Friday night at Roppongi is full of eastern promise for RICHARD BELL.

A little while ago Mood closed its doors to undertake a metamorphosis into an altogether different beast, and given the enduring popularity of the venue I was more than a little intrigued to witness the difference myself.

The result of the owner’s efforts was a brand new venue named Roppongi, which initially confused me enormously.

First off, the sign outside the club is pretty difficult to read and until yesterday I was still unsure of how to spell it.

Secondly and possibly more importantly, the word Roppongi doesn’t really mean anything to me other than sounding a little like the word ‘repugnant’, which as I’m sure you can tell is not the effect that the new club is going for.

Luckily a Friday night spent down at Roppongi is about as far from repugnant as is imaginable In fact the name Roppongi refers to an area of Tokyo famed for its nightlife and the club is seeking to emulate a sense of high class oriental feel in place of the old Mood headquarters.

Essentially it’s the same sort of layout as Mood but the feel of the club is very different and in my opinion, something Roppongi should be applauded for.

Gone are the vaguely unsettling mirrors surrounding the dance floors, the DJ booth has been moved back into the corner rather than providing an obstacle for those who wish to venture up on to the dance floor, and the VIP area sports a strange collection of tassels from floor to ceiling granting a far greater level of privacy than the old velvet rope ever used to.

Roppongi’s efforts to orientalise itself are apparent but never in your face; the menus are adorned with some Japanese writing (as is the sign outside), the walls have a couple of rather enticing manga style pictures but that’s pretty much it.

This is hardly a little slice of Tokyo, but I’m pretty sure that’s not what they’re going for. This is much more about the style and feel of those Japanese night clubs rather than an actual representation of the clubs themselves, and as such the resulting effect comes off as charming rather than alienating.

There are a great many things I adore about Japan, almost all of which are media related, including the adult feel of films like Ghost in the Shell or Akira, the charming brilliance of Miyazaki and the exceptional output of Studio Ghibli, particularly Princess Mononoke and the astonishingly brilliant My Neighbour Totoro.

A quick look through the cocktail menu had me immediately and excitedly ordering an Oh My Godzilla from one of the startlingly beautiful barmaids, a drink which appealed to my geekier side.

On yeah, I have one...