This study examines how Japanese parents remember and record their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly focusing on school closures in spring 2020. Using a mixed-methods approach—semi-structured interviews (n = 10) and an online survey (n = 200)—the research explores what is remembered, what fades, and what remains in digital form. Many participants misremembered the timing of school closures and the State of Emergency, often recalling them as starting earlier and ending later than in reality. Women were more likely to perceive earlier disruption, reflecting potential gendered burdens in caregiving. Preventive behaviors like handwashing persisted, but scientific understanding often faded. While 71% used social media, few actively documented their experiences. Notably, those who found the period emotionally painful were more inclined to want their experiences preserved. These findings highlight a discrepancy between lived experience and administrative facts and raise ethical questions about whose voices—and which memories—are digitally preserved for the future.