I'm Suzume.
I'm a maid who serves at a mansion in the UK.
However...
Due to various circumstances, said mansion has collapsed.
EEK
Until it's repaired,
I'll be staying here in Japan for the next year!
Done!
What shall I have today?
thousand-year candy
It's cool yet pleasantly warm.
The perfect temperature!
Miss Maid!
BAM
A princess has appeared!
Aren't I cute?
Too cute!
Pardon us!
We're about to go take her Shichi-Go-San photo.
You were waiting for Suzume-san because you wanted to show her, right?
That's right!
That makes me so happy!
I'll let you take a picture with me too, Miss Maid.
Hooray!
Let's take it over there.
Okay!
But before that...
INTRODUCTIONS
It's a pleasure to finally meet you.
Please, the pleasure's all mine.
Come on, let's go!
Smile!
All right, one more!
What is in that long bag?
There's special candy inside!
Special candy? What kind is it?
What kind?
We'll open it later.
I don't know!
I see.
Grandpa and Grandma are almost here.
Okay!
Well, I'm busy today, so let's play another time, Miss Maid!
Promise?
Have lots of fun, okay?
See ya!
Bye-bye!
A special candy...
THOUSAND-YEAR CANDY
TA-
DA
I saw it at the store, so I just had to buy some.
What makes this candy so special?
It's in another bag!
L O O O N G
It's so long!
Chyun!
Thousand-year candy is long
because it represents the wish for a long, healthy life!
Cranes represent a millennium and turtles represent ten,
both symbolizing long lives!
The rake and broom are meant to scoop up happiness!
It's covered in lucky symbols, making it perfect for Shichi-Go-San,
when we wish for kids to grow up happy and healthy!
This looks a little difficult to eat.
I mean, how are you even supposed to?
Chyun Guide to the rescue!
Chyun!
You can totally split or cut it into smaller pieces!
I see! Then let's give that a try!
First, put it on a plate, cover it in plastic wrap,
and heat it in the microwave while keeping an eye on it.
It's so long that it didn't fit on the plate.
Next, cut it with a knife.
Slowly... Carefully...
You're getting good at handling a knife!
PLOP
Let's try it!
A gentle sweetness!
It tastes like it's filled with wishes for happiness.
That reminds me...
THOUSAND-YEAR CANDY
"Thousand-year candy."
What a curious name.
A thousand years...
What'll I do if I live to a thousand?
Sounds fun! I'd be okay with that.
What kind of meals will there be in a thousand years?
FUTURE MAID
Delicious food!
Food... I eat!
Food... Here I come!
SATISFY YOUR HUNGER AND YOUR HEART
SIMMERED NICE AND SLOW
CREAMY CORN
It's getting a lot colder...
The sun is beginning to set earlier. It's only about four o'clock.
It feels dark and a bit lonely.
I know!
I'll get a delicious hot beverage and take my time getting home.
Oh?
SATISFY YOUR HUNGER AND YOUR HEART
SIMMERED NICE AND SLOW
WITH FRESH CORN BITS
MADE WITH HOKKAIDO CREAM
CREAMY CORN
HOT
Corn soup?
Wait, corn soup? Really?
I can get soup at a vending machine?!
Depending on the location, some vending machines even sell oden and ramen!
SATISFY YOUR HUNGER AND YOUR HEART
It's so warm!
My hands were colder than I thought.
I want to keep holding it like this, but the soup will get cold.
SNAP
It sure smells like corn soup.
Let's try it!
It's creamy and sweet with a bold corn flavor!
It's not too smooth. The texture's just right.
It's so good!
TIPS TO ENJOY THE BITS -SHAKE WELL BEFORE OPENING -TILT THE CAN AND ROTATE IT CLOCKWISE AS YOU ENJOY
"Shake well before opening."
No! I didn't do that.
SHAKE WELL BEFORE OPENING
It's not too late!
It's okay.
I got some corn bits!
Amazing!
Crisp and sweet... So delicious!
Chyun-Chyun-Chyun-Chyun!
Hot beverages were first sold in vending machines around the 1970s!
SATISFY YOUR HUNGER AND YOUR HEART
SIMMERED NICE AND SLOW
WITH FRESH CORN BITS
MADE WITH HOKKAIDO CREAM
CREAMY CORN
Canned soup was developed around the 1980s and became a hugely popular product.
CURRY
STEW
There are many different types, so have fun tasting them all!
The sky...
The colors gently shift from blue to pink, like a rainbow.
And the white walls of the houses glow orange in the light.
I'm a giant maid!
WHAT A LOUD VOICE
I'M A BULBUL
What a loud voice.
I'm a bulbul.
I need more practice to get all the corn bits, but I'm now all warmed up.
That was delicious!
Hello!
Right now...
I'm hiking up a mountain!
YESTERDAY
AUTUMN LEAVES UPDATE
BEST SPOT TO SEE THEM IN JAPAN
Here are the best places to see the autumn leaves this weekend.
As we get into the season, the mountains across eastern and western Japan
The mountains...
are reaching the peak of their fall colors.
You'll need something else to wear if you want to go.
Reporting from Kyoto, the leaves are glowing orange,
Is the shoe shop still open?
and the colors are so vivid.
If you're going tomorrow, stop by here before you head out.
I haven't said anything yet!
Are they psychic?!
You're going to the mountains?
Lucky! Do you want to borrow my camping gear?
FULLY EQUIPPED!
Thank you so much, Anzu-san!
And so, that's how I got here... the mountains!
I borrowed all kinds of stuff from Anzu-san.
I hope there's somewhere I can buy souvenirs for everyone.
