Why expecting parents are flying to Japan for baby products

Expectant parents are increasingly taking babymoon trips to Japanese cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka to buy baby products. The shift reflects Japan’s selection of childcare goods, including items hard to find in Korea, as well as savings from the weak yen and tax refunds for foreign visitors. The trend also shows babymoons becoming more practical, with shopping now a bigger draw than rest alone. A consumer studies professor said younger buyers increasingly value the process of finding good products at reasonable prices.

Akachan Honpo is described as Japan’s best-known specialty retailer for baby and childcare products.

Popular items cited as difficult to find in Korea include strollers and high chairs for newborns.

Kim Ji-young said she chose Fukuoka at 20 weeks pregnant because the yen was relatively cheap and baby-product stores were available there.

Lee Eun-hee of Inha University said younger generations value actively seeking information and obtaining good products at reasonable prices.

The article says childcare products have become increasingly premium-priced and are not easy to purchase.

Published Sep 11, 2026 3:56 pm KST

Weak yen, tax exemptions, wider product selection are turning Japan's cities into popular babymoon destinations

There were baby products that aren’t available in Korea, and I was also able to get a tax refund.

The trend among expectant parents taking so-called “babymoon” trips before childbirth is changing. While destinations such as Guam and Southeast Asia were once popular choices, Japanese cities such as Tokyo and Osaka are increasingly emerging as preferred destinations.

Japan has long been favored for babymoons because of its relatively short travel time from Korea and food that tends to suit Korean tastes. But the recent trend is notably different from the past, when Okinawa, a resort destination, was the Japanese destination most sought after by expectant parents.

According to a review by Hankook Ilbo on Wednesday, posts and videos featuring successful purchases of baby products in Japan are increasingly easy to find on Korean online portals and social media. Akachan Honpo, Japan’s best-known specialty retailer for baby and childcare products, has long been considered a “must-visit” destination among Korean expectant parents.

Some shoppers even share tips on how to transport their purchases safely. These include buying cushioning materials at stores in Japan to protect the products, or purchasing wheeled plant saucers and attaching them to boxes to make it easier to move the packages to the airport.

Recent posts on Korean portal sites and social media contain stories of people traveling to Japan for a prenatal trip to purchase baby products. Captured from YouTube

A major reason expectant parents are choosing busy Japanese cities over relaxing resorts is that they offer favorable conditions for shopping for childcare products. Japan’s wide selection of character-themed goods and creative products is an attraction in itself, but another major draw is the availability of popular items that can be difficult to find in Korea, such as strollers and high chairs for newborns.

More importantly, the weak yen, combined with tax exemptions for foreign visitors, can provide significant savings compared with purchasing the same products in Korea.

The trend also reflects a broader shift in perceptions of babymoons. In the past, the primary purpose of such trips was to give pregnant women a chance to rest or allow couples to enjoy what they saw as their “last taste of freedom” before becoming parents. Today, practical considerations, such as purchasing baby products at lower prices, are playing a greater role.

Kim Ji-young, 27, who took a babymoon to Fukuoka at 20 weeks pregnant, said she chose Japan because the yen was relatively cheap and the country had stores known for their baby products.

“There were baby products that aren’t available in Korea, and I was also able to get a tax refund,” she said.

Experts attribute the phenomenon to characteristics of the information age. With abundant information at their fingertips, consumers can make more rational purchasing decisions by actively seeking out and utilizing information. For some, the process of finding and purchasing products itself has become a source of satisfaction.

“Among younger generations, the process of actively seeking out information and obtaining good products at reasonable prices has itself become important,” said Lee Eun-hee, a professor of consumer studies at Inha University.

