Not long after arriving in Japan, I managed to make it to Nara for New Year's Eve. "Man," I thought, "this'll be the mother of all parties."

Before setting off, a couple of (foreign) friends and I jammed cans of beer and Nihonshu in self-heating containers into our knapsacks and headed to the magnificent Todaiji Temple. We were in a party mood and raring for booze-soaked fun and festivities.

Immediately after lining up for the ritual ringing of the temple bell, I popped open a beer, the contents of which shot up like a geyser, and then cascaded onto the kimonos of a couple of young women in front of us.