Raising kids in Hiroshima

We never thought we would stay here so long, but one thing leads to another, you get settled in and you decide that you want to have kids here too. It is only once you go through a pregnancy or two and compare your situation with family and friends abroad that you begin to see the benefits of having and raising kids here in Hiroshima, I hope you enjoy your family life here as well.

The following are some key points of advice that should help parents settle in Japan (Hiroshima) with kids.

Pregnancy and Giving Birth in Japan

I wrote an article in 2003 on the ins and outs of Pregnancy and Childbirth in Hiroshima. I've been updating it with any new information from Hiroshima parents, so it remains a useful reference for women who are pregnant or planning to have children here.

Japanese Daycare and International Schools

There seem to be a lot of ex-pats who are happy with their kids in local schools and others who prefer to have their kids in International schools. I think there are definitely good points on both sides and we haven't decided exactly what to do with our kids for the duration, but for the time being, Japanese daycare seems the better option.

• Hoikuen - Japanese daycare

  I think for working mothers, especially, there is no better system than hoikuen daycare. Although there has been a waiting list in recent years, it is usually not too hard to find a local hoikuen that your kids can go to near your work or home from the age of 0-6 (when they start elementary school).

  The yochien kindergarden system is great and a lot cheaper than hoikuen, (starting from age 3) but schools end at 3pm.

  The hoikuen system allows more flexibility for working mothers or stay at home mothers who want part time care. At our hoikuen, I can drop the kids off anytime after 7am and pick them up anytime before 7pm, but special arrangements can even be made outside of those times. If I have a late meeting at work, the kids are given a hot dinner. You can even put the kids in on Saturdays if you want.

  The public hoikuen system fees are based on your salary, making it reasonable for all workers. There is also a discount for every additional child, at our hoikuen, it is half price for the second child.
  The fees usually run between 200,000-500,000 yen per child/per year including extras.
  I am not sure how I would be able to work without such a flexible daycare system in place.

• Shogakko - Japanese Elementary School

  If you want your kids to learn Japanese with the local kids, this is a good (and cheap) option. It only costs about ¥5,000 per child per month for expenses including a hot meal for lunch. Foreign children who cannot understand Japanese are supposed to be given a translator to sit with them in classes according to Japanese law, so even if you have just come to Japan, it is still an option. I don't really understand how the enrollment systems work, every school seems to be different, but for your child to enter in April (age 6), you should approach a school and ask about enrollment during the summer-autumn of the year previous to enrollment. Most children go to specific elementary schools by zoning- depending on the area they live, but there are other considerations if you are thinking of a private or highly competitive Japanese school. Most elementary schools finish at 2-3 pm, but you can arrange for after school activities and study programs if you can't pick them up then.

  International Schools in Hiroshima

• The Hiroshima international school (Koyo) (about 30 minutes outside the city center) takes children from pre-school to high school (ages 3-18) and includes a bus transport for students. There is no uniform and no lunches are provided. The fee is about 1,000,000 yen per year for non-corporate sponsored parents not including bus fees. There is a 10 % discount for a second or third child. The class schedule is from 9am-3pm, the bus arrives back in town at 4pm. There is a possibility for this international school to relocate into the center of Hiroshima (near the Red Cross Hospital) by 2011 according to their principal.
  HIS follows the teaching programmes of the International Baccalaureate.

• YMCA International Preschool and Kindergarden in Naka-ku, right in the town center, is for children ages 3-6. There is a uniform and meals and snacks are included. The fees are approximately 1,500,000 per year per student. The daily schedule is from 9-4 and there is an afterschool program if you want to leave your child there between 8-6 (for an extra 1,000-2,000 yen per day).
  YMCA International school follows a Zoophonics approach to teaching. According to their director, the school promises that by the time each child graduates, they will be able to read, speak and write in English.

School bags and "handmade" stuff kids need at school

Japanese (Hiroshima based) Parenting Website, WeWee is a good resource if your child is going to school or daycare in Japan as you can contact them to make the various bags and items that the schools dictate each student must have. It is always a bit of a problem for parents who can't sew, so the WeWee staff have come to my rescue a couple of times. Although the site is only in Japanese, there is a lot of great information on it. Also, if you contact them in English, they do have staff that can read, write and speak English too.

Other concerns

• Sickness and Health insurance

  Technically anyone working in Japan should be on the national health insurance system, but you sometimes hear of people who opt out of it.

  I think the Japanese government health insurance system is the easiest to join and use here in Japan. I know of a few people who are not part of the national health system and they have to pay all of their bills up front and get reimbursed.

