Tokyo Mothers Group
English-speaking support group for families in Tokyo
Japanese Language
Pregnancy Japanese
Being pregnant in a foreign country can seem like a daunting experience even for those that have a good grasp of the local language. For those that have very little Japanese it can be even scarier.
Thankfully there are many resources available.
Below are some basic Japanese phrases and expressions to help you communicate with doctors and nurses.
For other labor, delivery, breastfeeding and postpartum vocabulary check out the sites below.
http://www.tcp-ip.or.jp/~lorna/mothers/japanese.html
http://tokyopregnancygroup.blogspot.jp/search/label/Japanese%20Terms
If at any point you are unsure and need help or translation services then contact Himawari (Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Medical Information Center on 03-5285-8181 or see here for more information. http://www.himawari.metro.tokyo.jp/qq/qq13enmnlt.asp
Going to the Doctors and Medical Terminology
Like pregnancy, dealing with other medical problems in a place where you do not speak the language can be daunting. Thankfully, for those with no Japanese skills at all, there are some highly recommended English doctors and dentists in Tokyo and you can find them listed here.
There are many different kinds of clinics for different issues. In general seeing a 小児科（shonika) or peadiatrician first up, for children is the best option. For adults, 内科 (Naika) or internalist is usually the first stop. You can get a referral to somewhere else after that if you need. Below are some different deparements in Japan
Here are some other links with information including a healthcare help card from Wanavi that you can print out and take with you.
http://www.wanavi.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Healthcare-Helpcard.pdf
http://savvytokyo.com/easy-japanese-for-going-to-the-doctor/
http://savvytokyo.com/easy-japanese-for-emergencies/
http://www.tanaka-clinic.net/eng/medical_terms.htm
Transport Terminology
We are very lucky to live in a place with such great and affordable public transport. However, the train system and bus system can be a little daunting for even the most experienced traveller. Below are some Japanese phrases and kanji that might help you on your travels.
Be sure to check the links below as well as they have even more information on booking tickets, the different types of shikansen and how to book seats and more.
http://maggiesensei.com/2015/06/03/%E5%85%AC%E5%85%B1%E4%BA%A4%E9%80%9A-koukyou-koutsuu-public-transport-travel-japanese/ - This link has info on a lot of vocabulary and phrases but also on how to use the train machines and to book shikansen tickets.
http://japanese-lesson.com/conversation/basic_japanese/basic05.html
http://tokyocheapo.com/living/guide-transport-japanese/
Information on hailing and finding taxi services
http://www.survivingnjapan.com/2013/07/how-to-find-and-call-taxi-in-japan.html
For English maps of subway, JR and private railways see below:
http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/subwaymap/
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/routemaps/pdf/RouteMap_majorrailsub.pdf (Includes JR and subway and some private railways)
Shopping & Food
In the Facebook group questions about shopping and food come up often- we have listed some great places to shop for food and other things here (including some parent run businesses).
But what about the vocabulary you need when looking for certain stuff? Here are some phrases to help you out and also links that have some great language to use.
The Savvy Tokyo & Wanavi cheat sheet are great for printing out and the surviving in Japan site is a great resource in general but the links below can help you find organic products and also a way to decipher food labels
.
http://savvytokyo.com/japanese-cheat-sheet-natural-foods/
http://www.wanavi.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Food-Helpcard.pdf (This is very helpful for those with allergies or want to ask about where food is sourced. It also includes a map of Japan and the characters for all of the prefectures and info on reading food labels)
http://www.survivingnjapan.com/2010/08/how-to-find-organicnatural-personal.html
http://www.survivingnjapan.com/2012/04/ultimate-guide-to-reading-food-labels.html
The Eigo Samples site and rocket language site have some useful vocabulary and questions for when you are shopping alone and need to ask for help.
http://www.rocketlanguages.com/japanese/learn/shopping-in-japanese/
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