Solo Parenting on the Shinkansen (0-1 Year Old Edition)

To visit my parents' home,
I travel between Shin-Osaka and Hamamatsu
by Shinkansen several times a year.

Traveling alone with a one-year-old
brings up anxieties like, 'What if they won't stop crying?'
or 'Will I be able to carry all the luggage?'
and so on.

I've found a winning strategy after making the trip a few times, so I'd like to share it.

● Seats
I recommend booking a seat with an oversized baggage area, specifically seat C,
in advance.

The reasons this seat is good are:
• It's an aisle seat, so if they won't stop crying, you can move to the deck immediately.
• You can book the space for large luggage at the same time, making it easy to take things in and out.
• It's unlikely that anyone will be sitting in seat B.

Regarding which car to choose,
while car 12 is close to the multi-purpose room and multi-functional restroom,
cars 13-16 also have diaper changing tables in the restrooms,
so it didn't really make much of a difference which car I was in.

◼️ Travel Style
From departure to arrival,
I found it best to carry my child in a baby carrier.

For luggage,
I use a stroller to move through the station and on local trains.
On the Shinkansen, I fold the stroller
and place both the stroller and my luggage in the oversized baggage area.

I sat in my seat while wearing the baby carrier.
Since it's the very back row, reclining the seat slightly and leaning back makes it a bit more comfortable.

◼️ Strategy
If time permits,
I aim to travel during their morning or afternoon nap time.
Getting them to sleep before boarding makes things much easier mentally.
If they wake up, I keep them quiet with snacks, silent videos, books, etc.
If that doesn't work at all, I go to the deck and sway while looking outside.

I hope this is helpful for those who are anxious about traveling on the Shinkansen with a 0-1 year old!
Please share your own travel strategies too!