Where to Get Free Baby and Pregnancy Products in Japan
Last Updated on May 1, 2024 by Kay
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Babies are expensive and not to mention a completely new territory for new parents, so of course parents-to-be in all cultures love getting as many free things as possible to help cut costs and figure out what works for their baby before investing in a product.
Although Japan does not have a Baby Box, there are plenty of ways to get free baby goods, some of which I found online (in Japanese) and others that my husband and I just stumbled upon. I really love free things (who doesn’t?) so I’m very excited to share this information with all of you future parents in Japan.
Table of Contents
Where to Get Free Baby Products in Japan Online
Amazon Japan Baby Registry
We received some really nice samples and full-size products from the Amazon Japan Baby Registry Welcome Box, and it cost us zero yen. The box was actually unavailable when we first signed up but we lucked out and while completing our registry, I noticed that it was in stock again so my husband quickly snagged one. (If you’re interested in ideas for what to put in your registry, check out this post.)
Freebies:
- Merries diapers (newborn and S size)
- Whito newborn diapers
- baby arau laundry soap
- Hohoemi rakurakucube (ほほえみらくらくキューブ) – powdered formula cubes
- Hagukumi (はぐくみ) powdered formula
- mama bear baby wipes
- mama bear baby cotton swabs
- wakodo cream
If you’re interested in signing up (which is completely free, of course), just visit the Amazon Japan Baby Registry page
I also wrote a detailed guide all about the registry after a friend asked me some questions about how to sign up and get the free welcome box.
Amazon Japan also provides discounts on items and services for parents as well as personalized suggestions for what to buy based on your stage of pregnancy or your baby’s age, which is really nice because it makes decision-making so much easier.
ゼクシィBaby
ゼクシィ is a Japanese company that publishes magazines on weddings, pregnancy, and babies. You can sign up for their 200-page pregnancy magazines and/or 190-page baby magazines to be delivered straight to your door once every two months, and of course, this is all for free!
These magazines are packed with helpful information about pregnancy and baby products in Japan, advice about pregnancy and baby-related concerns, and useful guides. And if you aren’t that confident with reading Japanese, this is a great opportunity to get familiar with pregnancy and baby terms in Japanese (the Google Translate app’s camera function, although not perfect, is your friend).
If you’re already a Recruit (リクルート) member (for instance, you have an account with Hot Pepper Beauty or じゃらん), then all it takes is a click of the pink 今すぐ応募する(無料) button to sign up.
If you don’t have a Recruit account, signing up is very, very easy as all you have to provide are the basics (your name, email address, mailing address, and phone number) as well as your due date or your baby’s birthdate. It’s super simple and you’ll get a wealth of essential information.
You can also apply for free samples and full-sized products through the ゼクシィBaby website… and all for free!
Japanese Baby Brand Homepages
Many baby brands for products such as diapers and powdered milk offer free samples that will be mailed to you. Although giving out information to a company about your due date and address, etc., may be unpleasant for some people, I think it’s worth it to find out what your baby likes.
Here are the sites of some brands where you can get free baby goods after registering (click on the name to be taken to their website!):
- Merries diapers
- moony diapers
- Whito diapers
- GOO.N diapers
- Pampers diapers
- ICREO アイクレオ Balance Milk (powdered formula)
Free Newborn Baby and Pregnancy Products at Stores in Japan
There are a variety of baby stores in Japan that can be found online or in malls such as Lalaport and some of them offer free gifts if you sign up for their point card.
Babies R Us
When my belly started to show at around 17 weeks pregnant and could no longer wear my normal jeans, I knew it was time to get some maternity clothes. While in the changing room, I noticed an advertisement for a free bag filled with baby goods for expectant mothers.
Signing up was very easy as everything was done on an iPad and I walked away with a point card (which is awesome, I highly recommend shopping at Babies R Us just for the point perks, we have gotten over ¥10,000 off our purchases just by using points) and my bag full of goodies.
Freebies:
- A box of Morinaga brand non-caffeine powdered Cafe au Lait sticks (12 sticks)
- Atopita (アトピタ) baby lotion sample
- pigeon brand pure (ピュア) baby laundry detergent
- pigeon brand disposable nursing pads
- ChuChuBaby brand nursing pads
Akachan Honpo
This is a very popular store for parents and parents-to-be in Japan.
One weekday evening after an appointment with the obstetrician, my husband and I decided to visit one of their locations. We were aimlessly browsing around when an employee came up to us and asked if we wanted to sign up for a point card for free. Signing up took more time than at Babies R Us but we got much more for free. The diaper samples alone got us through a few days after the baby arrived!
