There is a break from the old year and a pause before the new year starts.

古い年と新しい年の "狭間" の時間

This pause is Japan's spring break

この狭間の "春休み" は 新しいスタートに向けて休養する時間です

a time unique to Japan when one can truly relax, take a breath, and fill with expectations for a new season.

我が家は山中湖が大好きです

[Life in Japan Theme Song]

今年は焚き火をする 特別な許可を得ました

One of our favorite retreats is Yamanakako, one of five lakes near Mt Fuji.

ベッカ 準備は整った？

This year we've gotten special permission to do a big bonfire — that is, if we can get it going.

- 私も！ - サラも？

Alright Becca, you're getting all ready, all prepped and ready to go?

段ボールが濡れてるな

Me too! You too, Sarah? Good job.

焚き木は新しい事の始まりを 象徴するようです

This cardboard is cold, feels wet.

よし！

Before the new can come, the old must go. And nothing symbolizes that better than a bonfire.

燃えた！

Alright! Snap, crackle, pop!

いいね

Whew, we're doing it!

キャンプファイヤーだよ！

There we go.

来たね！

Whew! Yeah, baby!

- この枝は... - 湿ってるね

It's fire time, guys! It's fire time!

上に板を置いて

Oh boy oh boy oh boy! Oh boy!

おやつのマシュマロよ

These branches aren't really... They're too wet.

先に食べちゃうの？

Let's put the plywood on top of it.

カメラさん 段ボールを火にくべて

I'm feeding her marshmallows as we wait.

どうぞ！

Are you getting an early start at those marshmallows? Yum!

どこに投げたらいい？

Camera, do you want to throw in some cardboard for me?

- ここ！ - あそこ？

Here you go!

- うん！ - 行くよ！

Where should I throw it in, Sarah?

投げるよ！

Right here. Right here?

失敗だ 手伝ってくれる？

Yeah! OK, here we go!

良い感じに燃えてきた！

Here we go. Throw it!

ダメかと思った！

Oh, I missed. Can you help?

火が広がっています

Alright, I think we won, you guys! Yeah!

ここはどうするの？

I was almost... I was ready to give up!

まだ火が付かない

The fire's great over here, now we're trying to bring it over here.

焚き木の格言を一つ

How's it going to bring it over here?

火に手を入れないで

Not good. Not good!?

その通り！ 人生の知恵かも

Do you have any words of wisdom from a bonfire side here?

すごい！煙を見て下さい！

Don't stick your hands in it.

キャビンが！

Don't stick your hands in it! Words to live by.

キャビンが煙で巻かれてる 参ったな

Look! It is going going going! Look at all that smoke!

すごい！

Hey! Our cabin!

ビックリした！

Oh gosh, our cabin, dude!

すごい イジー！

What in the world?!

炭になったわね

Holy cow!

踏み台の高さまでいくよ

That scared me so bad! She was coming right at me and didn't say anything!

1・2・3 ！

Wow Izzy!

すごい！

There's lots of hot coals now.

みんな！

Let's go. We'll go all the way to the platform height, OK?

パズル？

1, 2, 3 Go!

難しいわ

Yeah! Whoa, Dude!

ここかな

Oh boy!

完成図は？すごい！

Is this puzzle central here?

- 完成するかしら - 頑張って！

Yes... It's puzzling.

- 次の旅行はここかしら - いいね！

Oh here we go.

時として 古い事にしがみつく事が 新しい挑戦への障害になります

What does it look like when it's done? Oh my goodness!

過ぎ去る物と新しい物 両方を受け止める時間があります

Will it ever get there? Will it ever—wow! What a place!

日本の美しい桜が象徴するように 終わりは始まりでもあります

That's where we're having our next... Our next retreat?! Come on!

ベン 火の後始末？

Sometimes the greatest hindrance to experiencing something better is holding onto the old, dead familiar things.

火種があるだろ？

There is a season for relishing the old, and a season for embracing the new.

残った炭で火をくべたんだ

It is the process of death and renewal that brings new life as perfectly symbolized in Japan's beautiful sakura blossoms.

見て下さい！ パズキッズの撮影です！

Well Ben, good fires die hard, huh?

イースターの物語です

Yep, the next morning, fire's still going.

いいね！

There was hot coals, and we were able to revive it.

カタンの難所 家をどこにするか！

Look at these guys — they're getting ready for a super special Paz kids!

大事な選択です

It's going to be at Easter, at church in the main services — the Easter story.

娘の同級生と 春休みを動物園で満喫します

Alright guys!

着いた！

It's the intense part of Catan — deciding where to put your settlements!

ズーラシア！

You don't want to get this part wrong!

ハロー！

We love to celebrate spring break with friends, and this year we're invading the local zoo with a group as big as a school.

もう象がいる！

We made it.

本物より小さい？

Zoorasia Zoorasia.

アイゼンマン家は 息子が5人です

Hello Elephant — bah!

日本記録かも？！

Look- there's an elephant there, already!

前に来た？

I don't think they're bigger than that, right?

来たけど ジョシュアは小さかったね

Here comes the Eisenmanns with their 5 boys.

ニューカレドニアの鳩 昔の鳩は大きかったのかな？

Setting a world-record for Japan!

猿だよ！

Minori, this is your first time here, right?

くつろいでるよ

Have we been here before?

怠け者の猿かな？

We have been here before, but you were little so you probably don't remember it.

