How to Find a Babysitter in Japan
Are There Babysitters in Japan?
It's no secret that people in Japan live very busy lives. Between working very long hours and raising kids, it can be hard for people to find time for themselves and get out of the house to have fun once in a while. In other countries all over the world, the easy solution would be to get a babysitter for a few hours and trust your kids to them. Compared to many other countries around the world, hiring a babysitter to watch your kids just isn't as common in Japan.
Luckily, even though it is less common there are lots of babysitter companies in Japan! So if you and your partner are both working late or if you and your significant other are planning a date night out, there are options available to you.
These companies offer a range of services, including preparing meals, taking kids to lessons, helping with household chores, and more. There are also several companies in Japan that offer babysitting services in English and other languages, so you can rest easy knowing you can find a babysitter that you can communicate your needs and concerns with properly.
But it's worth noting that some babysitter companies won't take care of your kids after a certain hour (often around 7 P.M.) or may charge extra for late nights or weekends, so if you are planning a late night out or a weekend getaway, make sure that you find a company that can match your needs. You also need to make sure that they operate in your area, as some babysitter companies may only have sitters available in major metropolitan areas like Tokyo and Osaka.
So let's look at some of the different babysitter companies in Japan that offer English babysitting services so that you can find the company that's right for you and your children.
Care Finder
Care Finder connects families with experienced babysitters and caregivers in multiple different areas of Japan and in multiple different languages. After you register on their website, you'll be able to search for a babysitter that meets your needs and book them online. You can even message specific babysitters before booking them to get to know them and see if they are the right choice for you and your children.
The babysitters on Care Finder come from a broad range of cultures and backgrounds, so finding a babysitter from this site could be a great way to expose your children to new and different experiences. Care Finder also takes great care to do background checks for all caregivers and provides their babysitters with ongoing training and support.
With a dedicated customer support team available as well, Care Finder is a great, convenient option for finding the right babysitter for you.
To learn more, check out the Care Finder website by clicking here.
Babysitters
Babysitters (the full company name is "babysitters & company") was one of the first companies to offer English babysitting services in Japan. English babysitters are still the company's main focus, but many of their babysitters also speak French, Italian, Spanish, German, and Chinese, making them a great choice if English is not your family's first language.
Babysitters has a basic rate of ¥2750 per hour (with a three-hour minimum reservation time), though there are additional fees per hour for national holidays and late nights/early mornings, as well as additional charges based on how many kids they'll be taking care of. The company offers 24-hour babysitting services, so Babysitters is a good option if you're going on a business trip or going to be gone for an extended period.
These babysitters can go shopping with you and/or your child, pick up or drop off your child from school, and care for your child when they are sick. However, they are not allowed to do any kind of housework (including cooking), so keep that in mind.
Something unique about Babysitters is that you can ask for their babysitters to come to take care of your children at hotels, ryokans, and homestay services like Airbnb. This can be really helpful if you're visiting a major city in Japan, like Tokyo or Osaka, and need someone to watch your children for a few hours.
To learn more, check out the Babysitters website by clicking here.
Honey Clover
In addition to regular childcare, Honey Clover offers pick-up/drop-off services, and overnight babysitting, and is able to take care of sick children. Their babysitters are able to come to your hotel or child's care center instead of your home if necessary, and they can even take your children to amusement parks.
Currently, babysitting services are offered not only in the Kanto region, but also in Aichi, Gifu, Shizuoka, Ibaraki, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Okinawa, and Hokkaido. This means Honey Clover has some of the best coverage and availability of any babysitting company in Japan.
While Honey Clover is not specifically targeted towards foreigners, they do offer babysitter services in foreign languages. They have babysitters from multiple nationalities and backgrounds, so you can hopefully find a sitter who speaks your language and meets your needs.
Unlike some other babysitting companies, Honey Clover does offer household chore services for an extra charge. So if you are especially busy and don't have time to clean up the house, you can pay for the Honey Clover sitter to take care of it for you. You also don't have to register as a member to use their services, so it is more convenient for people who have a sudden need for a babysitter or only need someone to babysit their kids once in a while.
To learn more, check out the Honey Clover website by clicking here (Japanese only).
Find the Right Babysitter for You!
Trusting someone to take care of your kids-especially in a foreign country-can be a daunting thing to do. Luckily, all of these babysitting services will help you find a sitter who meets your needs and who you and your kids get along with well. But don't be afraid to shop around and check out multiple different companies to figure out which one provides the services and support that you need the most. After all, the safety and happiness of your children are more important than anything else.
