of the story are framed by two neighbourhood festivals: the Senzoku Shrine summer festival and the Ōtori Shrine Cock’s Fair (Tori no Ichi) in early winter. On the eve of the Senzoku Shrine summer festival, Chōkichi, the "Backstreet Gang" leader, intends to ambush Shōta, the "Main Street Gang" leader. However, Shōta never appears, and the ensuing brawl results in the beating of one of Shōta’s supporters, Sangorō, and Midori, Shōta’s best friend, being struck on the forehead by Chōkichi’s muddy sandal. Whilst all this chaos is brewing, Midori struggles with her identity and future as she is torn between her own freedom and her family’s wishes for her to become a courtesan like her older sister, Ōmaki. Midori takes an interest in Nobu, who hides his shyness behind dismissive behaviour towards her, which repels her. With Midori being slowly pushed towards becoming a courtesan and being caught in the crossfire of Chōkichi and Shōta’s feud, she finally blows over after Chōkichi fires a string of insults at her regarding her family’s background and her future as a “whore.” The day after the festival, Midori leaves school. When Midori learns that Nobu may be working with Chōkichi, it comes as a huge shock to her because she doesn't think that any of her peers are rivals. The flamboyant, lively, and incredibly gorgeous Midori is too showy for the quiet, introverted Nobu to handle especially while he is dealing with the obnoxious consumerism of his parents and sister. The two never actually speak again before going their separate ways: Midori to the brothel to become a prostitute, and Nobuyuki to a seminary to train to become a priest, leaving their childhoods behind forever. Themes Loss of Childhood As can be gathered from the English titles of the story, Growing Up and Child's Play, the story depicts four youths as they transition into adulthood. Some, like Shōta, take this transition a bit better than others. Except for Nobu, no other youngster in Takekurabe seems to be committed to his studies or has the desire to leave the little universe defined by the Yoshiwara and Daionjimae (the fictional neighbourhood in Takekurabe set just outside the licenced quarter). These characters, like kids before the Restoration, never question the sense of inheriting their families' professions and places in society since the ancient, plebeian Shitamachi area lacked from the beginning any stimuli that promoted hopes of personal