Whether a child can enroll in nursery school is the lifeline that determines whether one can return to work after giving birth. For us researchers as well, the importance of nursery school is immeasurable. Together with words such as “job hunting,” “spouse hunting,” the word “nursery school hunting” (=what guardians need to do to get one’s child into nursery school) has been around for quite some time. The reason is because there are not enough nursery schools for the increasing demand for nursery schools. This isn’t just a problem in Japan and even in Paris, France, there is an urban legend that says, “The moment your pregnancy test is positive, call to reserve a place in nursery school.” In such an environment, how should one look for a nursery school and how does one get their child accepted? What is the secret to success? There probably isn’t one surefire way but something close to one can be found by looking at many case examples. In this column, I will introduce my nursery school hunting experience when I moved to Nagoya to assume my position. This is only one example but hopefully it will provide a reference point to the readers.

It was 2012.

 I was searching for a new direction for my research and was in the middle of job hunting. Although the search was based on my research topic, I had to think about my then two-year old daughter and my second child that was about to be born. “Is there a dependable nursery school for my children?” “Does that nursery offer the support necessary for me to also work as a researcher (such as providing extended-hours childcare and dinners)?” These were the bottlenecks for me applying to a research institute that I couldn’t commute to from where I was living at the time. It was then that I discovered Nagoya University’s recruitment of female faculty members. The research topic was attractive and there was a lot of support available from Nagoya University’s Center for Gender Diversity. I thought, “This could work!” and applied.

Fortunately, I was selected for an interview but then reality hit. Nagoya city at that time had the highest number of children on the waitlist for nursery schools out of all the municipalities in the country. Moreover, applications for the nursey schools within the university had closed a month ago. My husband worked in Yokohama, so how was I supposed to raise a two-year-old daughter and a child about to be born?

Even then, my husband offered his support and said, “Let’s do our best together for Nagoya University.” He even said, “I’ll take care of the two-year-old here. And once the new baby is weaned off breastfeeding, if necessary, I can take care of the baby on my own!” With this reassuring support encouraging me, I devoted myself to preparing for the interview. Simultaneously, I gathered the necessary documents such as application form, proof of employment, and tax certificate slip to prepare an application for public nursery school for the child that was about to be born. I even contacted the Chikusa ward office and prefaced by saying, “Nothing is confirmed yet and my child isn’t even born yet but…” to explain the situation and called many times to ask questions. They were so kind to me that I felt reassured. (In case I wasn’t hired, I also applied to the daycare center in the research laboratory I was working at, at that time.)

Ten days after the interview at Nagoya University and almost a month before my due date, I suddenly went into labor. I had completely neglected to get ready for my hospitalization and I had no towels or change of clothes in my bag. Instead, there was a laptop and documents for nursery school in my bag. While looking at the sleeping face of my baby who had arrived too quickly (she looked just like her big sister), I filled out the application documents for nursery school using my laptop. I asked a friend who came to the hospital to visit my baby to print out the pdf of the application documents (my husband who expected the baby to arrive much later was on an overseas business trip!). I signed and sealed the documents, bought an envelope, pen, and stamp from the convenience store in the hospital and had them ready to send. I hadn’t decided the kanji for the baby’s name, but the reading of the name was fixed, so thankfully, I was able to add her name to the document! The day before I was discharged from the hospital, I had my husband, who had returned from his business trip, send the documents and we successfully completed our application. Since the proof of employment would take a while to be issued, my department head at the university sent it directly to the ward office for me at a later date.

While I was on maternity leave, I received notification from Nagoya University’s Cosmos Nursery School that they were accepting additional applications. My daughter had regressed a little and taking into account the possibility that she would move to Nagoya, I applied for two children. Writing an application for nursery school is similar to applying for a research grant. Just as I would emphasize the necessity of the research, I pled my case as to why I required childcare. Being used to writing these applications, researchers are probably at an advantage when applying to public nursery schools.

Looking back, I was both job-hunting and nursery-school-hunting simultaneously. Moreover, a lot were snap decisions since I applied to nursery school even before my child was born and before I even had the job. It wasn’t as bad as the Paris urban legend, but it was a pretty bold move. However, considering every possibility and doing everything I could, as much as the rules would allow, was what enabled me to have my current life as a researcher. The baby that was born is currently living in Chikusa ward in Nagoya with me and is growing up at a public nursery. The older daughter is in the Kanto region with her father and moved up a class in her usual nursery school. We talk on Skype every day and see each other once every two weeks.

What I want to stress most is that enrolling in nursery school and having a life in Nagoya and Kanto was only possible because of the efforts of the senior faculty members at Nagoya University. Among them, I cannot thank enough the female faculty members who are raising children. They suggested that I start working on nursery school hunting as soon as possible. They also gave detailed information such as the location of the nursery school (there’s an uphill!), what to bring (a blanket is necessary at nursery school!), and the atmosphere, all based on their own experiences from actually sending their children. All this enabled me to apply without hesitation. It was also these women that notified me that Cosmos Nursery School was accepting additional applications. They even offered advice on how to balance research and life, and even gave me their home address so that we could help each other whenever necessary. It was because of this that I could make my life in Nagoya work, and I could assume my position with a piece of mind.

Stepping away from the job hunting that was made difficult by the “nursery school situation,” I am so glad that I came to Nagoya University where female researchers can leverage their individuality and capabilities, and shine. Nursery school hunting can be a little challenging and there is a large element of luck but by starting early and with amazing advisors around, the rate of success and options increases significantly. If you have any concerns regarding nursery school hunting, please ask the experienced mothers and fathers around you or the Center for Gender Diversity at Nagoya University. I’m certain you will receive advice suited to your situation. Additionally, nursery school information is constantly changing with each passing moment and the reality is that for foreigners, this information doesn’t pass through to them due to the language barrier. If there are any foreign students, researchers, or faculty members that may require nursery school, I hope they will seek out help at the Center for Gender Diversity as soon as possible (ideally before the baby is born).