One Christmas Eve, Hana, Gin, and Miyuki are rummaging for presents through heaps of garbage when they chance upon an abandoned baby in the cold winter night. Appalled at the pitiful sight, Hana's maternal instincts kick in and she insists on finding the baby's biological mother to demand an explanation. Naming the baby Kiyoko—meaning pure child—they begin their search using the possible clues left alongside her: a mysterious key and a single note. However, their plans are soon thrown into disarray as they get caught up in a series of unprecedented events. Tokyo Godfathers follows the journey of the trio as they stick together through thick and thin, hoping to deliver Kiyoko to her true home, and find their very own Christmas miracle. Three homeless people — Gin, a former professional bicycle racer; Hana, a transvestite; and Miyuki, a run-away young girl — live together in Shinjuku, Tokyo. On Christmas Eve, the three discover a baby girl at a garbage dump. They head for the brighter parts of the city, where people are enjoying the holiday festivities, to look for the baby's parents. While the three search for the parents, uncanny luck results in their meeting other people while their adventures with the baby continue. Will the baby lead these three protagonists to their destiny? This small adventure lets each of the trio confront their own lives, which they almost threw away, while maintaining their dignity and happiness under unfortunate circumstances.