It's another weekend and another club in Tokyo, they often don't start until 11pm and nobody really turns up until 1am. Indeed you frequently see times like "25:00 'til 30:00", the club opens 1am the next morning from the date shown.
Roppongi this time, two stops from where I live, so I'm in no rush to get ready. The trains seem unusually quiet as I'm heading there. I check my watch as I ascend from the platforms deep underground. It's nearly midnight. Then I falter for a moment and remember that it's New Years Eve. I have less than ten minutes to complete my ascent, find the venue and get through the door.
When I get there, panting from the run, I am welcomed with a relieved look and ushered straight through to the DJ booth. This is somewhat unexpected as I'm here only as a paying customer. It takes us both a couple of moments to work out what has happened, I have been mistaken for the American DJ who was supposed to be on the decks as the year rolled over.
The club organiser is frantically looking at her watch and asks if I know where Rob is, everyone else is dancing away oblivious to the passing of midnight.
An hour and a half later he turns up, hits the decks and we all celebrate the new year somewhat later than everyone else.