JTB Enters Postpartum Care Experience Gift Business

JTB Corporation ("JTB") will begin offering the postpartum care experience gift "BecomeMommy". In response to social issues such as the increase in postpartum depression and the low utilization rate of postpartum care facilities, this service aims to resolve psychological, economic, and physical barriers. Under the philosophy of supporting child-rearing by society as a whole, which resonates with Finland's child-rearing support system "Neuvola"*1, we will provide opportunities for mothers to utilize postpartum care facilities or dispatched childcare sitter services with peace of mind, as gifts from corporations and individuals. We aim to create a world where postpartum care is the norm, supporting mothers' physical and mental recovery and child-rearing by society as a whole.

"BecomeMommy" Official Website: https://www.become-mommy.com/

The Harsh Reality of Postpartum Care in Japan

While approximately 1 in 10 people in Japan, where the declining birthrate is becoming severe, suffer from postpartum depression (*2), the awareness and utilization rates of postpartum care facilities in Japan are extremely low compared to other countries. According to data from the Children and Families Agency, the national utilization rate of postpartum care facilities remains only 10.9% (*3). Psychological, economic, and physical barriers such as the difficulty of going out with a baby, the cost burden, and the "guilt of having time to oneself" make it difficult for mothers to utilize postpartum care. In response to these challenges, "BecomeMommy" was conceived as a new business originating from JTB's Future Creation Committee (*4). Employees with child-rearing experience proposed it as a service to "give mothers after childbirth time to relax from tension," based on their own difficult experiences, and its commercialization was decided. By gifting postpartum care as a "gift" rather than "luxury," it is an innovative approach that appeals to the psychological ease of receiving it for mothers.

Challenges for Working Women and Corporations

Female employees tend to have anxieties about childcare leave and returning to work during pregnancy and childbirth. Companies want to prevent the loss of talented female employees, and demonstrating care for female employees is important as part of a company's sustainable growth and social contribution.

"BecomeMommy" is a solution that alleviates the anxieties of working mothers and contributes to solving corporate challenges. By supporting the physical and mental health of female employees through postpartum care and assisting them in balancing work and childcare, companies can promote talent retention and foster a corporate culture that respects diverse working styles. This also contributes to solving the social issue of the declining birthrate and is a meaningful initiative in fulfilling corporate social responsibility.

"BecomeMommy" Product Overview: A New Form of Gift to Heal Mothers' Minds and Bodies

"BecomeMommy" is an experience gift that encourages the use of postpartum care facilities and dispatched childcare sitter services. By having companies promoting women's active participation or individuals bear the cost as a gift to loved ones, it resolves the economic barriers for mothers.

Choice of Postpartum Care Experiences: Receiving postpartum care as a "gift" reduces the psychological barrier to utilization.

Zero Economic Burden: Since companies or individuals bear the cost, there is no cost burden for users.

Support for Both Mind and Body: An original picture book is presented to encourage a positive attitude towards child-rearing, promoting a change in mindset that "child-rearing doesn't have to be done alone; it's okay to rely on others."

Easy Reservation System: The gift giver purchases the gift from JTB. The mother who receives the gift accesses the dedicated website via the QR code on the back of the picture book, selects the experience she wishes to use, and can communicate in detail with the postpartum care facility via LINE, etc.

Partner Facilities Nationwide: Various plans from postpartum care facilities nationwide can be selected, mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area, Osaka, Kyoto, and Fukuoka.

Value Proposition of BecomeMommy

From May 2025 to March 2026, female company employees with children under 1 year old participated as monitors, and demonstration tests were conducted at partner postpartum care facilities. Interviews with the monitors themselves and the general affairs and human resources representatives of their affiliated companies demonstrated the importance of postpartum care and its usefulness as a corporate welfare benefit. In addition, many voices expressed a desire to recommend this gift to friends and colleagues, reconfirming its high demand as a gift. "BecomeMommy" can be purchased as one of the plans in "Shitene" (*https://jtb-gift.com/collections/care-plan), a digital gift that allows you to give impressive experience plans to your loved ones. *The special page for postpartum care plans within "Shitene" is currently under preparation.

【Monitor Voices (Partial Introduction)】

・ "It was the best to be able to eat without worrying about time and take a bath slowly just for myself."

・ "I felt positively that it's not bad for parents to rely on others and enjoy their own time."

・ "Just having someone else change diapers made me want to cry."

・ "If this plan were available as a welfare benefit, I would actively consider pregnancy and childbirth."

・ "Having good welfare benefits will be a source of motivation after returning to work."

・ "With this gift, it creates an image of a kind company that also considers personal lives."

Comments from Participating Companies

Minami Suwa, Representative Director and CEO, Simplee Inc. "At Simplee, we aim for a society where people do not give up on work or travel experiences due to child-rearing, and we provide childcare services that dispatch sitters. By using Simplee's plans with BecomeMommy, women can dispel the image that they are solely responsible for childcare, and we can realize a society where they can enjoy both child-rearing and challenges, and a society where they do not give up on consumption of experiences and business."

(Example of dispatched childcare sitter service)

(Example of postpartum care facility)

Companies and organizations that resonate with the philosophy of "BecomeMommy" and are working together to solve the challenges of postpartum care are continuously participating. As of July 2026, 14 companies are participating.

The Future BecomeMommy Aims For: Child-rearing is not solely the mother's responsibility. Towards a world where postpartum care is the norm.

"BecomeMommy" aims to realize a world where postpartum care is the norm, by fostering a culture where child-rearing is supported by society as a whole, which resonates with the philosophy of Neuvola. In the future, we will accelerate corporate adoption, expand sales channels, and deliver postpartum care to more mothers. Participating facilities are also planned for nationwide expansion, centered around the Tokyo metropolitan area, Osaka, Kyoto, and Fukuoka. By organizing events and other activities, we will foster a shared sense of responsibility for child-rearing and contribute to improving social recognition of postpartum care and developing the industry.

The estimated potential market for postpartum care in Japan is 132.8 billion yen*5, and JTB aims to contribute to the revitalization of this market and create a society where all mothers can raise children with peace of mind and smiles.

*1: Neuvola: Finland's child-rearing support system. It provides continuous support from pregnancy to child-rearing, with the concept of "supporting child-rearing not only by the family but by society as a whole."

*2: From the "5th Meeting of the Subcommittee on Perinatal Medical Care, etc., of the Children and Families Council" by the Children and Families Agency, the proportion of mothers suspected of postpartum depression is 9.9%.

*3: From the "Outline of Budget Request for Reiwa 7 (2025)" by the Children and Families Agency, the national utilization rate of postpartum care facilities is 10.9%.

*4: The Future Creation Committee is an internal activity that selects themes that will become corporate issues in JTB's business solutions domain and creates businesses with a backward-looking perspective from the future.

*5: Researched by the Postpartum Care Committee of the Medical Femtech Consortium.