We recently went to explore an area on the other side of Tokyo that we had never been to. Is that Tama River?
Nope. This is like a 2,000 meter track. Is it? What we found there surprised us all and gave us one of the most memorable days out yet this year. Get comfortable, because we’re embarking on a perfect Japanese spring adventure and you’re invited! Let's go! [Life in Japan Theme Song] PERFECT CONDITIONS
For a Most Memorable Day In the summer this is all water to play in. Oh man, how cool! We came out to Saitama to visit a children’s park we’ve never been to, but we weren’t expecting the Sakura to be still hanging on, Look at the pretty Sakura over there! It's snowing Sakura! or that we would arrive first for once. What a day to wait for everyone. We're never first and today we're first! Today we're first, wow! Good for us! So we get to go on the course! It's like the Wood Between the Worlds, Sarah! Ah yes, indeed! All of the trees are the same! Is it so peaceful in there, Sarah?
Oh yes it is. Was it like a dream? As we explored a nearby park, we got inspired for what to do first: a nice picnic lunch under the Sakura. This spot here is really pretty! Wow! Daddy, there's a bird.
There's a bird? Yeah....
[Joshua calling] Ooo, it's a big bee. Keep doing it Josh.
[Joshua calls] Oh man, what?! There was a lot of traffic day because it's such a nice day and everyone's out on the streets, So we got here first, we're just waiting for everyone to get here, And then we're going to explore this area and already it's been beautiful! All the Sakura's still hanging on, It's a sunny day with some blue skies. Great weather. It's the best you can ask for. We discovered some amazing spots in the park. When Ruth got the update that her sister and family had arrived, we decided to go tell them what we had found. Soon we were off to meet up with the Blocks. We had a new plan to run by them. The Blocks made it! We found them, yes! We still had one more family that would join us, but they too had been delayed. We decided to let the kids eat. Let's eat, let's eat, let's eat. Let's eat! This is like a royal picnic under Sakura.
A royal picnic. It's like a royal picnic under sakura! Oh, is that them?
Yea. I don't see them. Let's move over to make one more right here. No it's not.
Yes it is. Hey guys! How you doing?
Hi! Good. Sorry we're late. It doesn't get any better than this! The kids finished their food and played while the adults chatted away. It was already a perfect outing, and we hadn’t even gone into the children’s park yet! And look at this view! It's just so cute, all of our kids playing. I know, all of the kids just playing. It's so easy. I don't even think we need to go into the park, guys! I think we literally are just going to spend the whole time here. This is it, right here. CHILDREN'S PARK
Or At Least Trying to Get There After lunch we were ready to go to the Children’s park and packed up to head off. Becca, my goodness! Look at that! Freak-a-docious! But along the way, we would once again get distracted by the beauty of the perfect Japanese spring day. It's so beautiful! Hey Eliana, hurry! Picture time, oh yea! Alright guys! Keep smiling! The parent paparazzi on one side, and the kids on the other. Can we do a funny face? Funny face! But we’re in no hurry today — so we got some pictures of our family while we were at it. These little distractions are part of what makes an adventure like this so fun. Are you welcoming people down the road, huh? Ooo that's a cool car! OK, I'm going to wave at that person. That's kind of embarrassing. Putting sunscreen on. OK Anna, see if you can say this Japanese here, ok? Let's get it! [Reading park name in Japanese] Wow! Oh! Tove Jansson Akebono Children's Park Oh there! I see part of it up there already! Look at that building at the end of the trail there. That's where we're going. Walking up the hill, we didn’t really know what to expect, except that there might be some unique places to explore. We were about to see just how unique. Hello. How are things up there? Good.
Cool. Windy?
I see a crow. Do you?
Yea. Check it out: look at these crazy houses? Did you see them? Yeah.
Yea, it's like a mushroom house. MUSHROOM HOUSE
(It's Not a Real Mushroom Though) Finally inside the children’s park, all I knew is that there were some unique environments based upon the children’s books of Tove Jansson, but we were totally unprepared for just what we would find. Look at these flowers! Those are awesome! Yep, awesome. Mushroom House! You actually have to take off your shoes — that's so hilarious! Alright, here we go! Oh my, this is so cute! Can we live here? The Mushroom House is certainly just that — a house one could live in shaped like mushrooms. There was so much to explore, that the kids hardly knew where to start! Did you guys see the upstairs here? Look at that! What a cool upstairs! It's almost like a family reunion [place] It is like a family reunion house! Inside of a huge mushroom. There were all kinds of discoveries for kids to make, and it didn’t take them long to figure it out. Whoa! Is it the oven? Oh, you can just look down there?! Hopefully smoke doesn't come right in your face. Yea really, huh? Let's see. Then you can say "Hey! Keep it down down there! I'm trying to sleep up here!" Oh, you can keep going up?! What?! Watch your head though, huh?
Yea! There's still more! Whoa! How cool is this?! This is huge, huh guys? You just can't bonk your head, huh? Yeah, you're like bonking your head.
Is that finally the top you think? I think so. Hey but did you check the view? The view? Let's see the view. Are you allowed to go out here? I think so, but... I don't know why but it's kind of scary up here. Whoa, it's low! Low clearance! How cool is that! Are you coming back down? Yea. Oh, it's just to go around up here? It's so fun! Hey guys over there, look! I see you! Wow, look out the window there! That's cool. Let Uncle Ben get up. You gonna take a lap? Oh yea, I'll take a lap. Alright!
