The girls were delighted by their afternoon tea, with Millie declaring that Japanese crepes were definitely on par with the French. Michiko explained that the next stop on their tour was one of the local shops, where Alice-Miranda and her friends would be given a complete Harajuku makeover.

Inside the shop, five staff members swooped on the three girls and presented them with various outfits to try.

‘While the children are playing dress-ups, I’ve arranged some tea for the adults – through here.’ Michiko pulled aside a green velvet curtain and revealed a perfect little room with a tatami floor.

‘How lovely,’ Cecelia said as she, Hugh and Ambrosia removed their shoes and followed the woman inside.

Michiko indicated that they should all sit down around a shiny black lacquered table. ‘I will tell you about the tea ceremony,’ she began.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the wall, Alice-Miranda, Millie and Jacinta were having a wonderful time choosing their outfits.

Alice-Miranda held up a blue dress with a sailor-style collar. ‘What do you think of this one?’

‘I like it,’ Millie nodded. ‘Isn’t it like Sailor Moon’s?’

‘It will look much better when we accessorise,’ one of the staff said. ‘That is the key to Harajuku dressing.’

‘What about this one?’ Jacinta pulled out a pink confection that would have looked right at home on the miniature bride on top of a wedding cake.

‘Pretty,’ said Alice-Miranda.

‘Hey, look what I found,’ Millie called from the racks on the other side of the shop.

Alice-Miranda and Jacinta raced over to see.

‘It’s Itoshii Squirrel!’ said Alice-Miranda, grinning.

‘Ick, that awful creature.’ Jacinta wrinkled her nose in disgust.

‘It wasn’t the squirrel’s fault that the boy in the shop was horrible,’ Alice-Miranda said. ‘Come on, Jacinta, you have to admit he is adorable. Those eyes are huge.’

‘Like yours,’ Jacinta said.

‘Hai,’ said the girl who’d been helping Millie. ‘Do you want to try it?’

Millie frowned. ‘I think I’d feel a bit silly.’

As she spoke, a trio of Hello Kitties and a young man dressed as Astro Boy walked past the front window of the shop.

‘No sillier than them.’ Jacinta smiled and raised her eyebrows. ‘I think anything goes in Harajuku.’

After lots of fussing and giggling the children were finally ready. Their own clothes had been wrapped and bagged as beautifully as if they’d just been bought and now the girls were waiting for the adults to return.

‘How long does it take to drink a cup of tea?’ Jacinta asked.

One of the women shook her head. ‘It is not just drinking the tea. Tea ceremony is about preparing the tea, serving and then drinking it. It is very special green tea. I hope you get to go to tea ceremony too.’

Millie pulled a face. ‘Oh, green tea is not my favourite.’

‘Maybe we should practise walking in our outfits, like in a fashion show,’ Jacinta suggested. ‘So we can show off for the grown-ups.’

The staff nodded enthusiastically. One of them ran to another room and came back carrying a roll of carpet. She put it on the floor and unfurled a long red path for the children to use as their runway.

Just as Jacinta was about to lead off the rehearsal, the green curtain was pulled aside and her mother stepped out.

‘Oh my goodness, look at you,’ Ambrosia exclaimed.

Hugh and Cecelia followed her out.

‘Where are the girls?’ Hugh joked as he cast his eye over the children. ‘Excuse me,’ he said, turning to one of the shop assistants. ‘Have you seen three children? A blonde, a redhead and a brunette.’

The girl bowed and smiled. ‘I think you are very cheeky, Mr Hugh.’

‘Yes, you’re right about that,’ said Cecelia.

Michiko turned to the children and smiled. ‘Please show us your outfits.’

One of the shop assistants turned up the music and Jacinta strutted towards the adults.

She was wearing the pink lace dress with long pink boots and an enormous bow covering a curly pink wig. Heart-shaped sunglasses were perched on the tip of her nose and she had an armful of bracelets.

