SisterVibes
A podcast hosted by three sisters with a lifetime of stories and insights to share. From growing up in Japan to now living across three continents, we've gone through life's twists and turns. Join us as we dive into our cherished childhood memories, offer our unique perspectives on a wide range of topics, and recount our humble experiences living in different parts of the world. Despite long distances and scheduling conflicts that have kept us physically apart for years, we're here to give you a glimpse of what it's like to have sisters, regardless of the miles that separate us. Are we still the same as we used to be, or have we grown and changed along the way living in diverse locations? Stay tuned; we hope you’ll be entertained!
SisterVibes
16. Winter Holiday in Japan: Insights for Future Visitors
This year, we celebrated Christmas and New Year's in Japan, where the winter weather greeted us with surprisingly mild weather. Our whole family gathered at Sumie's house in Kanagawa prefecture for an unforgettable holiday weeks. In this episode, we share perspectives of our non-Japanese family members as they reflect on what captivated them the most about Japan and its custom and culture. From their admiration of the country’s highly efficient public transportation to their fascination with the ubiquitous vending machines, our family reunion turns into a fun exploration of the cultural contrasts between Japan, the U.S., and Germany. KO and Tomo also chime in on what surprised them on their return to Japan this time.
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Website: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2279605
Big shoutout to Allison Gray for generously granting us permission to feature her song, "Off My Mind" (from Ep 05).
I gotta get you out of my system. I gotta get you off of my mind. But how do I move on when no one compares? They only keep me occupied. I gotta break these chains that bind me. I try to shake them off so desperately, but you pull them tighter, string me along. It's sad, but I'm so gone.
Speaker 2:Hey guys. So I don't know if we talked about this in our previous podcast, but we actually had a family get-together in December and we all spent Christmas and New Year's together in Japan at my house, and I was kind of interested in hearing what impressions your guys's husbands had on Japan, since I believe they've only been here a couple of times. Our foreign husbands, your foreign husbands yes, their perspectives.
Speaker 3:I know mine said that he was impressed with the fact that people work on Christmas Day, that it's not really a holiday, so it was during Christmas time, slash New Year's, right Around that time, and he said maybe it's where you are, but he was surprised at how relatively warm it was. He said because his he was mentally prepared for from Florida to you know, regular winter weather. He was expecting it to be like really, really cold, so he was ready for that, but I guess it was relatively warm for winter, you know, like a normal winter. That's what he said.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I feel like it was warmer than the typical winter we usually have.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I remember you saying that actually, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4:When I was there with my husband was back in 2017. And we visited in winter and it was not that warm, so I remember it being much, much colder and I think the average temperature this past time was like above 10 degrees. I thought right. I think the low was below 10.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and then during the day, I think it even went up to 12 or something but it was very pleasant. Yeah, I was also surprised. And when was Matt there last time, do you?
Speaker 3:remember he was there in 2018 2018?
Speaker 4:I think yeah okay, so we were there 2017 slash 18 in the winter, so that's like it's been like what? 7-8 years, I guess, for both of them. Wow, that seems like long ago if it's 2018.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's like six years ago. Yeah, seven is that right, six and a half, because he was there in the summertime.
Speaker 4:Right yeah.
Speaker 3:It's been a while. He also commented, you know, like, how he was impressed with the amount of walkers and cyclists and people taking public transportation in Japan. The amount of people doing that I guess. I mean, if you lived in New York you would see that more. But where we live we only see people in our gated community walking and running. But outside of our community we don't see anybody walking to places or riding their bikes to go places, maybe to exercise. Sometimes we see people outside.
Speaker 4:But yeah, I feel like it's because of how everything is laid out in the us. It's so wide and big, you know the country itself so you almost need a car well, yeah, but we also have like um 10 car lane road, like you know right right outside right outside of our community and it's not really that walkable, walking friendly. You could get hit by a car you could, but I guess if you go across the street past that there's a huge mall there you can go to and trader joe's.
Speaker 3:I used to take the kids on the bike, the trader joe's, but it was scary kind of even to cross that.
Speaker 4:You know 10 lane yeah, yeah, and it's not so common to just walk, yeah, no, yeah that's interesting. Anything else? Did matt say anything else?
Speaker 3:I mean he's commented in the past which I think I mentioned on this on here before where, you know, one of the first times he went to japan, I remember him commenting about the vending machine, how there's like hot and cold, and he was so impressed with that but I didn't even think anything of it because I thought that was kind of normal, but at the same time I was like, oh yeah, we don't see that in the us, right, you know. So I remember him commenting about that and there were several things that he commented when we first went together, before the kids were born, but I don't remember what all he commented. Probably that we kind of all look alike too. I'm just kidding.
