[Life in Japan Theme Song]

If you live in Japan, you know it's not just earthquakes you need to be ready for, but the occasional typhoon as well.

Becca, it's your turn. I need it, I need it!

Well, do what you need to do

Do what you need to do.

We're playing a new game, Ticket to Ride.

This is our first time playing it. We bought it when we were in the States and now things are getting intense!

Thank you very, goody much...

Typhoons are massive tropical storms that are called hurricanes on the Atlantic Ocean or cyclones on the Indian Ocean.

These storms can really disrupt life, so you best be prepared!

Nice. That was awesome.

That was awesome? You're awesome.

Well, it's bedtime for the Reutter kids and the forecast says a ton of rain over the next 24 hours.

Have you guys ever got to skip school because of a typhoon? Yes, like 5 times.

Like 5 times? It was awesome fun!

Well it's just barely starting to drizzle, but I'm coming here to set up something very special

A new studio desk, a new studio chair in a new studio space, yes.

Here we go

The typhoon is moving in today, so I'm taking the girls to school!

Daddy, why does everybody love America?

Why do you love America?

Because I speak English! Oh, I see - ok!

Trampoline park

Iron Coyote!

That's my favorite place. And there's an ice cream shop!

Ice cream shop? They have ice cream shops here!

I know, but there's a lot of ice cream flavors.

Well girls, the big part of the storm is supposed to be coming in while you're at school.

What?! Can you pick us up then?

Dude, it is really raining out there! Did you see that?

Yeah, I'm going to see how cold it is.

We have to run out to go do your doctor's appointment too.

In the rain, Dude!

It's kind of chilly, just a little bit.

It is so chilly.

We're going to head out into the craziness!

Look at that: route may be affected by Typhoon Mindulle, is that how they're saying that? Typhoon number 16.

Here we go, out into the elements!

And this is the new doctor?

Yea, so we've been going everyday there.

You only head out in a typhoon if you must, and we need to see Joshua's doctor.

OK we're here! We're jumping out because it's so rainy!

Here Dude.

Alright, I'll be right there!

It is just really raining, so here we go, I've gotta go out in this!

I've got my little umbrella, but I don't know how much good it will do.

This tiny little umbrella is not made for this kind of weather.

In other typhoons, I've taken down my studio and moved the gear upstairs, just in case of flooding.

But this time I'm taking down the studio gear for good — at least here in this location.

Over the last two years, typhoons haven't been the only storm to hit Japan.

The biggest storm to hit was that of Corona

and just like in many other places in the world, people began working from home.

The dynamics of working from home are completely different, full of positives and negatives.

I've been working from home for over 14 years now, so I've had some experience.

But the last three years not only have I worked from home, but my office has been in my bedroom!

Well not anymore!

I wasn't able to finish it all, but I gotta go pick up Sarah

I don't want the girls walking back in the middle of the typhoon!

I'm going to go pick them up in the car. [In Japanese] How nice.

Good friends of ours are traveling for a number of months and asked us to look after their place,

so I get to use it as my temporary home office.

This is our seventh year living in Japan, and we've always had these typhoons come through

And to us they just seem like huge rain storms.

But every once in a while, you get one that's really windy, really fierce,

Or you get one like what we had a couple of years ago

And it dumps so much rain all over Japan

That it's mega dangerous.

Two years ago, Typhoon Hagibis, one of the largest typhoons to ever be recorded,

hit Japan mainland and caused tremendous damage.

Oh my goodness! OK, we got to close this. That's intense!

It's 8:00 o'clock. Oh yeah, it's starting to hit here...

The worst is about to come...

It was nearly 1,000 miles wide and this super storm dumped so much water that we were in danger of losing our house to flooding.

This footage from the 26th episode of Life in Japan was later used by National Geographic as they did a whole series on destructive storms!

That's just crazy!

It looks like it's holding steady, which is good news for us.

Though the Tama River, just like many other rivers in Japan, overflowed its banks all along the river,

it didn't overflow the last barrier of the levees near our home.

Many others were not as fortunate. It was the day we almost lost our house.

So we've learned to respect the typhoon.

So I had to park my car because they're not letting the little kids out

The parents have to go and actually pick them up and walk with them on the way back

Otherwise they hold the kids until later when the older kids get out and can walk with them.

There's a river going through the middle of this thing.

Look who I've got here! Sara-bara!

Also known as Sara-chan Uh huh

Also known as Sara-ski (Laughs)

Also known as Sarah-bear-ski.

How many others? Um, only two?

What's going on out here Anna? I'm Becca.

Becca! What's going on out here?

Thunderstorm! Whoa, sure enough! Holy cow!

It's been going on for a long time already. What a show!

I saw the first [lighting] strike. You saw the first strike?

Daddy, this is my TV...

This is a great kind of TV.

With a drink. Not electronic.

It's not electronic. Although it's electric!

Whoa! Daddy caught that on video!

Let's close the window! Why?!

No no, it's so good! Isn't this so cool? It's too scary!

It's cold!

Simon says say "hi" to the camera ten times...

Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi, hi, hi... What is going on down here?!

Simon says "say daddy." Daddy.

Now look at the camera and say "daddy."

Simon says "Look at the camera and say Daddy."

Daddy! Oh my goodness!

Are these Animal Crossing villagers here? No, no, we just made it up.

It says "Animal Crossing" right on the top!

I know- we wish there was this kind of villager. Oh!

So if someone [who is watching] makes Animal Crossing villagers, please make one of these!

Wait, wait! This too!

Oh cool!

Well the typhoon is passed,

And now it's just a beautiful day — it's always beautiful after a typhoon comes through.

So I'm heading to finish all my work.

Alright, we got the chair and the desk done,

I've got some cleanup to do, but now it's ready for the next phase, which is bringing over studio gear.

This is going to be a big one.

Now I'm going to setup the equipment in one room while Ruth is setting up the green screen in another one.

Looks nice! Yeah!

Ah, it's going to be perfect for the recordings.

[In Portuguese] Haja luz! Let there be light!

Whoa!

What room is this?! Are we going to have a proper bedroom for once?!

OK, go in. What?!

What is this? Doesn't it look so different?

That's our couch, we just moved it to the middle.

Everything got moved over to the other room. Joshua, don't jump around!

It's like a real bedroom again!

Alright, not it's time for the next phase of the mission

Which is setting up keyboards here, my other keyboards,

Setting up wall foam, and some other little details, like plants, that really make a difference!

Oh we have a guest, a guest performer!

OK guest performer, let's hear how it goes!

It goes like that.

Nothing like throwing some rocks in the river, huh dude?

There they go! Whoa!

Watch me, how far I can throw it. Ok, let's see. How far can you throw it?

OK I don't want to hit the camera like this.

Oh, there you go!

It doesn't matter where you live, who you are or what your background is

storms of all sorts are sure to come in life.

But something else is also true of storms: they are temporary,

and if you can just hang on long enough, you'll see the dawning of a new, bright day.

So where does the hope to hold on come from?

Well, ours comes from our faith in God and strong connections with others.

These are forces that are even greater than the biggest storms life can throw at you.

Next time on Life in Japan, we take an unforgettable trip as we soar over an active volcano.

Subscribe so you don't miss the next Life in Japan!

Oh wow! Whoa!

Oh it's wind, so windy!