Chapter 1194

The Kanda Festival is one of the three major summer festivals in Japan.

Its origins are impossible to verify, but it has been a well-known festival activity among the public since the Edo period.

It is generally held on the second Saturday of May. From the morning Buddhist services, portable shrine processions, and samurai contingents, the festival activities continue until 7:00 PM. With a procession of over 300 people and more than 100 portable shrines, the number of spectators is even greater, making for a truly spectacular scene.

The Kanda Shrine, where the Kanda Festival begins, is located at the Taira no Masakado's Grave in Chiyoda.

The lively Kanda Festival is a major event that old Tokyoites cannot miss. Naoki Nagayama naturally gave the film crew another day off today; after all, besides his own parents coming over, the crew members also hoped to celebrate the holiday.

As for that fellow Tsuruko, she actually said something about wanting to spend the holiday with her boyfriend and would accompany their father and mother when they go for their check-up later... She really values romance over her parents!

So, after eating in the morning, Naoki Nagayama took his family out. His father and mother didn't need to prepare anything, but as celebrities, Naoki Nagayama and Akina both wore glasses and masks to hide their appearances.

There were too many people at Kanda Shrine, which serves as the starting point, and Naoki Nagayama didn't want to be too crowded, so he found a spot along the parade route. However, the streets were still packed with people rubbing shoulders, and there were police and volunteers blocking the roads and maintaining order.

Surrounded by "shrine bearers" wearing various traditional costumes, one portable shrine after another arrived slowly. Some were a noble gold, some a solemn black, some a festive red... and there were even divine statues of the Great Tengu and the Great Catfish.

Each one was extraordinarily gorgeous and full of character!

Under the direction of the shrine bearers and to the rhythm of the drums, the portable shrines leaped and swayed up and down, as if the gods themselves were dancing joyful steps to celebrate this festival.

Among the parade procession were musical troupes beating gongs and drums, creating a lively melody, as well as a square formation of samurai on horseback, their crisp hoofbeats echoing on the street.

Naoki Nagayama hoisted little Ye Zi onto his shoulders, holding her two short legs with his hands, just like riding a big horse... Relying on the advantage of his height, little Ye Zi could easily see the lively parade procession coming from afar.

When the portable shrines got closer and closer, the cheers and applause from the crowds on both sides also came together, and even little Ye Zi let out shouts of excitement at this moment...

Little Ye Zi was extremely happy today. After discovering a new way to use her father, sitting high on his shoulders allowed her to see far, and she didn't miss a single lively scene!

If she wanted to go somewhere, she just had to hold his head and turn it that way... When she was happy, she could even use her father's head as a drum to tap on...

This was the first Kanda Festival that little Ye Zi had ever attended.

"Father, Mother... it's very lively, isn't it!"

After the parade procession slowly passed by, Naoki Nagayama said to his father and mother beside him,

"I estimate that tens of thousands of people are participating in the Kanda Festival today!"

"It is indeed very lively~"

Mother Naizi was a bit excited; one couldn't see such a grand event in a small city like Shizuoka.

"Are there any other activities after this parade?"

"After this, there will be the Urayasu Dance at the Mitsukoshi main store..."

Akina, who had been standing on tiptoes to the side, answered,

"There are also celebrations of all sizes along the road..."

In fact, no matter what the festival is, there are generally food streets, temple fairs, and the like. For a major event like the Kanda Festival, large merchants along the route will also launch promotional activities at the right time... As long as it is a large-scale event, it can drive the economic vitality of an entire area.

After the parade procession passed, the Nagayama family strolled along the streets of Akihabara. Sure enough, as the crowds coming to Tokyo from all over to participate in the festival increased, the already very hot commercial street became even more lively.

"Speaking of which..." Akina suddenly remembered, "Doesn't Naoki-san have a shop here..."

"Hmm... yes..."

Naoki Nagayama nodded. The shop in Akihabara was an asset he had purchased early on.

The commercial real estate under his name was already countless. Except for those currently under his personal name, such as the Red Fish Garden and vacation homes, the others were all managed by the real estate investment department of Shuyou Capital, and he hadn't paid attention to them for a long time.

However, Akina's words suddenly reminded him of one thing:

"Father, Mother... didn't I buy an apartment for you in Bunkyo Ward before..."

"It seems there is such a thing..."

Mother Naizi nodded a bit uncertainly; their main focus was actually on Shizuoka.

As the eldest son earned money filming "Midnight Diner," and the original izakaya business became better, plus some family property inherited from his grandfather, they had actually purchased quite a lot of real estate in their hometown.

This apartment in Tokyo seemed to just provide a fixed amount of rent every month...

"That apartment should have appreciated quite a bit by now..."