Speaker 4:He probably never said that, and we were about the same height.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, he never said that, you know what.
Speaker 4:Something that was interesting that Christophe said, my husband said, was that he didn't feel especially tall this time and I don't know if what? Did people grow? I don't know. I don't know if he felt that way before, but then I feel like, you know, this time we stayed with Yusumi, which is, you know, we have access or we've been to Tokyo and such, and I feel like there are a lot more younger people, not in your neighborhood particularly, but, you know, in tokyo and such, and maybe I think, I think it's her modern home with the high ceiling.
Speaker 3:If he goes to our house like a normal, like our parents house, you know, standard, yeah, parents have everything is low. I remember, like the sink. You know how I have to kind of. I mean this is exaggerated, but I felt like I was squatting to wash my face.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, I was getting a workout just washing my face. And even then, kristoff used to hit his forehead in a parent's house. Okay, see, yeah, that's why he probably felt really tall, because he said that there was a blind spot like going through like for example upstairs in the Japanese style room. I remember he just literally banged his head.
Speaker 3:Remember we took a picture of him standing with his forehead touching in one of those rooms when we stayed at the hotel.
Speaker 4:Yeah, similar to that. Along that line, he was very surprised how dense everything was in Sumi's neighborhood and I thought well, but you've also been to our parents' home and that's pretty dense. But he felt that there was no backyard, there was no front yard. Yeah, like packed Everything was very packed and I guess I kind of understand that. I think, where our parents live, you know, there's, I guess, roads on two sides.
Speaker 3:But he also has never been to like the rural side of Japan either, where it's like nothing but rice fields, I'm sure Right like the rural side of japan either, where it's like nothing but rice fields, I'm sure right, you mean our parents place, or you mean just like more, more rural no no, maybe like if you go to hokkaido yeah, he was just very surprised how dense it was.
Speaker 4:And something my son said which was funny, which is so true, was he said there were so many bad English. So we went kite flying on New Year's Day like all of us, and Sumi's husband bought kids kites. On it was written in English I mean this is an example that he told me, but I mean there are a few occasions and I'm sure Sumi can also point that out. But it said soar the skies highly and hotly. It is glared at you by these eyes.
Speaker 3:Oh, my God. I don't know why they like allow these things to be printed without editing. I mean, yeah, t-shirts too. People wear like t-shirts that make no sense and it's like how is that even allowed to be printed? So that was terrible.
Speaker 4:One example, and I guess there were two eyes on it, I think. And then it had some kind of design. Yeah, we were just cracking up because it wasn't even glared with g-l-e-a-r-e-d, it was like g-l-e-r-e-d, so it completely misspelled.
Speaker 2:And then the whole sentence didn't even make sense and there was a sweatshirt that Takeshi brought home that said lost boy.
Speaker 3:Oh, I think Muto-san took that one, did he? Yeah? And I was like you want to wear a sweater that says lost boy? And he was like I just like the fit and I'm like Sumi's husband works at retail.
Speaker 4:He brings home lots of clothing. That's pretty comical. I was actually surprised there were like Korean and Chinese writings, especially like coming off at the airport, which I guess I didn't notice last time. I don't know if there are more of these that you see these days, even, I think, translations. I was surprised, or maybe I didn't notice last time, and the last time I was there personally was 2022, so it hasn't been that long. Did you notice that at all that there were more korean and chinese?
Speaker 3:readings no, okay, maybe that happened a while back and I didn't really notice I think I mean I guess I wasn't paying too much attention either, though I mean, I don't know, I didn't particularly think so, but I think I remember tokyo especially was trying to incorporate more translations in languages before the tokyo olympic in 2020, although it was actually held in 2021, right, yeah, I was there after that.
Speaker 3:I didn't notice that before and I was kind of surprised so I mean, did your japanese husband say anything about his perspective on his foreign bros and hanging out with them like out in public? Just the three of them? I think they went out a few times, right, yeah? Just by themselves, where they can't communicate with each other, so it's like japanese, german and american. He doesn't speak english, so I know they were using google translate for the most part, but was there anything that he mentioned?
Speaker 2:You know, he just said that he had a lot of fun and I asked him how he was able to communicate and he said he couldn't, but he still had fun.
Speaker 3:And gestures and Google Translate, yeah, google.
