New Multilingual Guide to Having a Baby in Japan

Welcome to "Learn Japanese from the News."

In this program, we'll learn Japanese and about the country through Japanese news stories.

Our headline for today is

New Multilingual Guide to Having a Baby in Japan.

Procedures differ by country,
which I imagine causes a lot of worry.

Yes, I personally know someone from abroad who's having their first baby here in Japan,

and I hope this helps them get the support they need.

Now, before we listen to the news story in Japanese, let's go over some key terms.

"akachan."

baby.

"Boshi-techoo."

Maternal and Child
Health Handbook.

"tetsuzuki."

procedure.

OK, see if you can follow along.

When you notify the city or town

where you live that you are having a baby,

you will receive a maternal and child health handbook and other materials.

You'll be briefed by a nurse

on the information you'll need and the procedures required

when giving birth and raising a baby.

However, nurses and other staff

may not be able to explain the information well to international residents.

The Kanagawa International Foundation in Yokohama

has created an explanatory guide

in simple Japanese and five other languages.

The guide includes explanations about making a reservation at the hospital

where you intend to give birth, the cost of health checkups, and more.

Starting April, it can be viewed on the organization's website.

Yes, being pregnant in a foreign country, especially with a language barrier,

must be a really daunting experience.

So I hope that this multilingual guide will help make things a little bit less stressful for first-time parents.

Yes, me too.

The story also mentions that pregnant women receive a "Boshi-techoo," which I have here.

The official name is

"Boshi-kenkoo-techoo."

This is used to keep track of the health of both mother and child during pregnancy,

and to log the child's growth until they reach the age of six.

Now let's review the following sentence from the story.

You'll be briefed by a nurse
on the information you'll need

and the procedures required
when giving birth

and raising a baby.

Now read along with me.

"akachan o unde
sodateru toki ni hitsuyoo na"

"joohoo ya tetsuzuki o
kangoshi nado kara setsumee-shite moraimasu."

The key is the phrase..."shite moraimasu."

The story explains that a nurse
will brief expectant mothers.

"Hahaoya wa kangoshi kara
setsumee-shite moraimasu."

In this way, when we have someone
do something for us, we use "-te morau."

The verb "morau" is often used to describe the act of receiving a physical object such as a gift,

but it can also be used to describe receiving an act of good will.

Exactly.

Let me show you an example.

I have a bag right here.

Excuse me, this is quite heavy,
could you give me a hand?

Sure.

Over here?

Yes please.

There you go.

Thank you.

Chiara, how would you describe
what happened from my perspective?

OK, so I would say...

"Watashi wa Yamaguchi-san ni tetsudatte moraimashita."
(I had Yamaguchi-san help me out.)

Right. You could simply say,
"Yamaguchi-san ga tetsudaimashita."

But that's just stating the facts,
so it may come across as cold.

I see.

By saying "tetsudatte-moraimashita," you're acknowledging that Yamaguchi-san helped you.

Exactly.

It's a phrase we use to describe
asking someone for a favor.

For example,
"Michi o oshiete moraimashita."

We use it to say we had
someone do something for us.

So I have cats a home.

So when the petsitter comes to take care of them, I guess it would be

"Neko no sewa o shite moraimasu."
(I have someone look after my cats.)

Ah, you need someone
to look after your cats.

Yamaguchi-san, how would you describe
what happened from your perspective?

I would say,

"Kaban o motte agemashita."
(I helped her with her bag.)

Yes. When we do something
for someone else,

we can say "...shite ageta."

But if you said,
"Watashi ga shite ageta,"

it may sound condescending.

So watch out.

Yes, it's a good point.

It's OK to use among friends and family.

But let's say you're at work and your boss needs help.

"Watashi ga tetsudatte agemasu."
(Let me (do you a favor and) help you.)

might sound like you're talking down to them.

It's better to say,

"Watashi ga tetsudaimasu."
(Let me help you.)

Yes, you want to be aware of how your phrases sound

and if they're appropriate to that situation.

Exactly.

Well, Tokunaga-sensee, "arigatoo gozaimashita."

"Arigatoo gozaimashita."

Inside Japan.

Here's the guide for expectant mothers mentioned in our story.

It outlines the process of receiving a "Boshi-techoo"

and the different things you should do when having a baby in Japan.

It's available in simple Japanese and one of five languages.

When you go into your local municipal office to tell them that you're pregnant,

a nurse or a public health worker will brief you using this guide.

So they'll go through it with you step by step to make sure that you understand everything, which sounds very helpful.

Yes.

And all of the questions are designed so you can respond simply by pointing to your answer.

The guide also explains the "Boshi-techoo."

This is an important record book that helps ensure both mother and child's well-being.

Let's take a look at how this "Boshi-techoo" system started, and how it's used.

The Japanese government began issuing "Boshi-techoo" in 1948

as part of efforts to curb infant mortality during postwar reconstruction.

They came to play an important role in keeping track of pregnancy, delivery, and early parenthood.

It's said they were the first to combine the health records of both mother and child in one.

That allows expectant parents, their families, and their healthcare providers

to better understand the mother's condition and progress.

Today, Japan's infant mortality rate is 1.7 deaths per 1,000 live births -

one of the lowest in the world.

That's partly due to greatly improved sanitary conditions and nutritional improvements.

But the widespread use of the "Boshi-techoo" is also considered to be a major factor.

That, in turn, has led to similar systems being introduced in more than 50 countries and territories -

mostly in Asia and Africa.

The handbooks are making a difference by promoting services like prenatal and postnatal checkups,

which help reduce infant mortality.

It's a deceptively simply concept, but I can see how it makes such a big difference for first-time parents.

Yes, and they're currently available in 10 languages besides Japanese.

Yes, even if you can speak Japanese,

a lot of the language is used to talk about pregnancy or illness, and so forth can be very specialized.

So being able to read everything in your native language and having the Japanese with it

must be a big relief.

Exactly.

Fukuda Kumiko from the Kanagawa International Foundation says that

all multilingual versions of the "Boshi-techoo" include descriptions in Japanese.

That means they can be used as a reference whether you see a doctor in Japan or overseas.

She recommends that expectant parents get a "Boshi-techoo" in their native language,

even if they can speak Japanese.

Yes.

The handbook can make sure that you get all the care that you need when you visit a hospital.

Check out the Kanagawa International Foundation's website for multilingual resources on pregnancy and giving-birth.

OK.

I hope that more people who come to Japan feel more peace of mind about having a baby here.

There's a support system in place for them.

Yes, definitely, and the "Boshi-techoo" is a big part of that.

We'll see you next time.

See you soon.