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Japanese School Lets Teens ‘Experience Pregnancy’ With 7kg Vests and Real Baby Care
At a Japanese middle school, students were given the chance to step briefly into the shoes of expectant mothers and new parents. About 70 students participated in what teachers called a “pregnancy experience,” donning 7 kg weighted vests designed to mimic the physical strain of carrying a child. They practiced simple movements—standing up from the floor, bending to pick things up, and even walking—and were asked to reflect on the challenges. Later, the students also had to care for infants aged two to six months, holding them, feeding them, and soothing their cries. Organizers explained that the goal was to help young people understand the challenges and responsibilities of parenthood while developing empathy and appreciation for the labor parents endure.
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The initiative has since gained attention beyond Japan, sparking debate about how schools should teach responsibility, gender roles, and family life. For some, it’s an innovative way to use experiential learning, showing that education can go beyond books and classrooms into lived, embodied understanding. For others, it raises questions about oversimplifying the experience of pregnancy, and whether students can really grasp its emotional and biological complexities through a vest and an afternoon of babysitting. To understand the real value of such exercises, it’s worth looking closely at what they teach, what they leave out, and how they fit into broader cultural conversations about family, empathy, and education.
What exactly did students do?
The exercise began with students putting on padded vests that weighed about 7 kg, intended to simulate the additional weight and balance shifts of pregnancy. Once suited up, they were asked to perform everyday movements: standing from a sitting or lying position, walking across the room, or bending to retrieve objects from the floor. Students quickly realized that tasks they normally found effortless suddenly required greater care and effort. These small adjustments served as an entry point into discussions about how pregnancy affects posture, energy, and overall mobility.
In the second phase, the focus shifted from simulated pregnancy to hands-on childcare. Students were divided into groups and introduced to infants between the ages of two and six months. Under supervision, they practiced feeding, rocking, and holding the babies safely. Some were surprised at how heavy the babies felt after even a short time in their arms, while others noted how easily infants could become unsettled and cry. Parents who joined the activity shared personal stories about sleepless nights and constant vigilance, helping students place their brief encounter into a much broader and more demanding reality.
The event concluded with reflection sessions, where students shared what surprised them most and teachers guided them to connect the experience with broader themes of empathy, family life, and responsibility. Organizers emphasized that the project wasn’t about discouraging parenthood but about encouraging young people to recognize the care and patience that raising a child demands.
Why do schools try real‑life simulation exercises?
Simulation has long been used as a tool in education to bridge the gap between abstract knowledge and embodied understanding. From medical students practicing on mannequins to drivers using simulators before hitting the road, the approach works by creating a controlled environment where learners can feel the challenges they are studying. In the case of the Japanese school, the goal was to give students an embodied glimpse into the physical and emotional strains of parenting, rather than just hearing about them in a lecture.
The value of such simulations lies in their ability to spark empathy. Students who might intellectually “know” that pregnancy is hard are more likely to internalize the lesson when their balance is off or their back begins to ache under a vest. Similarly, holding a real baby transforms a textbook description of infant care into something immediate and tangible. This sensory, emotional involvement makes the lessons more memorable and more likely to shape future attitudes toward parenting and family life.
However, educators also caution that simulation exercises must be framed carefully. Without context and discussion, they risk being treated as novelties rather than learning opportunities. The success of the Japanese program hinged not just on the vests or the infants but on the conversations that surrounded them. Teachers and parents framed the activity as part of a broader reflection on relationships, responsibility, and respect for caregivers. Done well, these exercises plant seeds of empathy that can grow long after the vest is removed.
What this simulation can teach — and what it can’t
The Japanese school’s pregnancy experience offers valuable lessons, but it’s important to recognize its limits. The most immediate benefit is physical empathy: the weight of the vest forces students to slow down and consider how everyday actions become more complicated during pregnancy. They also learn the importance of patience and attentiveness while handling infants, gaining a more realistic appreciation for the constant vigilance that parents live with. By linking physical challenges with stories shared by parents, the exercise provides a rounded view of the practical and emotional demands of child-rearing.
Still, there are areas where the simulation inevitably falls short. Pregnancy is not just a matter of carrying extra weight; it involves profound hormonal shifts, physical discomforts like morning sickness, and risks such as preeclampsia or gestational diabetes. None of these can be conveyed through a weighted vest. Similarly, caring for a baby for a few hours cannot replicate the long-term sleep deprivation, emotional stress, and lifestyle adjustments that define real parenting. The experience risks being reductive if students assume they now “know” what pregnancy or parenting feels like.
The greatest value, then, lies not in creating a perfect simulation but in starting conversations. The vest and the baby care session act as metaphors — tools to prompt curiosity and empathy, not substitutes for lived experience. With the right framing, they become a springboard into deeper understanding, helping young people move beyond stereotypes and simplistic ideas about family life.
Cultural and educational context in Japan
This initiative cannot be separated from the cultural backdrop in which it took place. Japan is grappling with a declining birth rate and ongoing debates about gender equality, work-life balance, and how to support parents more effectively. The country’s maternal and child health system is comprehensive, with the widely issued boshi techo handbook guiding parents through prenatal care and early childhood milestones. These public health efforts highlight how seriously Japan treats child-rearing as a matter of national concern.
At the same time, social expectations remain deeply gendered. Many women face pressure to leave the workforce after childbirth or to shoulder disproportionate responsibility for childcare. The cultural archetype of the kyōiku mama—mothers who dedicate themselves almost entirely to their children’s education—reflects the intensity of these expectations. Within this context, a school-led pregnancy and childcare simulation can be seen as part of a broader effort to prepare young people, particularly girls, for the responsibilities society still strongly associates with them.
Yet, some experts argue that unless boys are equally involved, such programs risk reinforcing traditional gender roles rather than challenging them. If only girls wear the pregnancy vests and handle the babies, the lesson can unintentionally become: “This is women’s work.” By including all genders, schools can convey a more progressive and inclusive message: that raising children is a shared responsibility, and empathy for parents is a skill everyone should cultivate.
Lessons and reflections
Stories like this resonate far beyond Japan because they touch on universal themes: family, responsibility, and the cultivation of empathy in younger generations. The Japanese pregnancy simulation demonstrates that even brief experiences can open students’ eyes to realities they hadn’t considered. But for such programs to have lasting impact, they need to be carefully framed, inclusive, and connected to broader education about relationships, biology, and social responsibility.
The key takeaway is that empathy must be cultivated, not assumed. Wearing a vest does not make someone understand pregnancy, but it can create a powerful starting point for conversation. Caring for a baby for a few minutes does not teach parenting, but it can make the challenges more vivid and memorable. The true value lies in what happens after the exercise: the discussions, the reflections, and the willingness to keep learning.
Ultimately, the story of this Japanese school is not just about simulating pregnancy. It is about how education can stretch beyond academics to foster compassion and responsibility. It asks us to consider what other aspects of life we might better understand if we stepped, even briefly, into someone else’s shoes. And it challenges us to think about how schools can play a role in preparing young people not only for exams, but for the human experiences that shape our shared future.