We all managed to make it to Harajuku at the same time, and walked round into a part of the park that I hadn't been to before. It was really pleasant, with lots of mature trees and plenty of benches or grass to sit on. As well as gorgeous azaleas everywhere, current interest is provided by pretty pink and white dogwood trees. After feeding our hungry children, we laid out our food. We'd all brought a contribution, and it was a very healthy, homemade picnic (apart from the lemon cake at the end). The babies behaved well, and we cooed over the three of them lying on the rug together.
Emily held Lottie's hand a few times, and I was worried that she'd try to 'bite' her to relieve her teething aches. She almost constantly has something in her mouth this last week or so, though I can't see any sign of redness on her gums yet.
Later, we strolled to the exit from where they were walking home. It was only mid-afternoon so I decided to explore a bit more before I left. At the centre of the park was an open space where people were playing frisbee, badminton and ball games. There were three fountains playing in a small lake, surrounded by numerous benches.
Onlookers were entertained by several ad hoc musicians strumming guitar or softly tapping on bongo drums. There seemed rather a lot of young gaijin chilling out here, all of whom were tall and thin - as are many of the foreigners I see in Tokyo.
Emily had been extremely good, but was starting to get upset through tiredness on the way home. When she's at the tipping point it doesn't take much to get her crying,and I can almost guarantee that we'll pass a noisy pachinko parlour just as its doors open. They must be triple-glazed to muffle the hideous cacophony of hundreds of slot machines all making their own sounds. It's quite an obsession for Japanese of all ages, so you'll find a pachinko in nearly every street or mall. Goodness knows what the energy toll on the planet is.
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