Getting your Mother's Handbook from your Ward Office

One of the things that your care provider will want you to have, whether you have Japanese insurance or not, is the Japanese Mother's Handbook. This is important because it's where the doctors record your information. It's basically a log-book for your baby's development, so the doctors need it to keep their notes... except that they put everything in the computer, so I don't even know why this is a thing.

Anyway, it's important, and here's how I got it.


1. Get your proof of pregnancy from your doctor. You should get one from your care provider on your first visit. When they found out that I didn't have my "handbook" they were sure to get me my paper work and send me to the ward office/public health office. There is additional information on the form that will be in Japanese that you will have to fill out. I live in an apartment building with English speaking staff and was able to have one of them help me fill out my form.

2. Take your filled out form to your ward office. A ward is halfway in scale between a city block and a whole city. There are many ward offices but you are going to need to find the one that covers the area you live in. When I got there I went to the information counter and showed them my form and they directed me to the correct floor. I got off the elevator and had two choices on which office it was, I picked the wrong one, but the lady looked at my form and pointed to the other office.

3. Give the ward office worker your paper. I was blessed to have a man who could speak English to take my paper and help me understand what to do with the papers he gave me.

4. Receive your Mother's Handbook. If you can't read Japanese, then be sure to ask for it in English. If you come in and don't speak Japanese then they probably will assume and just give it to you in English. They will also give you a book of coupons, but I wouldn't use them unless you have Japanese insurance or if your health care provider tells you its okay. The coupons are used to pay for your prenatal appointments and postpartum care. In the back of the coupon book are the papers you have to take back to the ward office after your baby is born, within 14 days for baby's birth. You can fill it out and mail it in if getting to the ward office proves difficult.

5. They will also give you a pregnancy information book and some coupons for clothes and baby stuff, you can use these. They should also have the pregnancy book in English, but you are going to have to ask for this, I didn't, its my forth baby, and I wanted to get out of the office(the temperature was to high for me and there was another woman waiting), but if you want to read through yours then ask for it in English.

6. Take your handbook home and don't forget to always bring it with you to your appointments and to the hospital when you give birth.