Speaker 2:Translation. He was like, yeah, most of the time I didn't understand what they were saying, but I had so much fun.
Speaker 4:Oh, he's such a fun, easygoing guy. Yeah, another thing that my son was surprised at which he was also surprised last time was there are no trash cans in public areas, so people are expected to carry your own, their own trash yeah, I think I mentioned this before, but yeah, yeah, and it's surprising how clean everything is. People are so responsible to just carry their trash and I think I've seen some places that do sell bags to carry your trash.
Speaker 3:Speaking of that, yes, one thing I always forget when I go to Japan is that a lot of people do carry their own handkerchief to wipe their hands instead of relying on paper towels in the bathroom. So we have to like shake our hands most of the time because I forget. And another thing is also carrying our bags for grocery whatnot, like folded ones, you know, at all times, even going to like we went to 7-Eleven a lot, just because it was like down the street, then I would forget to bring a bag. So Matt and I were like walking back with like all the street, then I would forget to bring a bag. So matt and I were like walking back with like all the items in our arms. You know, looking really stupid, but they do sell bags right sami they do.
Speaker 2:You just have to pay for them oh yeah, that's right.
Speaker 4:That's right, and I don't think matt wanted to pay five yen yeah, I think when um our family moved to germany, it was it took a minute, like it took a while to get used to it, because obviously we were living in Ohio. Now I mean, we carry it always, but I think it's just a habit. If you're not used to it, you know, you just forget.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's one thing I always think, is I forgot again?
Speaker 4:Another thing that Christophe said that surprised him was the public transportation. He said it was a little bit complex to figure out. He's like obviously I rely much more on you, as in me, to figure it out, but our families Tomo's family and my family went out to Tokyo. I think we saw that there were inconsistencies between Google Maps and Apple Maps and he thought that, you know, there were instances too sometimes where he just could not piece things together.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:And I also found it a little bit weird.
Speaker 3:I just remembered. Another thing he did mention to me was on the train. You know how it's really packed. That was like looking around and he's like, oh my gosh, there's this many people on the train and it's so quiet. I was like, oh my gosh, there's this many people on the train and it's so quiet. I was like, oh my gosh, you're right, it is so quiet. So everywhere we went it was quiet.
Speaker 4:People are quiet yeah, I think people are just very respectful and I saw that sign that I guess I never happened to look at or whatever, on the train. It said please do not talk. On the train, on the cell phone.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I saw that too, because it's distracting to others. Be mindful of others is what I said. Yeah, right. So yeah, it was so quiet. That's why I always feel so out of place in Japan, you know, because I'm so loud.
Speaker 4:I'm sure not all the kids are quiet, though I'm sure if enough kids are gathered you know yeah, oh, I'm sure he was also surprised, how I think in Sumi's neighborhood, but I think this is also common in many areas that some restaurants and bars are really really small. That could maybe take up to like 10 people or so, like really small. I was actually surprised with that too.
Speaker 2:It's just. Yeah, it's around my area.
Speaker 4:Yeah, there's a lot of small restaurants but it's kind of nice though, because then you get to know the owners and owners maybe have an opportunity to just actually mingle with them and get to know them and such. Do you not? Not see this a lot in Tokyo, where you were living? Not?
Speaker 2:like that intimate. Yeah, we noticed there are tons of restaurants that we still haven't gotten to around our neighborhood and sometimes we just miss it because they're just really small.
Speaker 4:And you've been living there for two, three years now, Wait longer, almost two years.
Speaker 4:Two years, actually, yeah, two years this month. So our son loves to play this Dragon Ball game at the arcade In Japan. In Japan, yes, Every time we visit, there are some game addicts in Japan. It looks like they've been living there because they're so good at playing certain games, like dancing game. Even this guy would just have every choreographed thing like nailed, and it's actually fun to watch them because you're just like how long have you been standing here and playing this? Yeah, like.
Speaker 3:Their noses are like flaring and sweat coming down yeah it's like oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:They have special gloves on too.
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh Kao, do you have to explain the Dragon Ball game, why Lucas likes to do it in Japan, why it's different?
Speaker 4:Well, there are arcades here, but obviously it's not as big. I don't think I've ever seen any places as big as ones in Japan. Well, first of all, he likes Dragon Ball. Which Dragon Ball is? I think a lot of people know it, but we used to watch it when we were kids, in our elementary days. It's a comic book and you can watch an animated series on Netflix.
