Japanese

Three in the morning in a Kyoto hospital: the midwife gives the news with the weight, Yui sees Ben's nose on the baby, Ben holds his daughter and tells her he is her dad, and then phones Yui's mother with the time of the birth.

Evening at the Yamamotos' house, where Yui and Hana spend the first month: her mother orders a month of rest and no housework, Ben arrives from Osaka and must wash his hands, has to go back at six, and is told he gives the bath.

At the ward office counter, Ben files the birth notice within fourteen days: the name in hiragana, the reading box, and the surname, which in Japan is her mother's, Yamamoto, because the child goes on her family register.

At the kitchen table Ben reads the embassy's page aloud in its written style: the documents required, eyes open and mouth closed for the photo, both parents in person in Tokyo; Yui plans the photo after a feed, and Ben phones the Hanaya for a room for three.

At the embassy's counter in Tokyo, with Hana asleep in the sling: the clerk confirms the citizenship certificate and the passport, asks who translated the birth record, has Ben sign as the translator, says about ten weeks, and asks whether to collect or post.

The Hanaya in Asakusa, the night before the embassy: Mrs. Sato says welcome home to all three, Natsuki greets the baby in perfect keigo, Mrs. Sato asks to be allowed to hold her, everyone finds a parent in her face, and Ben says they wanted her to see this house first.

Kyoto station, then the Yamamotos' door: Emma greets Hana in the Japanese she practised for a month, Ben relays his mother's thanks humbly to Yui's mother, Emma asks whether her mum may hold the baby, and the two crying fathers are sent fishing.

The shrine office and the hall, at one month: the priest shows the way and gives the form, Yui's mother explains that the father's mother carries the child, the priest counts the bows and the claps, Yui's father judges her a strong child, and the amulet goes by her pillow until she is one.

Ben's desk in Osaka, the handover file open: from the first he is on childcare leave, in his absence he leaves the work to Mr. Kudo, who answers with far too much keigo, Ms. Nishimura cuts it down, the February tour gets its leader, and if anything happens they'll call, or not.

The department's last meeting of the year: Mr. Okada announces Ben's childcare leave for the record, Ben gives the speech in the company's words, Mr. Hamada tells him in Osaka speech to come back a different man, Mr. Okada admits his zero days, and the department's gift is a baby sling.

Three in the morning in the flat, Hana crying in the dark: Yui says it is every three hours exactly, Ben says it is his turn, she gives the order of the night from the bed, the nappy first and then the milk warmed to body temperature, and Hana falls sound asleep to her father's English.

The newborn visit at the flat, the scales on the kitchen table: the health visitor says humbly why she has come, Ben answers her questions as the father on leave, Hana has gained well, the room must stay at twenty degrees, and Yui says that as a mother she is a beginner.

The door of the flat and a box of sweets from Osaka: Mrs. Kinoshita praises Hana's lively voice every night in Kyoto speech, Yui decodes it as loud, Ben apologises humbly for the noise and hands over the box with the set phrase of a gift, and the neighbour says what she really minds, that her grandchildren are in Tokyo.

The one-month check-up at the clinic, the vaccination sheet on the desk: the doctor says Hana has grown, Ben asks whether she drinks too much, the vaccinations start at two months with three on the same day, and the written rule on the sheet, to be received at designated clinics, is read out and then said in speech as must.

The play mat at the child centre, Ben the only father: a mother asks how many months, says her boy of eight months eats everything, finds a father on leave rare and says quietly that her husband took two days, and Ben says Hana smiles all day and takes after her mother.

The hundred-day meal at the Yamamotos' table, the small lacquer bowls and a stone: Yui's mother gives the order of the ceremony, Aunt Fumiko claims the feeding as the oldest in Osaka speech and loses to Yui's father, the stone comes last so that the teeth grow strong, Ben asks whether it is only pretend, and Yui says why: so that she never wants for food.

A video call, Sota in a suit and Hana on Ben's lap: Sota asks for interview keigo before Friday, Ben makes him do the self-introduction, tells him his bow is too fast, as he was once told, bans the salary as a reason for applying, and hears the right sentence, I applied because I wish to make travel easier, with Hana as the judge.

The same video call the next evening, Ben as the interviewer and Mio beside Sota: Ben asks the interviewer's respectful questions, strengths and weaknesses, the university years, any questions for us, Sota answers politely, Mio says he is better than at home, and Sota's one question is whether fathers can take childcare leave too.

A video call to Tokyo, Mike and Aya on one screen: they have decided on August, a hotel in Shinjuku where Mike wanted the Hanaya, Hana will be nine months by then, Mike asks Ben to be their master of ceremonies, Aya says eighty guests and she will correct the script, and Ben accepts, a heavy responsibility but gladly, with the right word to close a wedding this time.

The flat in the evening, the sling on its hook: Yui says the two months went in a flash, Ben says he has gradually learned to do all sorts of things and has come to know her cries, from tomorrow it is Osaka at seven and from April the hospital takes Yui back, the two of them will keep going together, and Hana says ah, oo, which Ben translates as off you go.

The morning meeting on the first of March: Ben gives the short return speech, Ms. Nishimura asks after his daughter and he answers with thanks to you all, Mr. Kudo reports the February tour completed without incident, one umbrella short, and Mr. Okada says the president is calling Ben.

The ward office's childcare counter with the points sheet: both parents work, so a hundred points, nights add five, and in the case of grandparents within thirty minutes, minus five; Ben can't believe family counts against you.

The ninth floor with the spring figures on one page: compared to last year, twice the guests, the Hanaya full every weekend thanks to the breakfast, eight complaints about the bath, and the president's plan for an office in Asakusa.

The same room on the ninth floor, then the stairwell: the president names Ben head of the Asakusa office from May, Ben says it is an honour but he cannot answer immediately and asks to consult his family, and Ms. Nishimura tells him everyone knew.

The kitchen table, late, Hana asleep: Yui wants Tokyo said out loud, says she wants to go and doesn't, and the two of them list the reasons for each side, until she says they must decide by the end of the month and that Ben is to tell her parents himself.

The Yamamotos' kitchen, Yui's mother peeling with her back turned: Ben says the company wants him in Tokyo from May, she says if you two have decided that's fine, that Tokyo is two hours away, that she's not lonely or anything, and to take the rice cooker, and Yui decodes it: that means yes.

The river at five in the morning in March, two rods: Yui's father says fish first, already knows about Tokyo from her mother at two in the morning, says fishing doesn't need words and neither does this, that as long as there's a river it's fine, and gives Ben the rod; Ben answers with next year in Toronto.

A video call to the Hanaya's front desk, three faces on one screen: Ben says we've decided, Asakusa from May, Mrs. Sato says she said come back any time and never said take two years, Kenta already knows and will ask Mr. Ishii about an empty house with no stairs, and Mrs. Sato says that at the May festival, Ben carries.

The ninth floor at nine, the department at ten: Ben accepts formally with I humbly accept, Mr. Okada reads the personnel notice in written style, as of the first of May, Mr. Kudo hears his own name, Ms. Nishimura slips into Osaka speech, and the farewell party ends in one last duet.

The ward office counter where this stage began, then Kyoto station with the big bag: Ben files the moving-out notice for three people to Taito ward, the clerk says to submit the certificate within fourteen days, Yui's mother packs the rice cooker and the fish her father says nothing about, Yui says back in June, and Ben says thank you for everything.