Raw Japan

Clubs defy credit crunch

If Japan is struggling to shake off a recession, then clearly nobody has told Tokyo’s party people as dance floors heave and thud to techno-house raves at the city’s clubs.

With summer gone and the nights drawing in, DJ events continue to pack in club-goers, like those of events organiser Phonika, which hosts outdoor parties around a rooftop pool in Tokyo.

Tokyo models, fashion designers, cash-flashing expats and well-connected OLs (office ladies) sip champagne and cocktails overlooking the city, blissfully unaffected by the credit crunch, or simply intoxicated by the brief sense of escapism.

The events have taken off over the past year despite the economic gloom. Restaurants are closing, but queues outside club events snake around corners.