It's still early, but people are already descending.
Did they go all the way to the summit?
Hello there.
H-Hello.
My, how courteous.
Do I know them?
Hello.
H-Hello!
I see...
In the mountains, you greet people you pass by.
Got it!
Hello!
Yes, hello.
Hello.
I'm here alone...
But it's interesting how sharing the space
makes you feel so connected.
Chyun!
In the mountains, greetings have a purpose beyond politeness.
They're a way to convey having seen one another.
That can be very important if anything happens.
But don't force it!
Time for a break.
Everyone seems like they're hiking so swiftly.
Will I really be able to make it all the way to the summit?
Am I not physically fit enough?
Oh yeah, Grandma gave me something this morning.
I wonder what it is. It's got some weight to it.
You can't open it until you get to the summit.
Since she said that, I'll wait!
All right, time to hit the trail again!
It's still early, so I'll enjoy the hike slowly, at my own pace.
COTTON CANDY
There's a shop!
Grandpa said there'd be a cable car too!
How beautiful.
If I remember correctly... Two bows, two claps, one bow.
My wish is...
I hope I can continue to enjoy lots of delicious meals with everyone.
Hello!
Hello.
It feels like things just opened up.
Is that Mount Fuji?
The mountains are so clearly defined that they almost look flat... How surreal!
The trees on the mountain I climbed were beautiful too...
But this feels so liberating!
It feels great!
All right, Grandma, be proud! I made it.
Now, what could this be?
It's a bento!
BAM
Let's eat!
Cod roe!
RICE BALL
SAUSAGE
TAMAGOYAKI
And sausage! It looks delicious and cute!
KARAAGE
There's tamagoyaki and karaage too!
Everything's so good!
Having pork miso soup at the summit is amazing!
PORK MISO SOUP
The sweet potato melts in the mouth,
and the daikon is soaked with flavor!
Thank you, Grandma!
The air, the view... Just everything.
I'm so grateful for this meal.
I'm so full that I don't want to move.
I thought I'd take the cable car back.
But no! I accidentally got on the lift.
It's scary but fun!
Don't forget to get souvenirs for everyone!
Chyun!
Hello, Komatsu-san.
Suzume-san!
Are you headed out?
Yup. Did you just get back?
I did!
Say, I got the thing in today!
What thing?
Suzume-san, be careful of that thing.
Be careful? What do you mean?
Oh, Komatsu-san!
Would you like to hang out at my place when you get back?
N-No... I'd better not.
Not today!
What's going on inside of Komatsu-san's brain?
I know!
I've got just the thing.
I'm gonna get something from my place. Be right back.
What could it be? Chyun!
Take care now!
Thank you so much!
Please take care as well!
She told me to be careful with it...
But why would she say that?
It's such a wonderful thing!
KOTATSU
I MADE THE PURCHASE
I made the purchase.
Merging a blanket and table together...
This is the best thing ever!
What a wonderful invention.
Chyun!
Kotatsu are said to have originated from a Muromachi-era innovation.
They were made by building a wooden frame over an irori hearth
and covering it with a blanket!
Still... I guess it doesn't warm up right away.
It is plugged in, though.
I wonder what Komatsu-san gave me.
Mikan!
Oh, what a perfect snack!
Grandma said it's better not to remove all the white stringy stuff.
The stringy parts of the mikan are called "albedo."
They contain flavonoids,
which help your body absorb the vitamin C in the fruit more efficiently.
Let's try it!
It's delicious! The sweetness has a nice, fresh tartness to it.
I love how easy mikan are to eat.
No rinsing or cutting involved.
Huh?
It's getting so warm!
It's the same color as mikan.
Oh yeah!
I should read the manga I borrowed from Komatsu-san the other day.
I'll also brew some tea!
Having an armrest would elevate the experience...
A pillow should do the trick.
I should get the teapot over here too.
And the next volumes of the manga...
I've been devoured by the kotatsu.
This is what Komatsu-san was trying to warn me about!
Be careful or you'll never be able to get out.
I need to get out...
But... I don't want to!
Kotatsu are the best!
It's freezing!
Time to eat.
The fluffy bun is filled with satisfyingly sweet pork and onions...
The bamboo shoots add chewiness, and the shiitake gives depth of flavor.
I don't care for the cold,
but since it enhances the eating experience, it's worth it.
CHIRP
WHAT'S THAT?
It's used to humans.
I'm not giving you any.
STARE
Where did she come from?
They sell them right at the register in the convenience store.
Th-Thank you so much!
She's just like a dog.
Let's try it!
So loud.
You should eat slower.
That made her pause.
And already back at it!
HUFF HUFF
MUNCH MUNCH
It's like she gained momentum...
Is she afraid of it getting cold from the wind?
I mean, she really does make it look delicious when she eats...
I'll get another one.
I'm going back to the store. Would you like anything to drink?
I've got something, so I'm okay! Thank you for asking.
Okay.
By the way, they're called "meat buns" in eastern Japan,
but in western Japan, they're called "pork buns"!
That's because in western Japan, folks often mean beef when they say "meat,"
MEAT!
hence the distinction!
Chyun!
TRANSCENDED
That was delicious...
I ended up devouring it.
I know.
Somehow, even without talking...
It's fun to feel like we're sharing the experience by eating the same thing.
I hate to bring this up...
But I'm eating a pizza bun right now, so it's not the same thing.
Really?
There are all sorts of steamed buns, so have fun trying them all!
Chyun!
THAT WAS DELICIOUS
Winter has arrived!
I'm looking forward to the pure white snow.
I hope we can all get together for Christmas!