Cheer team from Osaka Japan to perform at New Year's Day Rose Parade

Rain or shine, 20 of the best marching bands will be walking the Rose Parade route on New Year's Day, and one of them has traveled more than 5,000 miles from Osaka, Japan.

Back-to-back, eight-hour practices while jet-lagged isn't easy, but for the Mino Jiyu Gakuen high school's Golden Bears marching band, that's just the start.

"They're not just great musicians. Their performances are so interesting, they're unique," says Green Band Association founder, Yuzuru Kumagai.

He said every year the non-profit facilitates cultural exchange opportunities for one high school band from Japan.

Then came the invitation for the cheer team. "I know the Rose Parade is such a prestigious event for marching bands. And they said we could come too," Golden Bears head cheer coach Kazue Noda said. She noted they are 42-time national champs known for their energetic stunts, three-tier pyramids, and synchronized lettering.

In Anaheim, Golden Bears alumna Mao Jackson watched with joy as the squad practiced. "I can't believe it still … the Golden Bears … they're here," Jackson said.

The 41-year-old started cheering in grade school, and at 14 years old, she said her dream came true when she made the Golden Bears cheer team – "and then my life completely changed," she said.

During her sophomore year, Jackson remembers things weren't going so well, and she decided to quit cheerleading altogether. But it was Coach Noda who convinced her to stay. She said Noda's tough love fueled her to become a national champion, then an international collegiate champ, and a professional cheerleader for a Japanese football league.

It was there she met her husband, the team's star player, Kevin Jackson. The couple and their sons moved to the United States four years ago, and she started a Japanese American Youth cheer club based in Irvine.

"I can't imagine what my life would be like now if it weren't for Coach Noda bringing me back into cheer," Jackson said.

And now, seeing the Golden Bears in the Rose Parade is another dream come true for the cheer squad alumna.

 "We hope to deliver a performance filled with energy, courage, smiles, gratitude, and inspiration to audiences all over the world," Coach Noda said.