They are closing down our town for a big festival that's about to happen
So we're having some friends come over, we're getting dressed up in proper Japanese fashion,
And we're going to enjoy this thing!
[Life in Japan Theme Song]
Downstairs, outside is just a zoo.
But we're going to go check it out.
So our friend came and brought a friend who used to have a beauty salon and she had all these yukatas,
So she brought them for us to try on and wear.
Sarah — that's good!
You look like you're in pajamas.
I look like I'm in pajamas?
I look like 'jamas here.
Dressing in a Yukata or traditional Japanese wear is an art, one that we’re thankful to have our new friend Risako here to help us with.
Can you breathe? Yeah.
OK
Let's see. Oh that's nice, isn't it?
Whoa Becca!
You can only open up this much!
It's a lot easier for guys, let me tell you what.
And we made okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancakes) and yakisoba (fried noodles)
And I made brownies because that's what I make.
Oh Anna, what do you think?
Is this fun? Oh yeah?
I think this one, Honey, OK.
As Yoshiko and her family took care of making the savory Japanese pancakes called okonomiyaki,
we finished up getting all ready for the night.
And what a night it would turn out to be.
It's hard to move in these.
But I did this for my graduation. Yea, that's right, huh?
OK
Yeah!
Beautiful, Anna.
Oh yes.
In America we have our fully loaded baked potatoes, but in Japan they have their fully-loaded okonomiyaki.
OK! This looks amazing.
They made it?
Ruth's trying the first one...
We can go outside and eat there!
Oh so tasty!
What is that that moves from the heat? Do you see that?
Isn't that crazy? Mmm hmm.
What does Daddy think? Mmmm!
That's good! Mmm hmm.
Everyone, is it tasty?
Tasty?
This is my first time eating this and I don't know what it is!
You don't know what it is!
Evie, you like that? Is that fun?
And now we're going to go for a walk downstairs and see all the people.
And since we're dressed up, we might as well go.
Nice, alright!
You going to stay? OK come Eliana.
We're going to go out for a walk and see what we can see here!
While we’ve lived in this apartment for almost a year now,
this is the first time we’ve seen the whole city shut down for what will be a massive fireworks show.
We’re not sure if we’re going to see it well from our balcony or not,
so we’re going down to the river to see where the fireworks will be launched from
and then decide whether we want to watch along the river, or from our apartment.
Oh Sarah, what do you think? Walking down the middle of the street!
It's the funnest thing ever!
It's the funnest thing ever?! It feels so weird!
The police were out in full force, shutting down the major traffic arteries that run through the city.
We happened to see the very last cars getting through before the blockade.
As far as I know, this only happens for this show, so our expectations are high.
Oh, they just closed off the road!
Look at over there.
Looking across to the other side of the river, we could see where the crowds would be watching from,
and more importantly where the fireworks would be shot from.
Do you see over by the dam?
That's where they're all setup.
So I think we're going to see them awesome from the house.
You can see it.
Should we go back? Okaeri?
Debbie we're going to go back.
We're going to head back and watch it from the house!
It's crazy seeing this whole street empty of cars and we can just walk right down it. It's really fun.
Tell the camera, how is it walking out here tonight? Fun.
Fun? Nice?
Oh good, well here comes Momma chan and Aunt Debbie.
It feels like we already saw the fireworks but... We haven't seen them yet! I know!
It feels like we're going home from the fireworks and we haven't even seen them.
Anna, what happened to your kimono?!
Oh, I did not like it. You did not like it?!
I don't like any dresses.
After you eat your tummy gets a little big and that's when it squishes you like uhhhh.
But Sarah kept hers on. She was like "We're going to go for a walk looking nice." Right?
I want to take it off soon.
Oh you want to take it off soon? Daddy's is very comfortable.
Did you know that? Yea, because it looks like a pajama!
It kind of feels like one.
Look at Sarah in a yukata!
Doing her... what do you call it? Razor Ripstick.
Razor Ripstick!
OK so the fireworks are going to start soon, we're heading back to our apartment
Because all our neighbors say we should be able to see it really well from our apartment.
Which is cool. I'm looking forward to this. What a fun night.
Wow!
Oh my goodness!
I think it started!
I'm not sure, but it started!
Holy cow!
Oh my goodness!
Are you watching it? Yea.
Yeah! Good.
Anna and Becca are down there, watching from the street down there...
They might have a good view...
Not of the low stuff but... They just can't see this bottom stuff.
Joshua, where are you, Dude?
Oh there you are, I see you! You're watching.
I went on a run — the other side, there's all these chairs over there. Yeah?
You can reserve a chair right next to the fireworks I guess.
It's like ¥10,000 ($70) a chair.
Oh my, ¥10,000?! Yeah.
My family would be ¥60,000 (~$420)!!
While our view wasn’t perfect, being slightly cut off by the edge of our own building,
the fun of watching such a great fireworks show so close from our own balcony could not be matched.
You might give up a lot of space to live in the city, but the great thing is being so close to so much.
We kind of have to crane our neck to see it, but we can see it!
Yeah! Bring it!
Do fireworks make the earthquakes?
No.
Oh my goodness!
Joshua and I were curious on what the view was like for Becca and Anna and their friends from down on the street below.
Daddy, I'm swinging!
Joshua's swinging during the fireworks show, did you see that?
Daddy!
He's calling you.
I'm swinging all by myself!
You sure are! Are you having fun?
It's so loud!
Did you get a good spot, Dude?
Do you think you can see it from up there?
Yeah I can. That's quite a spot, Dude.
You just kind of have to look through the tree, huh?
Whoa! Oh my goodness.
Oh alright. Let's go up, Dude!
Let's go back up.
Having checked in with the girls, we wanted to be in place for what would surely be a grand finale.
And they knew exactly how to build up to one.
That is so loud!
I like that one.
The pacing and the variety of fireworks was just fantastic.
Each unique display was followed by another one. Do you have a favorite?
Do you want to climb up there?
As the pacing and intensity of the fireworks picked up, we knew the end had to be near.
We just didn’t know how grand it would actually be.
Yea! Is this the finale?
I don't know, but it's getting intense!
You can feel it!
Wow Dude. This is like the first nice night in months! Oh!
It is, isn't it?
And those are bright! Wow!
I like it! This might be the finale.
This might be, because they're shooting off just ginormous ones just one right after the other.
This could be it.
Let's get the biggest, loudest ones we can find!
We've been saving these since 2020!
That's right!
I'm not going in right now.
We gotta watch this. This is the finale, Evie, we think.
This is so beautiful.
Oh, it's speeding up!
Oh golden! Golden means finale, ka?
Dude! Finale ka?
Those are my favorites.
Sarah, did you come over to watch the grand finale? Yeah.
You going to get it in? Soak it in?
But it's still 10 more minutes. I know! It's still 10 minutes away!
Crazy, huh?
Oh, there comes some more!
Look at that, whoa!
It's the finale, Izzy!
It's so beautiful.
Make some noise! Common, somebody!
Now that was like "Wow, what a finale!"
Whew
Thank you Chofu.
That was legit. Whoa, it's not over yet!
Oh my! Lookout, it's going to crazy!
Get crazy!
Chofu!
We just want to make some noise!!!!
Holy cow! What?!
Oh here comes some bigger ones!
Here it comes! Here it comes!!
Yeah!
WHOA!
Are you kidding me?!
Are you kidding me right now?!
What in the world?!
Look at that! Oh my!
If that wasn't the grand finale, then... I don't know what was.
Oh man! That was awesome!
Way to go!