Freebies:
- A box of Morinaga brand non-caffeine powdered Matcha latte sticks (12 sticks)
- Two packs of moony newborn diapers (24 diapers in each pack)
- GOO.N newborn diaper sample
- Merries newborn diaper sample
- Merries skincare sample
- Whito newborn diaper sample (2 diapers)
- pigeon brand disposable nursing pads
Nishimatsuya
I absolutely love Nishimatsuya as its prices are very low, especially when they have a sale! When I was pregnant, they didn’t have any freebies but as of March 1, 2021, they have not only a point card but also a special gift for pregnant women who register on their app! (Note that similar to the other stores, you have to visit the store to get your freebies)
西松屋 has a point system now! 😮 They also have a little sample set of their Smart Angel baby goods for expecting moms (I wish that had been around when I was pregnant!)
If you want to sign up, just download their app 📱 pic.twitter.com/CqTTgzNsU6
— Kay 🌙 (@tinyintokyo) March 2, 2021
To find out more about Babies R Us, Akachan Honpo, and Nishimatsuya, or to see where there’s one near you, check out my article on baby stores in Japan.
Events in Japan to Get Free Baby and Pregnancy Products
If you search online in Japanese, you can find a number of events that are held throughout Japan for parents or parents-to-be where you can get a variety of free samples and sometimes full-sized items from vendors.
Hello Akachan (ハロー赤ちゃん)
This event or seminar run by the Mothers’ and Children’s Health and Welfare Association is held several times a year in various locations around Japan. It’s free to attend but you have to register in advance and it fills up within minutes.
The seminar consisted of a classical music performance for about 40 minutes and then about 50 minutes of a Q&A session with an obstetrician, which was actually very helpful. (For instance, he recommended that we eat edamame instead of taking folic acid as folic acid really only provides the most benefits when you’re TTC and in the first trimester.) It’s important to note that the entire seminar is in Japanese only.
There are also numerous vendors and I received a LOT of goodies after filling out forms for products I was interested in (again, in Japanese). As these vendors are trying to sell things, you may get phone calls or emails after the event if you provide your personal information.
Freebies:
- Whito diapers (2 newborn and 1 small size)
- GOO.N diapers (1 newborn and 1 small size)
- Happy Skin Care Set (baby soap and lotion)
- Two packs of wipes
- Wakodo はいはい formula
- Chia seeds
- Hard candy folic acid
- Wakodo baby lotion
- FUWASHU baby laundry detergent
- One cloth diaper
- Breast pad
- キュキュット CLEAR dish detergent spray
- NUK pacifier (0-6 months)
- Dentistar pacifier to prevent an overbite (ages 1 to 3)
- ChuChu 150 ml Baby Bottle
- Biore Guard Hand Soap
Little Mama Festival (リトル・ママフェスタ)
I didn’t get the chance to attend this event during my pregnancy but it seems like it’s geared more towards parents than those who are pregnant. At the event, children can participate in various events such as races depending on their age.
Even though the events are for small children, pregnant women in Japan attending this event can receive a variety of full-size samples, mainly of food such as broth for nabe, bread, and sauces, and items such as an Anpanman bib for their baby.
I went to the event with my then-5-month-old so if you’re interested, you can read about my experience here.
Maternity Baby Festival (マタニティベビーフェスター)
I unfortunately missed this event as I found out about it on social media after it ended, and I was admittedly crushed when I saw all the freebies people received.
The event is held throughout Japan and consists of various exhibitors and seminars that are geared toward both pregnant women and those with babies.
Freebies may include diaper samples, baby lotions and oils, coupons (such as ¥500 off at Babies R Us), NUK pacifiers, and baby wipes.
I hope this information has been helpful for you and has saved you some time from searching online. This list is truly something I wish I had access to at the beginning of my pregnancy and I hope to update it as I learn about more events for pregnancy and for new parents in Japan.
If you have any information about free things or events that are not included here, please leave a comment!
Also, please note that if this post has helped you get free pregnancy and baby products in Japan and you want to share that online, whether it be on social media or your own blog, I’d really appreciate it if you could credit my blog ♥
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Having a baby in Japan? Then check out these articles to help make preparing for pregnancy and birth in Japan as easy as possible:
10 Things To Do When Pregnant in Japan
What to Buy (and Not Buy) for Your Newborn
All About the Amazon Japan Baby Registry
12 Things That Surprised Me When I Was Pregnant in Japan
Hospital Bag in Japan Checklist: What to Pack
Giving Birth in Japan: Cost Breakdown
You can also check out the pregnancy category of my blog, which has lots more articles, as well as read interviews by women from various countries who have given birth in Japan.