New Trend in Japanese Tourism, Foreign Tourists Can Now Leave Babies During Holidays

JAKARTA - Japan is once again bringing innovation to the tourism world. As the number of foreign tourists increases, foreign babysitting services in foreign languages are now beginning to develop specifically for foreign tourists who are on vacation with babies and small children.

This service is a solution for families of tourists, especially from the middle to upper classes, who want to enjoy a Japanese cultural experience that is difficult to access if they have small children, such as dining at an upscale restaurant or participating in certain cultural activities.

Not only just taking care of children, a number of service providers also offer educational activities and direct experience programs for children. In this way, parents and children can enjoy a vacation with a different experience but equally memorable.

One of the tourists who felt the benefits of this service was Kelvin Young, a tourist from California, United States. When visiting Japan with his family at the end of November, he entrusted his two daughters, aged five and two, to a babysitter at the hotel where they stayed.

"For a few hours we were able to enjoy dinner at a sushi restaurant that was not child-friendly. The next day, our children proudly showed us the crafts they made," Young said, quoted from the Straits Times website.

The service is provided by Synk, a company based in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture that employs nationally certified and English-speaking nannies, and is supported by professional nurses.

President of Synk, Saya Sugahara, said the service was designed to give parents a sense of security as well as a valuable experience for children.

"By providing a special experience for children, we want parents to be able to enjoy their own time without hesitation or guilt," said Sugahara.

Since its launch last April, Synk has received more than 50 requests for babysitting services. The rates offered range from 54 thousand yen or Rp. 5.7 million for three hours of care, including various child activities that are age-appropriate.

In addition to hotel care, this service also includes activities such as light walks, zen meditation at the temple, to visits to local Japanese kindergartens.

Similar trends are also followed by other major childcare service providers in Japan. Tokyo-based Poppins is increasing the recruitment of foreign-speaking babysitters, while Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel is now providing online babysitter booking services for foreign guests.

Based on Japanese government data, as many as 36.8 million foreign tourists visited Japan throughout 2024. Of that number, around 690 thousand tourists are four years old and under. This condition encourages the Japanese tourism industry to continue to adapt to the needs of tourist families.

With the presence of a babysitting service specifically for foreign tourists, Japan shows its seriousness in creating a family-friendly, safe, and flexible travel experience for visitors from various countries.