Speaker 4:Now we got him these comic books for him to get started on, and he's so into it now that he discovered that there is a game in Japan in one of the arcades, and one time when we went back home to our parents house, I think, we discovered it and he wanted to play it. Our dad was with us, his grandpa. We tried to figure out how to play it because everything was in Japanese. So Dragon Ball is all about martial arts. I guess it's like all about fighting. Every time he plays a game, there's a card that spits out with a character in the Dragon Ball world and you can lay out up to seven cards, which means seven characters to play against the machine or whoever Whoever, meaning you can also compete with other people who are online. For some reason, everything is in Japanese, but he figured out how to play it, and so he loves it.
Speaker 3:But not at the arcade. You can't play with other people, right I?
Speaker 4:think, if people are online at the same time, you can play together, and if the machine, like we, realized that if there's somebody next to you, you can like play together oh, okay, that I can understand, I guess, but so that particular arc, the game is online based it can be online. Yeah, so you can play against the machine, or I think you can also play against other people who are playing in japan yeah, it's like basically interactive because you, once you lay the cards down, these characters come to life on the screen.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and then at that time we found out that there was this guy who was at another dragon ball game with. There were a few usually a few stations, and he looked like a little bit older than us, tomomi and me like he's probably close to 50. You could tell that he was probably there every single day because a couple times we went back after that he was there. It's just basically you collect all these cards and over time obviously you're going to have a bunch of cards. He had this little box with a key that contained I swear it was like hundreds and hundreds of cards. These are serious gamers, it's a key locks them.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yes, I wonder if you can sell them and make a lot of money yeah, I think probably wow, that's crazy yeah first of all, you just start to wonder like what is he doing all day? Lucas also noticed that that's crazy, that these people are adults and seriously playing, and I don't know why some people wear gloves to me. What's the gloves for?
Speaker 2:I know, I just noticed that some people you know who are on those dancing machine games, uh-huh they usually have these gloves on.
Speaker 3:Is it to be like michael jackson kind of? They think they're michael jackson?
Speaker 2:I think it has something to do with like maybe friction?
Speaker 3:like oh, they grip to turn, so they need a good grip.
Speaker 4:I think, or maybe you press the button also at the same time.
Speaker 3:Oh my, gosh, stop it, those are so no, they take those things very seriously.
Speaker 4:Oh geez there was one. I think he was probably in college because we were in Tokyo. This was a much bigger one that we went to and he was playing drums, but he was so good I mean, he wasn't even looking, it almost looked like and you just wonder, like how long do you have to play in order to be this good? Like they have to visit every day, right, don't you think, sumi? Do you think that people visit every day?
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, mean, this guy was people. I believe, yeah, they do well, maybe this is their way of working out, you think or no, stress relief right from working or going to school well, I noticed that those types of people who, kind of like you know, take these kind of games seriously, they go by themselves right so they can like just be focused they don't want to be distracted right.
Speaker 3:So I feel like yeah, because I like to do zumba for workout, but then I like to do it with other people in a class. But maybe they consider this as a workout like fitness, because they are really sweaty. I've seen some people.
Speaker 4:yeah, but gaming is such a big part of Japanese culture that I think if you grew up there, it's like such a normal thing, but you just forget, like how there are some people that are so into it that you can tell like they've been there every single day.
Speaker 2:If you go to Akihabara in. Japan the city is filled with people like that, like people who take yeah, gamers and anime lovers, oh yeah.
Speaker 3:Okay, it's like an anime town almost yeah. Gamers and anime lovers, oh yeah. Okay, it's like an anime town almost yeah Like the otaku culture.
Speaker 2:Otaku culture yeah, it's actually where it originated Akihabara and this is in Tokyo, somewhere, yeah, in Tokyo. So if you're one of those people, you'll probably have fun in Akihabara, yeah that's good to know.
Speaker 4:You're one of those people. You'll probably have fun in Akihabara. Yeah, that's good to know. We were also surprised Well, I think Tomomi's family also came across this too, probably but they did not take credit card everywhere, or MasterCard, and I think you always need to carry cash, because even at the train stations, when we were trying to buy tickets and it said they would accept credit card, it did not.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it said it would take Amex and it didn't take our Amex.
Speaker 4:Yeah, so I think for those of you who are traveling, always carry cash.
Speaker 2:That's strange, though I've never actually had that.
Speaker 4:It was strange because it said that it will accept it, but I guess it was not accepting foreign credit cards.
