Photo/Illutration Users and staff dine together at the respite care facility Lemon House in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward on July 9. (Risako Miyake)

Sometimes, parents with small children just need a short break from child-rearing duties, a few hours of uninterrupted “my time” relaxation.

That’s where Lemon House comes in. Located near Tokyo’s bustling Shinjuku Station, it offers short-stay and evening care services.

Although so-called respite care providers for parents with small children are increasing nationwide, more than 40 percent of municipalities still lack such services. And despite the high potential demand, awareness of these programs remains limited.

Lemon House is a charming, renovated two-story house with a homey atmosphere. Its spacious living room, filled with books and toys, feels far from institutional.

Lemon House is the brainchild of Kotoko Fujita, a 32-year-old social worker. While working at a mother-child support facility for families struggling with domestic violence, poverty or disabilities, she witnessed parents pushing themselves to their limit on a daily basis, often thinking they had to do everything.

“Then I thought that sometimes parents and children just need a break,” Fujita said. “They need a place where both can take a breather.”

In 2022, she started a respite care service commissioned by Shinjuku Ward and subsidized by the central government.

At Lemon House, a team of 25 staff members work in shifts to care for the children. Some are students, others hold day jobs, but all have completed the required training program.

The facility typically receives two to four bookings per month, with stays ranging from one night to a week. During school holidays and other vacations, when parents are particularly strained, guest numbers surge.

It offers short-stay and evening care services for children from 2 months old to age 17.

Unlike traditional short-stay facilities, Lemon House also welcomes parents to stay with their children, allowing them to enjoy quality time together without the burdens of household chores.

WORN OUT BY END OF DAY

A mother in her 30s and her 9-month-old daughter used Lemon House’s short-stay service in June for the first time.

Her husband is often absent due to business trips, or he comes home late after business dinners or overtime work. Since both sets of grandparents live far away, she can’t rely on them. With long periods of solo parenting, she felt overwhelmed.

When she searched online, all she found was ads on expensive postnatal care hotels that cost tens of thousands of yen a night. Desperate, she went to the ward’s child support center and was referred to Lemon House.

On her first visit, she decided to leave her child and sleep in a separate room.

“Knowing that someone was there in case anything happened, I was able to relax and get some rest. It was incredibly helpful,” she said.

According to the ward office, approximately 70 percent of people who used the short-stay childcare service in fiscal 2023 did so simply because they were exhausted from childcare responsibilities, rather than business trips or urgent events.

“My goal is to create a place where struggling parents can say, ‘I can't do this anymore,’ and where children who don't want to go home can feel welcome,” said Fujita.

REASONABLE CHARGES

As of fiscal 2022, figures show that 987 municipalities nationwide offered short-stay and evening care services for children. While the number is increasing, it still represents less than 60 percent of all municipalities.

The typical fee for the short-stay service for a child ranges between 3,000 yen ($21) and 5,000 yen per night, depending on the municipality.

Single-parent households and low-income households can often receive discounts or even free services.

Previously, most local governments required specific and unavoidable reasons for using short-stay childcare services, such as business trips, funerals or family emergencies.

However, a growing number of local governments are expanding the eligible reasons to include parental exhaustion from childcare, making it a more accessible form of respite care.

The permitted period for short-stay has also been extended. Beginning this fiscal year, the revised Child Welfare Law increased the duration from a maximum of seven days to whatever is deemed necessary by authorities.

Related News