You got this. You go this way? Ah!
It's tight, it's tight! This is crazy up here. So cool. Do you believe people actually used to live here? Yea, mushroom people.
Mushroom people. It's wild up there! I don't think you would like it though. For the kids, the mushroom house was a highlight of the day, and they continued to discover all kinds of secrets about the house. Nice spot there, huh? Look at all these spots! How fun is this?! Is this an actual house?! It's so hard!
This feels so nice! Oh there's people in there! I am a queen!
Oh, who's in there?! Oh my! Well hey guys! Ok, heading down. Oh look, there's another door here, Dude! Whoa, cool! Look, momma chan found a good place just to sit and wait.
It's so cool in here. It is so cool. Oh the kitchen, it even works! That's cool, huh? Oh Dude! What? There's a basement?! Whoa! How cool is this, Dude?! Oh man, what a big basement! Oh my, this is so huge! Alright, heading back up. Here's where you take off your shoes to come in And Joshua! It's so much cooler in here! You should feel it downstairs - it is really cool down there! Imagine a huge house with tons of secret passages to explore. It's just — it really is cool. The kids love it. OTHER KINGDOMS
Like the Toilet Kingdom Well Joshua really liked that but he said that he really wanted to go to the "Toilet Kingdom." So we're going there so he can use it. Bathroom time! Bathroom time! Toilet Kingdom time, huh?
To the kingdom! To the Toilet Kingdom!
Ooooo! The toilets were nearby in the municipal building, but this municipal building was a kingdom all it’s own. And when the kids were done with their business, they let us know. It was time to move on. Hi mommy! Where is she? Oh I see her! Alright, now we're going to explore some more through the upper areas of the park. Wha! Ah! Follow, follow, follow the leader! Look at this nice path! Nice path.
It's very "noice." Very "noice" It's the "Boring Kingdom!" What is this, huh? It's the Forest Kingdom.
Yea! The Forest? It's the Forest House! Goodness, shoes off! I'm glad I wore my easy on-and-off shoes! Go upstairs!
Here we go... The Forest House — it looks like you can learn about the children's author who this place was named after. Tove Jansson - oh. Who is she? What did she write? Could we understand it? 1, 2... I have 2, 3. OK, heading out!
I'm missing one. Shoes back on! I love your shirt!
I have a blue shirt on. There were some more fun areas of the park to explore, but as we would soon find out, not all of them were open. Oh man, what a bummer! Closed! So much closed today, huh?
I'm crying. Well, we could go back to where we had our Sakura picnic! That was awesome! This is the photo spot — the designated photo spot here. We got some more pictures before we decided to move on — or in this case back to where we had come from. I found a face in the bulge! The water's super nice! Momma, the water's super nice! NAKA NAKA INJAINAI?
A Pretty Good Day After all Koala! Koala! Koala! Koala! Oh yea, Koala.
Hachi! [bee] He's so good! It's a Koala. That's amazing! That's pretty good! Throw it on Instagram, make people think I know what I'm saying! We'll put it on YouTube for you.
Yea, ok. Oh boy! Ice cream break time! It's what the crew was wanting! We have had such a good day here and we've spent most of it just chilling, The adults talking, the kids playing and enjoying just this perfect weather with the Sakura like this. Sunny - this, this is awesome. A day like this you just don't want it to end. Guess what I'm doing?
What have you been doing? I've been running up the slide — the big one! Running up the big slide?
Ok! OK, let's see.
3, 2, 1 You did it! Nice! I want to go down!
Ready? Ready? Oh my gosh! Oh! Try standing up. Just try it. Ready?
Yea. Just try, it's impossible. OK I don't want to watch anymore. Wow, that was awesome! Here let me try!
Whoa! Alright, Becca's going to try. Oh that's good! That's good! Come on, come on! That's a good try! Oh Anna! Get it! Get it! Oh yea! Look at Anna! Way to go, Anna! Yeah Becca! Go-oh! But one of the biggest successes was the walkie-talkies the kids used. Yeah, we need to find out— where'd you buy those? My grandpa gave them to me. We should see the name of them because walkie-talkies — there's like a million. This is an older one... We need walkie-talkies in our house... calling upstairs.
Yeah! Boys using the Walkie-Talkies. Walkie-talkies were the bomb when I was growing up, and it's so fun to see that they still are. Except the range was like 100 ft back then...
Oh I know! You had to see each other! From here to the gazebo. Things have changed. Technology. The snowing Sakura! What a fitting end to the day! Oh my goodness, how about that? Got it?
Snowing Sakura – I got it! But look! It's still kind of fluttering down. Well we're all packed up, ready to go but we're having a hard time leaving because we're just getting all the pictures we can here It's just the perfect day — it's the day to get the pictures! Because you- you're not even sure you're going to have a day like this once a year. This is awesome. That one's going on the fridge!
Get 'em on there! Get 'em on! Get it! Ah, great! COMING UP
On Life in Japan ready or not, our official house tour is finally coming, but that’s not all Today is a gorgeous day, I'm going to take advantage of it And head up to Mount Fuji and see what's left of the Sakura, It's going to be sunny, there's going to be blue skies, It could be epic! Subscribe not to miss either of these upcoming episodes and many more on Life in Japan. Here we go... coming to that famous place... The famous point to take the pictures
