Chapter 9Roppongi pulsed and glowed. Lighted signs listing the clubs inside zipped up the sides of buildings from sidewalk to rooftop. The names shouted over each other—Black Moon, Abrazos, Kingdom Come, Patpong Alibi, ManZoku, Balibago Den. The overhead writing in all the Japanese scripts, romaji, hiragana, katakana and kanji blurred with foreign words into a crossword puzzle of decadence and desire. Light cascaded out of these mini-marquees that climbed the buildings like electric ivy.
On the sidewalk, waist-high signs on rollers for restaurants, clubs and bars jutted out into the flow of pedestrian traffic. African doormen in tuxedos boomed out baritone invitations. Teensy dyed-blond girls with dimpled, lipsticked smiles in clinging dresses handed out leaflets. In Roppongi, no taste, n
