This audio is generated by AI, so pronunciation and expressions may not be fully accurate. The narration is only in English.
Okawa began her career in Singapore, where she worked for a web media firm and also befriended Lin. After returning to Japan in 2018, she moved into influencer marketing, further expanding her professional experience before giving birth to her son.
"Having a child is truly life-changing. But I also remember being completely exhausted, waking up every three hours, day and night, to give him milk," she says. "It was during that time that I began thinking there must be a way to make daily tasks simpler for parents. That eventually led to the founding of Better Days."
Having seen automatic baby formula dispensers in Singapore, Okawa thought they could help ease the burden on new parents. Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare maintains rigorous safety standards for baby goods, and while some Japanese parents used imported automatic baby formula dispensers, others hesitated because they were not officially approved. When Lin heard about Okawa's plans to develop a version tailored specifically for the Japanese market, she immediately agreed to help.
With a background in finance and connections to major baby-product manufacturers, Lin reached out to trusted partners to identify factories in China capable of meeting Japan's safety requirements. Focusing on companies with strong technical expertise, the two women created several prototypes, refining them carefully to ensure full compliance.
The resulting product, milkmagic, is an automatic baby formula dispenser that allows users to set up the powdered milk and water in advance. Then, by simply pressing a button, in about 20 seconds they can have a bottle prepared at 70℃ or higher, in accordance with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's formula preparation guidelines. While the primary target is parents, the product is also being used by grandparents, as well as at daycare centers and maternity units.
Better Days has also developed an AI-powered service that provides guidance on using milkmagic at any hour. For an exhausted parent holding a fussy, hungry baby in the middle of the night, that instant guidance can feel like a lifeline.
"When the system responds right away, it helps ease their stress," Okawa says. "We also encourage users to consult the assistant to ensure they're using the product safely."
In building the assistant, Better Days drew on insights from an earlier app they had created, Childcare Support Navi, which accumulated knowledge about LLMs (large language models) and chatbots through dialogue logs with customers. While the Childcare Support Navi has been discontinued, the experience was invaluable for building the support service for milkmagic.
"Users of infant products tend to have questions late at night," Okawa explains. "We've applied and expanded what we learned to design an AI assistant with a structure and knowledge base that can clearly answer questions about our products."
Participation in APT Women, a program organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, has provided Okawa with a strong foundation for the next stage of her business. Designed for women aiming to develop as business leaders, the program offers training in management and scaleups, along with opportunities to meet fellow entrepreneurs and potential collaborators.
"One of the most valuable aspects was being able to connect directly with others who are building businesses while raising children, as well as with people interested in supporting women entrepreneurs," notes Okawa, who joined the program in 2025. She adds that the networking aspect has been especially significant, as it may open the door for Better Days to work with public institutions in the future.
Okawa gave careful consideration to where to base Better Days. Having enjoyed the proximity of the waterfront while living and working in Singapore, Okawa says Warehouse TERRADA in Shinagawa City, near Tennozu Isle Station, is the ideal location for her company. Located along the Tennozu Canal, the former warehouse complex has been reimagined as a creative hub for startups, art exhibitions and cafés.
"A major appeal of the waterfront is that after spending time working in the office, you can step outside and immediately feel refreshed. I really love that atmosphere—being near the water is wonderful!" she says enthusiastically. Its location is also highly convenient for her business, being close to the major bullet train stop of Shinagawa, as well as Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) and port inspection facilities.
According to Okawa, Tokyo is also proving to be an ideal place for raising a family. "There are so many options, and I'm truly grateful for that. It also attracts people from all kinds of backgrounds," she notes. "People in Tokyo sometimes have a reputation for being cold, but parents actually share a lot of information with each other, recommending services and passing on what worked well."
Looking ahead, Okawa hopes to continue developing products that make parents' day-to-day lives easier, while using software to address informational needs such as product guidance and customer inquiries. "At a time when declining birthrates have become a serious social issue, Better Days aims to harness a range of technologies to simplify household tasks through innovation," she says.
She acknowledges that some parents may feel a sense of discomfort or even guilt when childcare is discussed in terms of "efficiency." However, her company's aim is not to reduce parenting to productivity, but simply to ease routine burdens so families can spend more meaningful time together and to create space for caregivers to focus on themselves. These are goals that every busy parent will surely understand and appreciate.
