Category: Maternity leave
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Giving birth during the COVID-19 pandemic
Just as I was preparing to take my second stint of maternity leave, the COVID-19 situation was reaching crisis point. On March 11 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the virus a global pandemic, and deemed its risk ‘very high’ particularly in East Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. The virus had…
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To Bali with baby: part I (Sanur)
For anyone considering an overseas trip with a little one, I can highly recommend Bali – the “Island of the Gods” – where we’ve just spent three weeks with our nine month old daughter. Throughout our travels we were blown away by mystical landscapes, rich cultural offerings, and mouthwatering food. More significantly, we were charmed…
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Paternity Leave in Japan: the law vs the reality
Did you know that in Japan, after the birth of a baby, both parents can take up to one year of paid leave at the same time? No? Neither did we! Today, as my husband starts his three months of “paternity leave”, he joins a tiny minority of men who take time off to care…
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“Maternity pay” in Japan
I’m pleased to report that last week, just as Baby Hope reached the 7½ month mark, I received my second installment of “Maternity Pay”. “Maternity Pay” is a simple term that masks a rather complex set of calculations involving different pots of cash. Here’s how it works in Japan. Maternity Pay I: Health Insurance benefits From…
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Mother and Child Public Health Care Services in Japan
Japan has a high-quality national health system, offering universal coverage and free choice of health care provider. This is of particular relevance for new mothers and babies. Every few weeks, we receive vouchers in the post from our local public health authority (Minato-ku), which allow us access to a variety of “Mother and Child Health…
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“Mummy and Me Yoga” in Tokyo
Yesterday, in a change to our regular exercise routine at Crossfit, we tried “Mummy and Me Yoga”. As the name suggests, you take a yoga class alongside other mums while your babies play peacefully (haha!) at the front of the room. Taught at my friend’s apartment by the lovely and experienced Bex Kelly, the class was…
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Baby’s first flight: Tokyo to London on British Airways
I’m pleased (and relieved!) to report that Baby Hope and I had a very smooth journey from Tokyo to London, including a pain-free 12-hour flight on British Airways. Pre-departure I’d been a bit anxious about taking such a lengthy journey with our wriggly almost-6-month old, so was glad when we got off to an efficient…
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Aka-chan admin III: Applying for Baby’s first UK passport, from Japan
To complete the hat-trick of baby admin in Japan, we applied for Hope’s first passport on January 23. On April 11, it finally arrived! Documents required It has to be said that the UK Government guidelines about supporting documents are not particularly clear. Here are the documents we sent to Her Majesty’s Passport Office, in…
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Supporting Japan’s kids in care
Last week, Hope attended her first board meeting, for Mirai no Mori (MnM). This not-for-profit (NPO) organization was founded in 2011 and I became auditor in 2015. Our mission is to create life-changing outdoor programs for Japanese children living in care homes, supporting their growth into happy and successful young adults. Who does MnM support? According…
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The importance of a British-style education
This morning, I had the pleasure of contributing to a COBIS (Council of British International Schools) conference, at The British School in Tokyo’s (BST) Showa Campus. Our panel discussion, “At the Hub of Global British Business Communities” focused on the importance of British international schools to the communities they serve. Panelists were Chris Heffer (Director…
2020 Mum in Tokyo 