One thing that surprised us during pregnancy in Japan was the “Maternal and Child Health Handbook,” called the Boshi Techo in Japanese.
In Japan, parents receive this handbook from their local city office during pregnancy, and it becomes an important record throughout both pregnancy and childhood.
At first, we thought it was simply a small medical notebook, but we quickly realized it plays a much bigger role in everyday parenting in Japan.
The Boshi Techo contains records of pregnancy checkups, birth information, vaccinations, growth measurements, illnesses, and developmental milestones. Parents and doctors both use it regularly, so we often bring it whenever we visit a clinic or hospital with our baby.
We were surprised by how carefully children’s health and growth are documented in Japan. Looking through the pages almost feels like reading a timeline of your child’s early life.
Many Japanese parents also keep their Boshi Techo for years as an important memory from pregnancy and raising their child.
We also learned that the handbook can become especially important during emergencies or natural disasters because it contains medical and vaccination records in one place.
Before becoming parents, we had never heard of anything quite like the Boshi Techo, but now it feels like one of the most meaningful parts of parenting in Japan 🇯🇵
Parenting Items We Used Every Day
A Boshi Techo case became one of the items we carried almost everywhere with our baby.
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