Naoki Nagayama said. It was already 1987, and the original purchase price had at least doubled. Although 1988 would be the peak of the bubble, the housing prices in Bunkyo Ward wouldn't rise much more.

"If you want to sell it, it's fine..."

If sold now, there would be many buyers, and the transaction would be very fast.

"Then..." Mother Naizi glanced at her husband, Ken Nagayama, and seeing that he had no objections, she nodded, "Then sell it... and exchange it for land in Shizuoka!"

Although she didn't understand modern economics very well, Naoki Nagayama's mother upheld ancient wisdom: being a landlord is always correct~

"Haha, Mother is going to become a big landlord in Shizuoka!"

"Why is it a holiday again... Why don't we film overtime!"

"..... Uh"

"Is Naoki-san's filming this time a bit too casual?"

"It was so grand when the project was first established... Momoe Yamaguchi came out of retirement to join! Why does it feel like he doesn't value it now?!"

"Yeah... I don't even have that sense of tension as a worker anymore. There is motivation only when there is pressure!"

"...... You really are a beast... ah no, a cow and horse!"

"....."

Relying on his own skills, Araki Shizhi could easily hear the chatter of the crew members.

And after announcing a holiday again today, Araki Shizhi heard that the crew members remaining in the park seemed to have started discussing Naoki-san as well. It must be said that during this period, Naoki Nagayama seemed to have become much more casual about the filming of "Departures."

Could it be that he has many personal matters? Or could it be to adjust the state of the crew members? Or is it simply that Naoki Nagayama wants to relax... In any case, the crew has had two or three holidays in a month, which is very rare in the Shuyou crew that pursues high-efficiency filming!

You know, Shuyou has a tradition of producing a movie every three months!

Although he didn't know why Naoki-san did this, he knew that Naoki-san must have his reasons for doing so!

Yes, he had more confidence in Naoki Nagayama than in himself!

"Ahem!"

Araki Shizhi walked out from behind the door and coughed deliberately to let others discover him.

"Ah... Araki-san!" "Assistant Director..." "....."

The employees immediately greeted him. After all, Araki Shizhi was the assistant director of the crew and a backbone director of Shuyou.

"Why aren't you all going to relax today? Isn't it a holiday?"

Araki Shizhi asked in a kind tone,

"There's the Kanda Festival in Tokyo, it's very lively..."

"......"

The remaining staff looked at each other, and then gave a reason that sounded very sincere,

"We are all single dogs... Why go join the fun alone? It's better to chat and have a drink in the park..."

"Oh..." Araki Shizhi nodded, "So that's how it is..."

This reason was indeed very powerful, and there was everything one needed near the park: bars, pool halls, restaurants... even adult entertainment shops had opened up~

A crew member asked:

"Why is Araki-san still staying at the filming base?"

"......." Araki Shizhi revealed dead fish eyes...

Yeah, why?! Because I'm also a single dog!

Other crew members covered the mouth of this guy who couldn't read the air, and then asked:

"Araki-san, do you want to go have a drink together?"

"Haha, I won't go~ You guys go, relax well..."

Araki Shizhi shook his head and said with a smile,

"Naoki-san is doing this to let everyone combine work and rest, so that we can film the best movie effects... So he gave us a holiday. Everyone, don't let down his painstaking efforts!"

After speaking, Araki Shizhi turned and left gracefully.

The people who were still discussing Naoki Nagayama just now subconsciously opened their mouths, and then nodded awkwardly.

"Ah? Ah... So that's how it is, so that's how it is..." "I just said Naoki-san definitely wasn't doing it for his own relaxation..."

"Naoki-san is far-sighted..." "......"

Araki Shizhi didn't listen much to their subsequent words~

"Sigh... The crew will fall apart without me!"

Araki Shizhi hid his achievements and fame deep within~

After arriving at the office for rest, Araki Shizhi opened the filming schedule and began to adjust the filming plan... If there is a holiday for one day, then all deadlines must be postponed by one day...

"The next filming location... is outdoors!"

The indoor scenes of "Departures" have already been filmed almost entirely... The subsequent scenes are in many different locations, because after all, many people can't die in the same room.

In addition, there are some outdoor scenes to be filmed, such as the scene where the male lead plays the cello on the grass.

"Going to Yamagata Prefecture?"

Time turned to night in a flash.

Little Ye Zi, who had played outside all day, was already exhausted when she returned. After Akina sleepily changed her clothes, she fell into a deep sleep.

And father Ken Nagayama and mother Naizi were getting old after all, so they also returned to the guest room to rest after dinner.

However, Naoki Nagayama and Akina in the living room were even more energetic after taking a bath.

"It feels like it's been a long time since I've been to a festival..."

