Golden Week is here, a series of national holidays in Japan when hotels, parks and tourist destinations pack out with people wanting a great vacation experience.
But spring time weather is hit and miss in Japan, which makes planning a fun experience all the more tricky.
We have some ideas for new experiences, but will they pan out or not?
It’s time to launch into Golden Week Life in Japan style. Here we go!
[Life in Japan Theme Song]
Freezing! So what is it that we do right before Golden Week?
Costco run before the holidays start, so we don't have to deal with Costco during the holidays.
An extended vacation means kids will be at home, so we’d better be prepared to feed them all.
Our fridge and freezers are near empty, so today’s trip needs to not only cover Golden Week, but the rest of May as well.
Do that over Golden Week. Let's try it!
We got the meat train going on here today, look at that! Dude.
Sushi! We're getting it!
We're ready for another round of the pandemic, just in case.
Feeding a family of six means stocking up on food,
and although the grocery bills get bigger, the price of eating per person actually goes down.
That’s the economics of scale for you
I haven't been to Costco for a long time. It's been a long time, hasn't it?
So, biggest purchase in a long time, huh? Biggest purchase.
¥65,000, almost ¥66,000 (around $500) My goodness.
But we have Costco points, so we only paid ¥56,000 (~$400). Yeah, that was nice.
And with that, we were stocked up, ready for a hearty Golden Week.
So on our last Costco video, people wondered where do we put everything when we get home.
It's a challenge! It's like a puzzle.
It's a puzzle and you like your puzzles.
Is this our first Golden Week meal?
Wow! We're chowing on the sushi, huh?
I am! You are, wow!
I guess so.
This is the good student Sarah, getting at her homework early in the break.
So it's all done, and then you can just enjoy yourself after that, huh?
Yeah. Nice.
One of the first things on our list of things to do for Golden Week was to visit a park we’ve heard a lot about,
but never have actually visited together as a family.
We were all ready to go on the first day, but the weather did not cooperate.
All of our fun would have to be done indoors.
It's Golden Week, but it's rainy today, so what is Sarah doing? Switch.
Switch — Minecraft.
If you jump up and just do nothing with your hands, then your hands just go wild.
Is that so?
These discoveries we're making, huh?
Amazing Dude.
Look at my hands. I see them.
What is going on with the kids?!
All done?
I think they miss school. Oh, do you miss school, Joshua?
Yep. Kind of.
Oh! Kind of? Oh, wow.
The next day was a completely different story…
It's just beautiful through here.
It rained all day yesterday, which means I'm getting wet walking through here,
But I just love coming down here.
We got ourselves quite a bit of water.
What are we doing today guys? Kodomo no Kuni.
Long time no see!
You guys came here for when? 5th grade.
Let's look at the map here. Wow, this place is huge, guys!
This is where we danced. It's ginormous!
Right here! Oh, you danced there?
Right here. Yea, it's down there.
What a pretty day.
My hat might fall off! Oh no!
Oh your hat! I'll save it, I'll save it.
Oh! Look behind you.
Oh, I think we found our next spot.
Becca, you got to see this — a butterfly in here!
I'm trying to climb up right now.
There's the butterfly. OK, bye bye.
Hi! Hi hi
I can see myself in the mirror.
OK bye. Bye.
The sun is hitting it and just drying up, wow.
This is why it's only until 12 years old, we can not fit in here hardly.
I hear a voice but I don't see anybody.
Hello! Hi!
Are you having fun? Yea.
It's wet. I agree, it is wet.
Making our way up, up and away.
Here we go.
Oh sweet. I see it. There's a big bridge.
They have my sport here that I love to do in the States: disc golf.
How are you even going to get it in?
Well you have to throw it into those chains.
And it's just like golf, but you use discs like frisbees to throw it.
Yea, that was in America.
Go and check that America video again.
Yea, that's right!
Here we go, across the big bridge.
It moves up and down a little bit, doesn't it?
And it's a long ways down too.
Whoa! OK, I can't look down, it's so scary.
I'm glad we remembered to take our sleds because last time we went to Yamanakako we forgot our sleds.
Yea, and they sure help on these slides, don't they?
Uh huh, so your butt doesn't hurt. Wow, this one looks cool, guys.
And look, there's like pictures on the roller slide.
Yeah, you're right, aren't there?
I'm excited! You're excited?! I can see.
I'm too excited. You're so excited too?
I remember going to the longest roller slide in Japan... Yes...
That was a great video, huh? That was a lot of fun.
It was long but it was slow.
Some parts of it were mega fast though. This one doesn't look like it's very fast, does it?
It's almost our turn, guys!
It's almost our turn! It's almost our turn! It's almost our turn! I know it! I know it! I know it!
Happy face.
Oh she's going!
My heart is beating like so much right now!
Alright Dude!
OK? Adeus, Amigo.
Oh there goes Anna! I didn't even see you!
I hear somebody coming down fast! And look!
Joshua!
Come Sarah
And last but not least, Rebecca chan!
Is that hard? Yes!
You practically stopped!
What do they call this? The toilet bowl?
Flush the toilet. Oh no!
Alright guys.
Somebody save Sarah! Save Sarah!
This is a cool place for the picture.
Becca, I think I got the awesome moment when your hat went flying off in slow motion.
I want to see it. Well we'll have to see it later.
Ok, let's go see what there is to eat. OK.
Whose jacket? Joshua.
Let's tie it around your waste. Don't forget your camera.
Beautiful Sony B cam, in the grass enjoying a nice Spring day.
With Sarah! With Sarah.
Oh you're so cute!
Sarah's always been a fan of the camera, huh? Yea.
Even when I was a baby.
Take good care of the little baby.
Lunchtime, who's going to pray today? Momma will.
