Three gaijin (foreigners) make a slow retreat to the subway station in Roppongi for the trip home, even as the morning sun shines on their backs.

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The bars close in Roppongi at 5 a.m.  Typically, that's three hours longer than bars in the States stay open.  It may not seem like much, but the difference between closing time in the dead of night and just as the sun rises over the horizon can be a bold contrast.

For some, there may have been little choice but to stay out and party all night.  The bus lines shut down by 10 p.m., and the subway and trains are out by 1 a.m.  If partygoers want to stay out late, they must wait until train service starts up again at 5:30 the next morning.  And that means they have to keep their bellies up to the bar until they can catch the first ride home.