People often worry about all of the sacrifices they’ll have to make once they have kids. You won’t be able to hop on a last-minute flight to Thailand or stay out at the club until 7 a.m., so you’d better get that out of your system before starting a family. Just prepare yourself to not have any free time until you have self-sufficient teenagers.
But if parents are willing and able to take their young kiddos on adventures around the world with them, why wait? One mom recently went on a trip to Japan with her husband and four-month-old baby, and she was shocked by how hospitable some of the people they encountered were. Below, you’ll find a video that she posted on TikTok during their trip, as well as some of the replies viewers shared.
Traveling as a new parent can be incredibly stressful
Image credits: freepik (not the actual image)
But this woman had a surprisingly wholesome experience while out for dinner in Japan
Image credits: maggieeboynton
Image credits: maggieeboynton
Image credits: maggieeboynton
Image credits: maggieeboynton
Here’s the video Maggie shared
@maggieeboyntonCan’t explain how much this truly meant to me.♬ What Was I Made For? (Epilogue) [Instrumental Version] – Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt
There is a strong focus on hospitality in Japanese culture
Traveling, in general, can be a stressful experience. So most people certainly aren’t interested in introducing children into the equation. In fact, a survey from CivicScience found that 71% of adults consider making travel arrangements to be at least somewhat stressful. And over half of travelers consider making their way through the airport anxiety-inducing.
But if you can actually manage to get your little ones out the door in time to make your flight, you might be wondering if it would even be safe to take them with you. Well, according to the Mayo Clinic, they’re probably going to be just fine tagging along.
They note that it’s usually wise to keep infants at home for the first few weeks of their life, as their immune systems are quite weak while they’re young. But as long as you’re prepared and take precautions to keep them safe, there’s nothing wrong with traveling with a baby.
However, that’s not the only concern many parents have when it comes to globetrotting with their children. It can be daunting to embark on a journey when you’re not sure how kid-friendly your destination is or if you’ll ever be able to have a moment of peace. That’s why Maggie Boynton and her husband were so amazed by the hospitality they encountered in Japan.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had a stranger offer to hold my baby before,” Boynton told People. “At first, I hesitated — like, should I let her? But she seemed so genuine and sweet. You just have that intuition when someone truly wants to help.”
Some viewers of the video pointed out that this kindness might have something to do with “Omotenashi” – an idea deeply ingrained in Japanese culture that one should wholeheartedly take care of guests.
The Japanese National Tourism Organization notes that this idea is difficult to translate to English, so the best way to understand it is to simply experience it.
As a nation, Japan cares about providing resources for new parents
“It is a sense of incredible hospitality that carries across home stays, formal ceremonies, retail, and dining,” they explain on their site. “However, omotenashi goes beyond ‘the customer is always right;’ rather, it is an implicit understanding that there are no menial tasks if the result ensures a great experience for a guest.”
Meanwhile, other viewers of Maggie’s video pointed out that birth rates are extremely low in Japan, so some people might be especially excited when they get to see a baby. Reuters reports that fertility rates in Japan fell to a record low in 2024 after nine years in a row of declining rates. And over 55% of single Japanese adults between the ages of 18 and 29 have no interest in having kids in the future.
Despite this, Japan seems to value parents more than the United States does. As many people know, the U.S. is the only industrialized nation in the world that does not have a federal paid maternity leave policy.
Japan, on the other hand, offers mothers 14 weeks of maternity leave. During which, they will be paid two thirds of their base salary. And once that ends, mothers can transition to “childcare leave” until their baby’s first birthday.
Now, the country of Japan is beloved for many reasons including its nature, cuisine, culture, media and more. But one thing it has gotten some negative press for is being ranked one of the worst countries in the world for helping strangers.
However, many travelers quickly disputed this title after it was publicized, noting that they’ve had plenty of pleasant experiences with helpful locals while in Japan. And I’m sure Maggie and her family would defend the island nation as well.
Viewers’ hearts were warmed by the video, and many noted that this is a beautiful example of how society should be
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