Speaker 3:I'm not sure. Even though I was able to use my credit card everywhere else, I will say I noticed that even in our smaller hometown more people are using credit cards than in the past, like before our kids were born, when Matt and I went, I really felt like I needed cash all the time.
Speaker 3:But since then it's like, oh, they take credit card everywhere now. But I will say, store workers are not used to accepting credit cards so they a lot of times they had to ask not this trip when I would go back home they would say, like, ask a manager like how to run the credit card.
Speaker 3:I thought that was interesting like multiple places do that and this was when like recently, um last time I went to japan, which was summer of 23 summer 23 but it's my, our hometown, like the smaller, so some stores, yeah, they were like um, let me, let me see yeah, this time at the train station it just didn't.
Speaker 4:I think that was the only instance actually that we had troubles.
Speaker 3:But and sumi's hometown. Was there anywhere that accepted apple pay?
Speaker 4:yeah, yeah, um, we paid a couple times on okay, I didn't pay attention um, also, they were surprised that these high-tech toilets were everywhere in public high-tech, high-tech as in like pushing buttons, like you know, see it warmer and bidet sprays, music playing and all this stuff I forgot, forgot Emiko, my younger one, 10 year old.
Speaker 3:She said she really loved the public bathrooms in Japan because she felt comfortable doing. Number two because there was so much noise that it would play for you so you could be comfortable doing your business. She said she wished she had that in the US. I personally love that in public bathrooms in Japan have sanitizing spray to wipe your seats. I think that's so smart. They should have that everywhere you know, because, especially if you have little kids.
Speaker 4:I feel like in Munich like 50% of the places have that. Oh really.
Speaker 3:Not all the places 0% have it here in the US. I've never seen it. Maybe in other states or something, I don't know.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I do like that music thing because it's personal.
Speaker 2:It's not like there's one giant speaker that plays the music the whole time, but I feel like the volume is not loud enough.
Speaker 4:Loud enough.
Speaker 2:It's not going to do your business.
Speaker 3:It depends on what you're feeling, I guess, like what you're about to do in the bathroom, or maybe it's just comforting for you.
Speaker 4:you know sitting there.
Speaker 3:It is for Emiko. She told me she's like.
Speaker 2:I wish we had that in the US oh. I'm glad she liked it then.
Speaker 4:Lucas was surprised that you can order many different kinds of food at conveyor belt sushi places. Why would you go there and order fries? And I'm like I don't know, but you know, maybe some people want to order fries.
Speaker 3:Well, your grandma loves fries at Pai Tenchi.
Speaker 4:That's true.
Speaker 3:So it's for Baba.
Speaker 4:Yeah, you can order desserts. You can order soups, noodle soups, ramen, udon.
Speaker 3:This time we didn't particularly go to a place like the restaurant, like this, but Matt I remember again one of the first times he went to Japan commented that you know it was interesting that the Enoshima Island restaurant, where you had to take your shoes off because we sat on the tatami mat.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:He was very uncomfortable. Yeah, yeah, that's not for Americans.
Speaker 1:That's true.
Speaker 3:To sit on the floor. Yeah, that's one thing he does. Comment is how uncomfortable he is when it's not, like you know, american style dining, because he just can't sit and be comfortable on the floor and eat, which I can understand if you're not used to that.
Speaker 4:Yeah, but there are places where, like, there's a dip in the ground, so there's a table above it and you can. Oh yeah you can put your feet there, yeah, yeah, like a hollow, but yeah, I guess it's not very comfortable if you're literally sitting on the ground.
Speaker 2:I think originally the extra place that you guys went to. In your neighborhood.
Speaker 4:Yeah, in my neighborhood.
Speaker 2:The manager originally said that you guys go on the second floor because it's more spacious. But Takeshi was like but there are foreigners and they might not be used to sitting on the ground.
Speaker 3:That's so smart. That's right, matt was the only one that was uncomfortable.
Speaker 2:So that's why you guys ended up eating on the first floor.
Speaker 3:That would have been nice to be upstairs where it's more spacious. But I mean, that was fine, it was totally fine.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's fun for the kids the second second floor because the kids can draw on the tables oh, that's fun yeah, I guess I haven't been back for new year's.
Speaker 4:I've been twice since we've moved like abroad, which was over 30 years. Was that there are marathon events that happen?
Speaker 3:during New.
Speaker 4:Year's, which I didn't know. That happened I guess back then, but it's been going on for quite some time, I believe decades. Right, I think so. Yeah, so I was surprised how there are marathons that happen on New Year's Day and 2nd and 3rd. It's like a three-day event. I think on New Year's Day was corporate relay marathon and then on 2nd and 3rd are university relay marathon. The distances are probably about similar.
