Hi! My name is Kate Neath, founder of Tokyo Urban Baby.
My goal is to help you enjoy Tokyo with your baby!
Photo: Romp Photography
I have been living in Japan for over 10 years, and I know how hard it can be to travel here and find your way around Tokyo. With the ever-present language barrier, combined with the unique Japanese culture, etiquette, and customs, I understand it can feel quite daunting.
Throw a newborn baby and children into the mix, and it can feel impossible!
That’s why I created Tokyo Urban Baby.
Tokyo is actually one of the most baby-friendly cities in the world. And it is my goal to help you discover all it has to offer.
I know how it feels to be pregnant and raise a baby in this busy city. I have been through it all – trying to carry a pram down the stairs at the train station, trying to find a baby nursing room, wondering where all the baby-friendly cafes are in Tokyo. The list is endless!
Tokyo Urban Baby is all about helping you, whether you are living in Japan or visiting here for a holiday, to navigate and enjoy Tokyo with your baby with the least stress and the most fun!
How did I start Tokyo Urban Baby? I first created Tokyo Urban Baby in January 2012. My baby was 3 months old and I was keen to get out of my apartment every day, at least for a few hours to get some fresh air and some exercise.
At first I didn’t know where to go – where do I change my baby’s nappy? Where can I breastfeed?
My first outing was a disaster – I was perched on the edge of a stool in Sega Fredo coffee shop in Naka-Meguro, trying to breastfeed a suddenly crying and hungry baby, and then trying to change a pooy nappy on a small bench next to the sink in the cafe toilet!
After that experience, I started to research online in Japanese and do some exploring around the city, and gradually my list and knowledge of all the hidden baby-friendly places grew.
I wanted to share all these finds with other parents in the same situation as me, so I started Tokyo Urban Baby with video tutorials, maps, and photos to make it as easy as possible to find all these wonderful baby-friendly places.
Gradually word spread among my friends about my new blog, and then I started to receive emails and questions from overseas.
Before I knew it, Tokyo Urban Baby had grown to over 20,000 pageviews per month with readers from Japan, America, UK, Australia, Singapore and more!
After 6 months I was eager to expand Tokyo Urban Baby and teamed up with my friend and respected professional IT expert, Tomoko Momose, to start an online shop and develop Tokyo Urban Baby into a bilingual online resource.
Photo by ROMP Photography
We also developed events for all our readers in Tokyo with guest speakers and giveaway prizes. Below is one of my favourites.
TV Reporter for NHK World Tokyo Eye
In July 2013 I was contacted by NHK World, the international broadcasting service of Japan’s public TV broadcaster NHK, to be a reporter for their program Tokyo Eye.
NHK World had come across my videos and tutorials on Tokyo Urban Baby, and invited me to join the Tokyo Eye team as a TV reporter to show overseas visitors all the great sightseeing spots in Tokyo. See photos of the show here!
TV reporter for Tokyo Eye, NHK World
TV reporter for Tokyo Eye, NHK World
Tokyo Urban Baby has also been featured in ELLE Maman magazine in Japan!
Featured in ELLE Maman magazine!
I am so thrilled with how Tokyo Urban Baby has grown and all the exciting opportunities it has created.
And I LOVE receiving all the emails and questions from readers of Tokyo Urban Baby, and helping you all with your travels and living in Japan with your babies.
I look forward to continuing to share all my favourite baby-friendly places in Tokyo with you all!
Want to ask me a question?
Please email me at kate@tokyourbanbaby.com
Want to know more about me?
Here is a bit more about my background in Japan:)
- Marketing Manager at the No. 1 eCommerce company in Japan (2015-present)
- 5 Years Marketing Experience with an Australian company based in Tokyo (2008-2015)
- Ph.D. Animal Science from Tsukuba University, Japan
- Graduate of Japan Market Expansion Competition (JMEC)
- Fluent in Japanese
- Coordinator of Tokyo Pregnancy Group (TPG) in 2011
- Founder of Tokyo Urban Baby, established in Jan 2012 (online shop opened Sep 2012)
ケートニース博士：
- 日本で５年間マーケティングに従事
- 筑波大学大学院で動物学のPh.D.を取得
- ジャパンマーケットエクスパンションコンペティション (JMEC)修了
- 日本語堪能
- 東京アーバンベイビー設立者
ブログ：
- ２０１２年１月に開設 日本での子育てについての情報を提供
- 初年度100,000ページビュー、その後もアクセス数は伸び続けています
- 閲覧数の多い国：日本、アメリカ、オーストラリア、イギリス、シンガポール
- オンラインショップ: ２０１２年９月に開店
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Hello Kate,
Thanks a lot for your website. I am a french-japanese girl from Paris. I will be going to spend 1 month for the summer holidays in Japan, 2 weeks in Tokyo and 2 weeks travelling with my husband and 1 year old baby.
May I ask you if you would recommend a nice place to go for 2 weeks with a baby? A friend of mine is going to Ishigaki but I am a bit afraid of being too hot and not being able to use my stroller on the beaches… If you have time your advice wold be most precious!! Thank you, Suzanne Setsuko
Hi Jalenques! Thank you for your message. I recommend visiting Nikko or Nasu up north for short trips, which is in the mountains and therefore a bit cooler than Tokyo. You can get to Nasu by shinkansen bullet train, so it is only a couple of hours away. Beautiful resorts, walking, shrines, temples, and onsens. Just be prepared for the mosquitoes though! If you are interesting in traveling further away, I highly recommend Kyoto, Himeji Castle, and even down to Naruto. I have been there for summer and really enjoyed it. Hope this helps and have a wonderful holiday! xx Kate