Akina sighed. Since becoming famous, going to those large public events was generally for work, and she would secretly go when dating Naoki Nagayama. However, since becoming pregnant and giving birth to a daughter, it seemed there had been no opportunity.

After all, she couldn't let go of her daughter in her heart~

"Yeah..." Naoki Nagayama gently hugged his wife, "Then let's find more opportunities in the future..."

"When Ye Zi gets a little older, we can go to events abroad. At that time, we won't even need to disguise ourselves..."

Akina nodded with a smile:

"Okay... At that time, we'll dump Ye Zi to Mom and Dad, and we'll go out to play by ourselves!"

Speaking of which, because of little Ye Zi, the two of them hadn't even had a honeymoon!

After chatting and laughing for a while, when it reached prime time, Naoki Nagayama used the remote control to tune to Fuji TV:

"Long Vacation has started airing today... Akina hasn't seen it, right?"

"Hmm~"

"Then I'll watch it with Akina once!"

"Haha~"

Fuji TV's prime time always has many viewers.

Today, the audience sat patiently in front of the TV, because Long Vacation, which had been promoted for many days, was about to start airing.

This romance drama, starring handsome men and beautiful women, written by Naoki Nagayama, and with a theme song sung by Akina Nakamori, had long attracted the attention of many people.

Masamasa Ueno was one of them.

A year ago, when he was still a student, he had watched Shuyou's Love Generation and Tokyo Love Story.

Having graduated, he was already experiencing the arduous life of a part-time worker. Today, he had been working overtime until night before he could return to his small apartment... Today was his birthday!

"I want to see if Long Vacation can continue the reputation of Shuyou's romance dramas!"

Masamasa Ueno, holding beer and snacks, sat cross-legged in front of the TV and tuned the channel to Fuji TV. Now his mindset was different from when he was a student, but he still wanted to re-experience the moving feeling of watching youth romance dramas in the past.

As the opening of Long Vacation ended, Masamasa Ueno also stopped eating and drinking unconsciously:

"Roar... running in a white kimono... Omo series..."

Then, when he saw the male lead:

"This male lead is okay... he has a few points of my handsomeness!"

When he learned the reason for the female lead's running:

"Chikako Aoyama... such a person would actually be jilted at the altar?! If it were me, I would definitely hug her home first!"

When he knew that the female lead was jilted and penniless, and then had to share a rental with the male lead:

"Damn it... Why didn't a sexy big sister ask me to share a rental!"

"......"

With the plot development of Long Vacation, all of Masamasa Ueno's attention was attracted to the TV drama, and he even forgot to drink the beer he had placed aside.

And in the development of the story, he also discovered that both the male and female leads were at a low point in their lives at this time.

The female lead had no money, no job, and was kicked out of her home, while the male lead's career was not going well, and his love life was not going well either... At such a low point, the two met and encouraged and comforted each other...

Unconsciously, the first episode of Long Vacation was finished just like that.

In the end, when the male lead played by Masaharu Fukuyama silently played a happy birthday song for the female lead, Masamasa Ueno sighed:

"It's really good... Unlike me, on my birthday, there isn't even a single person to wish me..."

Thinking of this, the beer seemed even more bitter...

"Why do people have to work part-time! Why do they have to work overtime!"

Just at this moment, the apartment phone suddenly rang!

"Ding-a-ling..."

"Moshi moshi, I am Masamasa Ueno..."

"Ueno-kun..." The voice of his colleague Harumizu Sugiyama came from the receiver, "Thank you for covering my shift today..."

"Ah... Daijoubu."

Masamasa Ueno shook his head and said,

"Anyway, I have nothing to do..."

Harumizu Sugiyama was also an ordinary person struggling in Tokyo, usually having to work two part-time jobs to afford his tuition and living expenses. And today, because of physical reasons, he had to ask Masamasa Ueno to help cover his shift.

"That also needs to be thanked... Not to mention today is Ueno-kun's birthday..."

"....."

Masamasa Ueno was a bit surprised. Is there actually someone who still remembers his birthday?

"No need... It's okay..."

"That definitely needs to be thanked... But I'm sick today, so I can't make a cake..."

Harumizu Sugiyama smiled,

"I can only sing a happy birthday to Ueno-kun first~"

"Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to you~~"

"......"

Masamasa Ueno listened silently to the singing coming from the receiver, feeling a warm current flowing in his heart... After hanging up the phone, he glanced at Long Vacation, which was playing the next episode preview...

"Chikako Aoyama is still very beautiful after all..."

After a long time, Masamasa Ueno drank the remaining bit of beer in one gulp and crushed the empty can into a ball with a crunch, throwing it into the trash can.

Falling backward onto the tatami, he said vaguely:

"Sugiyama-chan is also not bad..."