Before The Japan Times was invited inside Nagoya's iD Cafe to speak to Thomas, the nightclub's security manager, we stopped to chat to a uniformed policeman near the club. He told us there were as many as 50 fights in a nearby park on Friday and Saturday nights. This busy area of the city, Sakae, known to most residents for its shopping and restaurants during the day, changes dramatically in character late at night.

What first brought you to Japan?

Eighteen years ago I was working as a model in L.A. and Las Vegas when my agency called and said a Japanese lady, in town scouting for dancers, had seen my picture and thought I would be a hit in Japan.