finish a piece of work and stop there? Or does the child themselves, using that output as a starting point, think “what next,” move their hands, and talk with someone?

In the sense of “an AI experience that doesn’t make AI the star,” Stickerbox is an interesting case for thinking about children’s technology going forward.

From here on, AI will enter children’s lives in more natural forms — not just inside screens, but in toys, stationery, and home appliances. That’s exactly why, rather than only the binary of “let them use it or not,” knowing how it works and choosing the distance that suits your family will matter for parents from here on.

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Can Kids Use ChatGPT and Generative AI? Age Limits and Family Rules (2026)

https://en.tamagodaruma.com/tech/generation-ai

"My child wants to use ChatGPT, but I'm not sure whether I should allow it."We're hearing this from parents more and more. After the smartphone, the next judgment call today's parents are facing is the one around generative AI.Letting children use generative AI isn't something that should be banned across the board, nor something to allow unconditionally. By checking three things — the child's age, the terms of use of the service being used, and the purpose ...

The post What Is Stickerbox? The AI Sticker Toy for Kids, Explained first appeared on TamagoDaruma.