Ambrosia clapped wildly. ‘You look amazing, darling.’

Jacinta grinned widely. ‘Arigatou gozaimasu!’

Alice-Miranda walked down the carpet next in her blue Sailor Moon costume, complete with little blue Mary-Jane shoes and frilly socks. She had a matching blue headband and pretty purse. At the end of their makeshift runway she stopped and pressed her left forefinger against her cheek.

Last of all Millie sprinted through the middle of the shop, her red cape flying out behind her. She was covered in fur and wore goggles painted with giant brown eyes.

‘Oh my goodness, Millie, is that you under there?’ Cecelia laughed.

‘Hai! Watashi wa Itoshii Squirrel,’ came Millie’s muffled voice. She was beaming, although no one could see it beneath the costume.

The staff and parents clapped enthusiastically as the children took a bow.

Hugh Kennington-Jones glanced at his watch. ‘It’s getting late, I’m afraid. I think we should head back.’

Michiko nodded. ‘Hai. It has been a pleasure to meet you all.’

‘Can we have some photographs first?’ Millie asked. She ran to retrieve her camera from her backpack.

The children gathered together with the staff and Michiko and Hugh snapped away.

‘Arigatou,’ said Alice-Miranda as she shook hands with each of the shop assistants and Michiko. ‘This afternoon has been so much fun. Thank you.’

‘It was my pleasure,’ Michiko said.

‘Can we really keep the costumes?’ Millie asked as the group headed for the door.

‘Hai,’ Michiko said. ‘It is my shop and it is my pleasure.’

‘So you’re all staying like that for the trip home?’ Hugh asked, shaking his head.

‘Of course!’ the girls chorused.

‘Okay, I guess you’ll blend in,’ Hugh said.

‘Until we get to the subway,’ Alice-Miranda grinned. ‘I haven’t seen too many people outside of Harajuku dressed like us.’

‘Mmm, you’re right about that,’ Hugh said. ‘We could take taxis.’

‘That would spoil our fun, Daddy. And look at how much trouble Michiko and the other ladies went to,’ Alice-Miranda replied.

‘Yeah,’ Jacinta said. ‘I think we should go out for dinner like this too.’

‘Okay, if that’s what you want,’ Hugh nodded and grinned. The group thanked Michiko and her team for their generosity and bade them farewell, then gathered their parcels.

Hugh led the way out of the shop and onto the street. Within a couple of minutes, the children were attracting plenty of attention.

They heard ‘kawaii’ over and over as people passed by.

‘What does that mean?’ Jacinta asked.

‘Cute,’ Alice-Miranda replied. It seemed that Millie was getting more kawaiis than anyone else. She was stopped several times to pose for photographs.

 

‘So, do you see her?’ Yuki hissed into the microphone.

Yamato shook his head. According to his partner, Kiko should have been inside the Harajuku store for the past hour or so, but he’d pressed his face against the window and seen only a group of foreigners being made up to look like characters.

‘No, she is nowhere. That tracking device must be faulty.’ Yamato watched as the group of westerners left the store.

He didn’t see Alice-Miranda reach inside her dress and pull out her beautiful new necklace. ‘Look Mummy, Daddy bought Millie and Jacinta and me presents this afternoon.’ She held out her pendant for her mother to admire.

‘Oh, darling, that’s lovely. Millie, is yours the same?’ she asked.

‘No, mine’s a cherry blossom branch,’ the girl explained. Her necklace was hidden under her squirrel costume.

‘Do you like mine?’ Jacinta showed Cecelia her paper crane.

‘That’s gorgeous,’ Cecelia grinned.

‘I bought them from an antique dealer in the market near the inn,’ said Hugh.

The children and adults reached the subway and disappeared onto the crowded train.

Back at the palace, Yuki stared at the screen. ‘She’s gone,’ he said into the microphone.

Yamato exhaled. ‘Well, you’d better hope that she reappears before Hatsuko does.’