OK, Momma chan.
Dear Jesus, thank you for this day, thank you for this food and the fun time we're having.
We pray you'll bless this food and bless the rest of our time, in Jesus' name, Amen.
Amen! Alright, hot dogs, digging in, digging in! Here we go.
Oh Anna, Yakisoba, sophisticated.
And Sarah, chowing into Daddy's fries!
Where is Joshua? Oh there he is! We're helping Mommy go uphill.
You're helping Mommy? After lunch everyone's like "Oh no, hills, no!"
There's fish, do you see them? They're very interested!
Awesome
Go, go.
The Momma chan's turn.
Daddy chan's turn.
They're getting ready for the Amazon!
Having fun Joshua?
Whoa, Sarah and Joshua have the ride, huh?
The girls are sweating, they're taking off their jackets!
They're doing great. It's harder than it looks though, I think.
I want to try touching a leaf.
OK push towards Mommy now.
Becca, you're flipping the wrong—there! No, wrong way
Anna's side has to be over here.
Oh know! I'm trying to do that right now.
You guys have to work together.
Whoa- how was it guys? Anna, hard work? Fun.
Was it cool? Yeah.
You push so hard and sometimes it gets stuck in the dirt so you have to pull it out.
And your arms get so sore. Yea!
Sometimes it gets stuck but you have to pull it but it's so hard and you're like "oh!"
At least nobody fell in, that was good, huh?
Yeah.
If they fall in, it's only one meter so we need to jump in and get wet and save them.
Oh but still, that's not how you want to remember your time here.
That could be a pretty good memory.
I saved a kid's life! Yeah.
Look at those leaves! The leaves?
Look at the shadows! Oh my goodness, they're huge!
And look at the shadow. The shadow?
It's so cute, like a flower.
No joke. Becca, you're stepping on it! Ahhh!
Daddy, slow mo! Slow mo? Hang on.
You guys look like you're so far in the air.
I'm the queen of the giraffes. [Singing] I'm the queen of the giraffes!
Look at that, a bamboo forest. That's kind of cool, huh? One of my friends in my class...
One of my friends in my class, they're right next to me, he loves snakes.
He even has a pet snake. He has a pet snake?!
What?! OK, I'm out of here.
Break it up smaller.
Put it... get it in your finger like this...
I want to! It's so scary!
It does look like a lion. That little brown one?
He's like "Sarah, do you have something I could eat?" No.
This guy, he's like—he thinks I'm going to give him something.
What does a rabbit say?
I don't know, but Aunt Beth has a scar from a rabbit bite.
Why? It bit her arm.
Oh Becca, this one is all open.
Whoa, isn't that cool? [gasping]
It's going to poop on us!
He's going to poop on us? I don't think so, but he got way up there, didn't he?
Whoa!
It's right over you Mommy, you might move.
Don't get leaked on!
You don't want him to hit us.
That's a girl? No, those are boys.
Can I try that? Well, I don't think he wants to be pet, he's running away.
What's it feel like Becca? They're not soft.
They're not soft?
They're not. They're prickly.
OK, No going until we're all in.
Here we go, shut the door,
Now open the other and watch where you walk.
Look at that one! How pretty! It looks fake.
Look, they blend in with the tree! Daddy!
This is what Honey Bear had as a pet...
Honey Bear?
In Berenstein Bears, that's the bird that Honey Bear got.
Oh, was it? Yeah, it was blue, remember?
Becca, do it right.
Those are all their little houses.
Guys how was that? Was that cool? Yeah.
The best one yet? Yeah.
Yes! I want to touch it!
Pet? You can't really pet those birds.
Oh look, it's the cutest little bird yet,
A little Sarah-bird-hatchling.
Aww, a little Anna-cluckster.
You look so weird!
You know what, I think it's time for a water break. What do you guys think?
No, I want ice cream!
Uh! We're getting a drink. We needed that drink, huh Dude?
Yep. You and Daddy share the same drink usually, right?
Oh yea, huh?
That's one of our favorites, isn't it? Yea.
And what are the girls drinking over here? Mitsuya Cider.
Mitsuya Cider, they do like their Mitsuya Cider.
It is a busy day here but it's been fun.
Ah, there's a bee, ah!
Becca is there a bee on me?
What do you want?
What did you get Sarah? Ah, Chocolate Mint.
OK, don't touch. Oh wow.
Oh! I got my ice cream, it's good. How's yours Joshua?
Good. Good? And Anna Cakes?
Good. Good, you got Double Chocolate it looks like.
Yum.
Kodomo no Kuni was a lot of fun, but you don’t always have to go somewhere to have a good time.
Some of the best memories are made sharing special moments together.
You got a new massive gun? Yea.
And you guys are filling these up?
That thing is crazy!
I'm kind of scared of Sarah over here, she keeps squirting...
Go like that, and then twist it.
Wow, that's like a two-person job. I know.
And you twist it until you can't twist it anymore.
Yep, OK you can't twist it anymore. Yea, you can't.
See, look!
Holy cow! That is massive!
Mine is the tiniest. Don don don don! That's yours?
That little unicorn thing?
But I have the biggest tank.
You have to use that to your advantage then.
Hey!!
3, 2, 1 go!
Are you retreating? This is what you get!
Hey Joshua, I have a big present for you. What?
The present is this!
It seems like it's a pretty even match actually!
The girlfriend makes a mean Yakisoba.
What's Sarah-ski up to?
How you going to play Minecraft like that?!
I'm looking. Oh, are you? Oh OK.
Oh Daddy's Yakisoba has some yummy veggies in it too!
And so our Golden Week is off to a golden start, and there’s still a lot of it left.
Please comment about what your Golden Week is like
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We'll see you next time on Life in Japan. Bye bye.