Speaker 3:It's a huge event that everybody tunes in and watches. Well, I was surprised that I was so amazing at flying a kite on New Year's Day. Yeah, I was so impressed.
Speaker 4:Yeah, so I guess it is sort of a tradition that people do on New Year's, aside from going to shrines, that people will fly kite. I think a lot of kids do that and it was nice that Sumi's husband went and bought them.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and it was so worth it that he bought, like the longer one longer strap because it looked really cool above everyone else's and there were many people who were there. We got tangled at times, yeah.
Speaker 4:And somehow yours was so high, it went super high and we were all jealous. So then we tried to make it super high also.
Speaker 3:Yep, and you joined me eventually. Yeah yeah, I was pretty impressed with my skills.
Speaker 4:We talked about, instead of going to Shrine, because, according to Sumi, the places would be so crowded on the 1st and our families left on the second and third of January. So we decided, okay, well, maybe some of us let's go watch the sunrise and maybe that's something that we can do walk to the beach, because from Sumi's place if you walk there it's like 30 minutes or less, it's not very far. And so it was four of us my husband, me, tomo and then our dad who went and honestly, I thought it was such a brilliant idea. And guess what? Everybody was there. There were like thousands of people which I was so shocked and surprised. I was like dang it. I thought this idea was unique. Well, apparently everybody had this unique idea.
Speaker 3:I mean we noticed when we saw the crowd going towards there, the beach you know, yeah, like wait a minute. What are these people doing, too, at this time from?
Speaker 4:her place. There's a major road where there's 7-eleven and then you turn on 7-eleven and it's pretty much straight to the beach. Right before we turned, there weren't that many people walking. What time was that like?
Speaker 3:still. Obviously we went for sunrise, so it was still dark I don't know it was.
Speaker 4:It was like six something, it was early enough, because we stayed up quite late the night before I think it was six, six o'clock, yeah and uh, as we turned and we were walking for a while I mean there weren't that many people, it was just us and then I saw a couple kind of join and I thought, okay, maybe they're also going to the beach. And at some point in the midpoint there were so many people we started to notice on the left side, on the right side on bikes, walking, and we're like wait, are they all going to the beach?
Speaker 3:I was bypassing people like I was just like.
Speaker 4:I'm gonna beat these people remember, I left you guys, yeah there were so many people, I was so shocked, and it was also nice that we could see Mount Fuji from there too, from the bridge where we were.
Speaker 2:Good thing it was not raining or cloudy, that's right yeah it was a really cool experience.
Speaker 4:I mean, it was cool to see it and also cool that there were so many people and they were also at some parts like it wasn't where we were standing at, but we realized as we were walking along the beach there were people providing food and stuff, which I thought was nice what do you mean?
Speaker 3:providing like selling?
Speaker 4:free? I think it was free. It must been done by volunteers, but I'm assuming it's by the city. Where was this like right? This was when we were walking towards the bridge to see Mount Fuji oh Bridge that crosses.
Speaker 3:I was focused on this lady that was in front of me, that was on a walking stick, and I thought what if she falls on me? Because it's what I kept thinking. So I didn't see anything.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it was like right before we turned to get on the bridge or something like that, on the beach side there were like long tables with tons of volunteers. I think they were providing food. I think it was free, but I thought, simi, you should definitely go there one year because it was nice.
Speaker 2:Oh, my goodness, maybe.
Speaker 3:I was pretty impressed that we stayed up until midnight and went before sunrise. Yeah, and our brother was so he was going to make it. He was confident and he was gonna make it. He was confident I'm. And I was like, no, you're not, you're not gonna make it. He's like, yes, I am watch. Yeah, he didn't make it.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and he said just come and knock on the door because I will be there. And then, no, he didn't show up or he didn't make it I have never seen sunrise on new year's well you can probably see it from the top of your house.
Speaker 4:maybe, yeah, probably, but still, but it was cool though, because where we were standing you could probably see it from the top of your house. Maybe, yeah, probably, but still, but it was cool though, because where we were standing you could see the Enoshima, and then it was coming out of that island.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I saw the pictures. It was pretty cool.
Speaker 3:Thanks for joining us today. Don't forget to review Sister Vibes and make sure to subscribe on the app of your choice so you don't miss our upcoming episodes. Until next time, ja-neh.
Speaker 1:Ja-neh Bye.