- パンダが好き - 僕は犬

New Caledonian Pigeon. Wow! How big was the old one?

犬が好き？

We found some monkeys, dude!

強いから

They're just chilling up there— look!

僕はパンダとキリン！

He's like a sloth monkey, huh?

パンダとキリン

I like pandas. I like dogs.

虎がいます

You like dogs?

来たよ！

Yeah, because the kill any...

かわい子ちゃん！

Hey, I like pandas and giraffes.

- 元気？ - 楽しいよ

Oh, pandas and giraffes.

良かった！

OK, coming up on the Tiger.

長い尻尾！

Bah! Ahhhh!

カッコいいね

Ah, there he comes! Wow.

みんなも

Oh my cutie, wutie-ness.

おしっこの匂いがする

Hello! How are you today? I'm so happy.

猿の鳴き声は？

Good! Nice of you to join us.

そうだね！

Heavy? Heavy!

- 何が見える？ - ライオン！

Look, that guy has such a long tail!

ライオン見える？

That's some cool looking monkeys, huh?

- 疲れた？ - うん

Some little ones.

少し休憩する？

I can smell the pee.

そうしよう

What does the monkey say? What does the monkey say?

ベッカ これ見た？

[Imitates monkey] That's right!

- どうぶつの森！ - 違う！

What do you see Sarah? A lion!

黒部峡谷みたいだね 黒部ほど怖くないけど

For real.

あれは？

Do you see the lion, Joshua?

ゴールデンターキン

What's the lion doing?

ゴールデンターキン

What kind of face is he making?

何してるの？

He's making a normal face.

サラ 楽しそうだね

Oh, a normal face.

カワイイ！

Did you wear out already? Yeah.

- カワイイ！ - 見て！

Just taking a little break then? Ok.

小さな羽なの

That's fine. You can take a little break.

体は大きいから 飛べないと思う

Becca did you see this?

- デビーおばさんは休憩よ - ありがとう

Animal Crossing

ねえ！こんにちは！こんにちわ！

Animal Crossign! No it's not.

泳いでるね

Hey John, it's kind of like Kurobe Gorge, only not quite as scary.

来た！泳いでる！

Whoa, what is this thing? What's it called?

向こうだ！

The Golden Takin.

カワイイ！

Golden Takin

- ペンギンがいる！ - ペンギン？

What is going on here?!

ジャンプが上手

Boy Sarah, you've got a good deal there.

- 白熊がいる？ - ちょうど出てきたわ

Minori will do her best

ジョシュア 見に行こう！

Oh my freakin' kawaii!

白熊が見れるよ

What a cute little guy! Look at that!

白熊

His wing is so tiny — like oo.

みんな揃ってるね

And his body's so big. I think he can't fly.

お昼です

Let's give Aunt Debbie a break. Thank you.

みんなお疲れ様

Hey! Hi! Konnichiwa!

準備完了

How's the zoo?

イジーにピッタリだね

Fun?

可愛いわね

Sparkly

いいね！

There he is. He was swimming.

おいしい！

There he goes! He's swimming!

出発進行！

There he goes!

鼻が面白いの

He's so cute!

鼻を見て！

There's penguins! There's penguins?!

誇らしげだね

He's a good jumper!

- 尻尾が大きい！ - すごい鼻！

Is there a Polar Bear here? Yeah, he just came out.

鼻が口に近いから 自分の口臭を嗅げるかも

Hurry, he just came out! Oh go, Joshua, go!

すごいドア！

We can see the Polar Bear.

あれ通れる？

Oh- Polar Bear!

猿の鼻見た？

Look at this troop here! Alright guys!

- やった！ - どうした？

Good news! Lunch time!

来て

Alright girls, good job.

イウォークみたい

Get the mat ready.

笑って！

Ah Izzy cute! It's just your size.

見つけた！

That is so cute.

ワーオ！すごいね

Wow- lunch time!

- 新しい友達？ - そうよ

Oh look Becca! Cool.

行こう！

Yummy! Yeah!

手を離さないの

We're all ready to go! OK.

プレイグラウンドです

Yea, it's the funny nose one.

イジー 何してるの？

Look at the nose!

ミッキーマウスの家！

He's gonna say "Here's my funny nose."

ミッキーの家？ 言われてみれば

Oh my! Look how big that tail is! What a nose!

すごい！通れたの？

Those monkeys can smell their breath real easy, because it's right there.

うん

Oh my goodness! Oh wow, what a door!

ルースは？

Can I go in that door?

可愛いでしょ

Did you see the nose on the monkey? Uh huh.

足だけシマウマだ！見える？

I did it! What did you do?

オカピです

Come come come

いいね！

He's like a little Ewok.

ベッカみたいにくつろいでるね

Everybody smile! Big smile!

奇妙な尻尾

We found it!

スカンクみたいな猿だね

Wow! That's cool, huh?

スカンキー

Did you pick up a friend? I have a friend.

見て！

So let's go.

あの鳥を見て！

Too cute!

何て言うの？

He won't even let go of our hand.

バルチュリーグイン…？

And now it's playground time and the kids are going to run all over the place!

変な名前

Hey Izzy, whatcha doing?

アマゾンの家みたい

I'm in Mickey Mouse clubhouse!

アイスクリームが売ってる！

You're in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse? It kind of looks like it.

グレープ味！お気に入りの色

Oh my goodness! Wow! All of you fit in there?

パープルのアイス美味しい？

I guess so.

あくびしてる 何とか見えるね