“Childcare products, in particular, have become increasingly premium-priced and are not easy to purchase. As a result, the meaning of pursuing practicality and value for money in the consumption process is bound to grow.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

越来越多的准父母选择前往东京、大阪、福冈等日本城市进行“蜜月宝宝之旅”，购买婴儿用品。这一趋势反映了日本丰富的育儿产品选择，其中包括一些在韩国难以找到的商品，以及日元疲软和外国游客可享受的退税优惠。此外，这一趋势也表明“蜜月宝宝之旅”变得更加务实，购物如今比单纯的度假更具吸引力。一位消费者研究教授表示，年轻的消费者越来越重视以合理的价格找到优质产品的过程。

Akachan Honpo 被誉为日本最知名的婴幼儿用品专卖零售商。

在韩国，婴儿车和新生儿餐椅等热门商品经常被列为难以找到的物品。

金智英表示，她在怀孕20周时选择去福冈，是因为日元相对便宜，而且那里有很多婴儿用品商店。

仁荷大学的李恩熙表示，年轻一代重视积极寻求信息，并以合理的价格获得优质产品。

文章指出，育儿产品的价格越来越高，而且不容易购买。

发布于2026年9月11日下午3:56（韩国标准时间）

日元疲软、税收减免、产品选择增多，正使日本城市成为热门的蜜月旅行目的地。

有些婴儿用品在韩国买不到，而且我还获得了退税。

准父母在分娩前进行所谓“蜜月旅行”的趋势正在发生变化。虽然关岛和东南亚等目的地曾经很受欢迎，但东京和大阪等日本城市正日益成为更受欢迎的选择。

由于距离韩国较近，且日本美食也更符合韩国人的口味，因此长期以来，日本一直是准父母们蜜月旅行的热门目的地。但近来的趋势与以往截然不同，过去冲绳作为度假胜地，才是准父母们最青睐的日本目的地。

据《韩国日报》周三报道，在韩国的在线门户网站和社交媒体上，越来越容易找到分享在日本成功购买婴儿用品的帖子和视频。日本最知名的婴幼儿用品专卖店Akachan Honpo长期以来一直被视为韩国准父母的“必去之地”。

一些购物者甚至分享了如何安全运输所购物品的技巧。例如，在日本的商店购买缓冲材料来保护商品，或者购买带轮子的植物托盘并将其固定在箱子上，以便更轻松地将包裹运送到机场。

最近，韩国门户网站和社交媒体上出现了一些帖子，讲述人们前往日本进行孕期旅行，购买婴儿用品的故事。视频来自YouTube。

准父母们选择繁华的日本城市而非宁静的度假胜地，一个主要原因在于日本城市为购买育儿用品提供了便利条件。日本琳琅满目的卡通主题商品和创意产品本身就极具吸引力，而另一个主要优势在于，日本能够买到一些在韩国难以找到的热门商品，例如婴儿车和新生儿餐椅。

更重要的是，日元疲软，加上外国游客的免税政策，与在韩国购买同类产品相比，可以节省一大笔钱。

这一趋势也反映出人们对“蜜月旅行”看法的更广泛转变。过去，这类旅行的主要目的是让孕妇有机会休息，或是让情侣在成为父母之前享受他们眼中的“最后的自由时光”。而如今，诸如以更低价格购买婴儿用品等实际因素发挥着越来越重要的作用。

27 岁的金智英在怀孕 20 周时前往福冈度蜜月，她说她选择日本是因为日元相对便宜，而且日本有很多以婴儿用品闻名的商店。

“有些婴儿用品在韩国买不到，而且我还拿到了退税，”她说。

专家将这种现象归因于信息时代的特征。消费者可以随时随地获取海量信息，通过主动搜索和利用信息做出更理性的购买决策。对一些人来说，寻找和购买产品的过程本身就成为了一种满足感的来源。

“对于年轻一代来说，主动寻找信息并以合理的价格获得优质产品的过程本身已经变得非常重要，”仁荷大学消费者研究教授李恩熙说。

“尤其是育儿用品，价格越来越高，购买也越来越困难。因此，在消费过程中，追求实用性和性价比的重要性必然会日益凸显。”

本文来自《韩国日报》（《韩国时报》的姊妹报），由人工智能生成系统翻译，并由《韩国时报》编辑。