Mother and Child Health Handbook App 'Boshimo' Launches in Hinokage Town, Miyazaki Prefecture!

The mother and child health handbook app 'Boshimo', operated by Boshimo Co., Ltd., has been introduced in Hinokage Town, Nishi-Usuki District, Miyazaki Prefecture, and will be offered as 'Hinokage Child-Rearing Navi: Hino Hug' starting July 1 (Wed).

Hinokage Town aims to be a town where children and child-rearing households can live with peace of mind, with the town's future vision of 'Hinokage, a town that lights a new light for the future,' by providing seamless support tailored to children's growth and aiming to create a town where people feel 'I want to raise children in Hinokage Town.'

'Boshimo,' which can digitally record data from paper mother and child health handbooks and is used in over 880 municipalities, has been adopted. The service will commence operations in line with the government's policy to promote the use of electronic mother and child health handbooks by the Children and Families Agency and to advance mother and child health DX※1.

'Boshimo' is an app that easily supports vaccination schedules, health checkup result management, and regional information distribution via smartphones, tablets, and PCs. Data is stored in the cloud, serving as a backup in case the mother and child health handbook is lost due to disasters, and also supports continued use when moving to another municipality or changing devices, allowing for worry-free usage.

◆ 'Boshimo' to be Offered in Hinokage Town, Miyazaki Prefecture, Establishing a Seamless Support System from Pregnancy to Child-Rearing!

Hinokage Town provides a 'Hinokage Baby Support Grant' of 30,000 yen upon issuance of the mother and child health handbook. This aims to reduce the financial burden on pregnant women and mothers for medical visits and treatments until childbirth, creating an environment where they can give birth with peace of mind.

Furthermore, the scope of partial subsidies for out-of-pocket medical expenses under insurance coverage, which was previously limited to junior high school students, will be expanded from Reiwa 7 (2025) to high school students (until March 31st following the 18th birthday), establishing a system to support child-rearing families for a longer period.

'Boshimo' has been adopted as a new tool for disseminating child-rearing information to make the town's initiatives more convenient for child-rearing households.

◆ A Community-Focused Child-Rearing App to Fully Support Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Child-Rearing!

'Hinokage Child-Rearing Navi: Hino Hug,' adopted by Hinokage Town, is a service compatible with smartphones, tablets, and PCs. It offers convenient features to assist busy mothers and fathers juggling childcare and work, including recording and managing health data for pregnant women and children, managing vaccination schedules, providing advice on childbirth and child-rearing, sharing functions with family members such as grandparents living far away, and notifying users of regional information distributed by the town.

'Dekitayo Kinenbi' (Anniversary of Accomplishment), which can be used as a childcare diary, is created based on examples from the Children and Families Agency's mother and child health handbook format. It allows users to record milestones in child development and child-rearing, including the 'Parental Record' section of the mother and child health handbook, along with photos and messages. It also serves as a guide for the child's growth and development.

Additionally, in the event of social environmental changes due to factors like infectious diseases, the app can instantly deliver important information such as cautionary notices from the municipality and advice from public health nurses via text and video to those who need it, supporting an environment where childbirth and child-rearing can be done with peace of mind even in emergencies.

<Comment from Mayor Mitsugu Sato of Hinokage Town, Miyazaki Prefecture>

The healthy growth of children, the treasure of Hinokage Town, is the wish of all our townspeople.

In July Reiwa 8 (2026), 'Hinokage Child-Rearing Navi: Hino Hug,' which allows you to feel your child's growth more closely, will begin.

Our town has always valued warm, personalized support, including assistance for pregnant women's medical visits, postpartum care, baby food classes, and family support.

With the introduction of this app, such support information will become more easily and timely accessible. By combining the convenience of digital technology with the bonds of the community ties we have built, we will fully support your journey.

<Main Features of 'Hinokage Child-Rearing Navi: Hino Hug'>

[Information on Various Systems and Services Provided by the Municipality]

● Information and application procedures for various subsidy systems suited to pregnancy and child-rearing periods, such as child medical expense subsidies and child allowances.

● Various announcements distributed by the municipality.

[Recording and Management]

● Recording of physical condition and weight during pregnancy (graphical representation).

● Recording of fetal and child growth (graphical representation).

● Confirmation of obesity and thinness levels using height-weight curves (graphical representation).

● Vaccinations: Automatic display of standard vaccination dates, management of scheduled and actual vaccinations, alerts for missed vaccinations.

● Health Checkup Information: Recording of health examination data for pregnant women and children.

[Information Provision and Advice]

● Basic information on childbirth and child-rearing.

● Knowledge and advice tailored to pregnancy week and child's age.

● Videos on bathing, making baby food, etc.

● Information on nearby facilities (hospitals, kindergartens/nurseries, parks, child-rearing facilities, etc.).

[Child-Rearing Diary: Dekitayo Kinenbi]

● Record your child's growth with photos.

● For anniversaries, upload photos with a 'First Anniversary Template' including the date and words (possible to record approximately 150 items such as: first fetal movement/kick/roll over/sit up/crawl/stand alone/walk alone, etc.).

[Data Sharing]

● Child growth records and health data can be viewed on family members' smartphones and posted on social media.

Our company's vision is to achieve zero friction in pregnancy and child-rearing. To achieve this, we are promoting the expansion and collaboration of support areas (maternal and child health checkups, vaccinations, infant health checkups, etc.) through 'Kosodate DX®'※2, the development of one-stop applications and procedures related to child-rearing, and the linkage of mother and child health information with related organizations (medical, childcare/education, specialized institutions, etc.). Through this, we aim to reduce parents' 'anxiety and burden' and co-create a 'safe and simple' child-rearing society with the community.

Service Name: Hinokage Child-Rearing Navi Hino Hug Monthly Fee (Tax Included): Free Access Method

- App: Search for 'Boshimo' on the App Store or Google Play (Supported OS: Android 8.0 or later, iOS 15.0 or later) - Web Browser: Access https://www.mchh.jp

※ Although individuals residing outside the target municipalities can also use the service, please check the official website for information specific to your municipality. ※ The functions available may vary slightly depending on your municipality of residence.

※1: Children and Families Agency Website 'Initiatives Policy for Promoting Kodomo Policy DX 2025 Reference Materials Collection'

https://www.cfa.go.jp/assets/contents/node/basic_page/field_ref_resources/6cfab22c-d2bf-4dd1-81ea-49308519ac3a/6f948f38/20250630_councils_kodomo_seisaku_DX_6cfab22c_08.pdf

※2: For details on the 'Kosodate DX®' service, click here: https://www.mchh.jp/boshimo-kosodatedx

※ 'Kosodate DX' is a registered trademark of Boshimo Co., Ltd.

※ Google Play and Android are trademarks or registered trademarks of Google LLC.

※ App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.

※ iOS is the OS name of Apple Inc. iOS is a trademark or registered trademark of Cisco Systems, Inc. or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and is used under license.