It's almost time to whoosh your tush to the tunes of world-class DJs as we welcome in another new year. Next up in the Chinese zodiac's menagerie is the wild boar, or inoshishi, as it is known natively in Japan. The boar is best characterized by the single-minded determination and speed with which it attacks -- straight ahead at full throttle. The "wild" tag seems more pertinent to its behavior than its habitat.
So suit up and get ready for the wild thing, because this New Year's Eve you can pig out and let loose, with the added advantage of being able to blame it on the stars. The accompanying list of Christmas turkey specials will allow you to indulge in the former, and a wide range of countdown parties should adequately facilitate the latter. The Year of the Pig promises to be anything but boring . . .
DJ: Hikaru; live: Vooredoms
The lineup at Unit's annual countdown party is not quite as exciting as last year's, but it promises to be every bit as interesting -- with a capital I. The creative force behind local band Vooredoms goes by the name Eye Yamataka. I last saw him live at this year's Asagiri Jam, where he limited himself to just three full drum kits on stage, and worked feedback from a wall of guitars (custom built something along the lines of a vertical xylophone, with each guitar tuned to a different key). Genius or just noise; let the listener decide. That said, he is a legend in Japan and will pull a huge crowd.
Unit in Daikanyama; 6,000 yen (5,500 yen in advance); 9 p.m.; unit-tokyo.com