  Most Japanese companies would insist that you join the national insurance scheme and it makes sense if you are going to have kids here, since they can apply for free insurance and health care until the age of 6 under the national insurance system. There is also a monthly stipend for families raising children in Japan (jidou-teate) of 5,000 yen per child per month. Most schools prefer their students to be on the national insurance system as well.
  You can find out all the information about national insurance and the stipend when you go to your local ward office (kuyakusho) to pick up your mother and child book (boshi-tetcho) when you find out you are pregnant.

• Making a Will and Buying Life Insurance

  One of the things that we learned when we had kids was that sometimes things don't always go to plan, one of the worries we have is if our kids will be taken care of if something happens to us. There are a lot of Japanese life insurance companies, but it was hard to understand the specifics, so we consulted investment broker, Ivan Doherty of IFG Asia and he recommended a life insurance that works like an investment, making a little bit of interest along the way. Seems like a good option. He also recommended us to make a will and pointed us to some resources where we could do this fairly easily. Even though we don't feel like we would have much to leave our kids, it is nice to know (for our families as well) that there is a plan for our kids and belongings if something happens to us.

• Private health insurance

  There seem to be a few different companies advertising health insurance for residents of Japan, the one that we had for a while (as a top-up for our national insurance) seemed good, InterGlobal, but it was sometimes unclear who to deal with for a claim since they have offices and reps in Japan, New Zealand and the UK. Once we found the right person, however, our claim was dealt with quickly and easily.

  If you are looking to get coverage, the best thing to do is to ask around and choose one that you have heard good reports about- for example, someone get reimbursed quickly and easily. One benefit of having international private health insurance is in case you need surgery or a procedure that you would feel more comfortable doing in another country. A friend of mine was given the option with Interglobal to fly to New Zealand and have free accomodation for herself and her husband to have knee surgery OR stay in Japan and have the surgery done. Apparently the expense was the same. So, they chose to have a holiday around her procedure- a nice option to have.

  If you have children who get ill, it is nice to have the option to fly overseas for treatment if it seems like a better option.

  Most international plans also offer global care options if you are flying to other countries you wouldn't need to buy travel insurance, also they offer flight cover if there is a death in your immediate family overseas.

Kid Friendly Activities in and around Hiroshima

We have been putting together reviews of places that are fun for kids and families around Hiroshima. You can see our reviews here: GetHiroshima Kids Stuff. You can also see advice about fun family daytrips here. You can also get together with other international kids and families at the HIP (Hiroshima International Playgroup) playdates - information about meeting times, dates and places can be found on the parenting blog: hiroshimaoyako.blogspot.com. On the Hiroshimaoyako blog, you can also find parenting advice as well as other event and place listings on GetHiroshima that are fun for kids and families.

Some of my favorite family friendly events are:

• The Hiroshima City Food Festival located around Hiroshima castle, spilling into Chuo-koen (park) across the street. Lots of food, fun and entertainment for a full weekend in October. The second day usually coincides with the international Peace-Love (Pe-A-Se-Lo-Ve) festival in Chuo-koen (park). It seems to be run by international groups and international students, if you know of anyone with details of this event, please let us know who the contact person is as we would like to publicize it, but can never find information before the event.

• Halloween Family Picnic in the Park on the last Sunday of October every year.

• There is also an evening Halloween party for kids in Iwakuni this year on the first Saturday of November.

• November 3rd Peace Marathon (national holiday)- a lot of families do the 5km walk with their kids or 10 km run with older kids. It is a fun day at the old stadium (Nishi-ku) and there are a lot of people running in costume, having a fun day of exercise. There are food stalls and prizes for not only the fastest runners, but the biggest groups and the most spirited! See 2007's event listing here.

• Hiroshima's Flea Markets like the Wasshoi flea market in November. Check the event listings for other flea markets throughout the year.

• San Frecce Soccer Games- there is usually at least one per month and the autumn-spring games are much more enjoyable when its not too hot. Check the event listings for dates and times.

• Hiroshima Carp Baseball game- rowdy, colorful and fun even if the carp is not the strongest team in the league and even if you are not a baseball fan, it is still lots of fun. Check the event listings for dates and times.

• December 31st/January 1st- Going around the temples and shrines on New Year's eve- wake the kids up and go at midnight for some hot, sweet zenzai soup. It is a memory of Japan you will always remember.

• Mid-January Tondo festival is always interesting, warm and fun.

Please write in with your advice and recommendations too- our information is only as good as we are informed by our community experts like you!