After a delicious lunch, Hugh and the girls were set to meet Cecelia and Ambrosia in an area called Harajuku, which was famous for attracting young people who loved fashion and manga cartoons. Ambrosia had been interviewing several of the young fashionistas there and one of the designers had offered to take the children on a tour to see the young men and women dressed in their outrageous costumes. When Ambrosia had called earlier to say she couldn’t make lunch, she’d arranged with Hugh to bring the girls over to meet her and Cecelia. The Meiji Shrine was also close by and Hugh thought they might have time to visit there too.

‘I think we’ll pop back to the ryokan and you girls can drop off your shopping first,’ Hugh said as the girls tripped along beside him. ‘Then I’ll order a car.’

‘Really, Daddy? A car? That’s not very adventurous,’ said Alice-Miranda.

‘What do you suggest?’ Jacinta asked her. ‘A flying saucer?’

Alice-Miranda smiled. ‘Ha ha. I was thinking that we should try the subway.’

‘Oh, I’m not sure about that,’ said Hugh, flinching. ‘I’ve never used it before and none of us speak Japanese.’

‘It can’t be that hard, Daddy. I’ve been on the subway in New York and the three of us have been on the Paris Metro, and it’s a great way to get around,’ Alice-Miranda said. ‘It helps you see the real city – and you said that’s why we were staying in the ryokan and not a hotel.’

‘I’m up for it,’ said Millie.

‘Me too,’ Jacinta agreed.

‘Looks like I’m outvoted. But I’m going to get some directions from Aki first.’ Hugh pushed open the door to the inn and the girls walked into the front foyer, where they quickly exchanged their shoes for slippers.

Aki was standing behind the reception desk.

‘Konnichiwa,’ she said, bowing.

‘Konnichiwa,’ the girls chorused back.

‘Why don’t you run along upstairs and put your things away, girls. I’ll see if Aki can help me with a map,’ Hugh suggested.

The girls waved to the young woman and scurried away down the hall.

 

The train pulled into the station and Alice-Miranda’s group alighted. Hugh consulted the map Aki had marked up for him and led the children towards one of the exits. He was looking for Takeshita Street, where they were to meet Cecelia and Ambrosia and their guide.

‘Isn’t the station lovely?’ Alice-Miranda turned and pointed at the gabled roof and the little turret on top. A large clock sat above the entrance.

‘It looks like something from Tudor times,’ Millie said. ‘Mixed in with modern day.’

Groups of teenagers dressed like life-sized dolls and superheroes stood in groups talking and posing for photographs around the station entrance. Alice-Miranda stopped to say hello to two girls in rainbow dresses with matching pink hair and sparkling eye make-up. Millie asked if she could take a photograph and the girls nodded enthusiastically. Hugh offered to take the picture, so the girls could get in together. Alice-Miranda, Millie and Jacinta stood between the Japanese girls, who held their fingers out in ‘V’ peace signs.

‘Smile,’ Hugh said as he pressed the button.

‘Arigatou,’ Alice-Miranda called, as the older girls bowed and walked away. She turned to her friends. ‘They look amazing, don’t they? Oh, look, there’s Mummy!’ She’d spotted her mother and Ambrosia in the crowd ahead.

Hugh led the girls up the busy street. Ambrosia introduced them to a young woman called Michiko, who was wearing long pink socks and a short dress that looked like a cross between Cinderella’s gown and a school uniform.

‘I’ve never seen so much pink,’ Millie whispered. ‘Do you think Barbie lives around here somewhere?’

Alice-Miranda grinned. It certainly looked that way. She half-expected to see a pink campervan drive around the corner at any minute.

Michiko explained how the neighbourhood’s association with inventive clothing started. ‘Japanese teenagers are mad for manga. Some began dressing like their favourite characters and it grew from there. Now Harajuku is famous all over the world for the weird and wacky fashions we wear.’

‘Does it take long to get ready in the morning?’ Millie asked. She couldn’t think of anything worse than spending hours at a time working out what to wear.

‘Quite a long time. Is anyone hungry?’ Michiko asked.

Millie and Jacinta nodded.

‘That’s good, because we have a great crepe restaurant just along here. I thought we would have a snack before I take you to the store.’

‘Crepes? In Japan?’ Millie said. ‘I loved the crepes in Paris. I wonder if these are the same – they don’t have any strange sea creatures in them, do they?’

‘No.’ Michiko shook her head and smiled. ‘No sea creatures at all. Just chocolate.’

Millie rubbed her tummy. ‘That sounds good to me!’