BalbC

Sorry, that was a bit rambling. I shouldn't be left at home unsupervised on a rainy sunday.
I'll have another ramble at this. I imagine that previously in most countries some way of "wearing" a baby was usual, but Japan has more strongly kept this tradition. Maybe because stroller use is more difficult here or carriers work with bicycles/public transport better, maybe that traditions erode more slowly (particularly child-related stuff). I also think baby carrier use is increasing again UK and Europe though, but just from observation. In many situations a carrier is far more use in Japan, and I wouldn't take a baby on a trip without one available. Not just for convenience, there must be something in this more natural way of baby carry in terms of bonding, maybe even emotional development but I don't think the normal Japanese way of use fosters this.

In Japan, using a carrier walking round the house is common to get the baby to sleep rather than being taken for a walk in a pram or something like my parents did with me. I've seen staff in the infant class at nursery with a baby strapped in front and another on their back and holding another in arms and walking up and down to rock all three to sleep. I would not like this job. Housewives also stick babies on their back to cook or do other housework; I think this is for convenience rather than bonding. Though, I see children playing with dolls or teddy bears strapped to their back with a piece of cloth pretending to be mum- so the norm of baby carriers is accepted from an early age.

Another common use parents tell me is with 2 young children: when the older one gets tired walking, they can go into the stroller and the younger child comes out of the stroller into a carrier. So they don't need a tandem stroller.
When I see young babies in carriers on bicycles or on mums chatting in the street, the babies on their back or front are often flopping about, no neck support and head and arms hanging back. This appears a bit different from how carriers are used in the west and more about being hands-free. I don't like to see these children being ignored and I wouldn't think it was comfortable or good for their spines, but it is common and acceptable. But then there's a lot of things I see that initially conflict with what I always thought was right that don't seem do any harm really.