Karaoke in Japan (Marièke POULAT) - Eng

Karaoke in Japan
An institution in Japan

If I had to name only one thing that Japanese people love, I would probably say to sing. Yes. All your clichés about Japan and shy Japanese people have just shattered. As many of the parties between friends finish while singing in a Karaoke box... most often with some beer, Umeshu (plum alcohol) or vodka cocktails, obvioulsy. Or how you can spend in Japan your Christmas night with eight people closed in a room of no more than three square meters singing some songs from our youth in English or the lastest singles of fashionable J-Pop singers while drinking some cocktails or soft drinks.

The Karaoke being an institution in Japan, many chains offer their clients to come to sing closed in some boxes with isolated partitions in their buildings. That's why in all the animated districts, frequented by youngs and older people, as Shinjuku, Shibuya, or Takadanobaba, many buildings are illuminated by huge blue hoardings on which is written the significative inscription (at least for those who are able to read the katakanas): « カラオケ » (or Ka-Ra-O-Ke). This is inside these bright buildings that you can practice this national sport.

Blue Hoardings of Karaokes

In Shinjuku at night

At the entrance, a reception desk, as in a hostel. There, you have to give the number of people of the group and the lenght of time while you want to sing. A room is then indicated and you have to join it to begin your little concert. The payment is done at the end and doesn't depend on the number of people, but only on the lenght of time spent in singing.

Depending on companies and days, prices vary. On the eve of a national day-off or of holidays, prices increase. Moreover, offered formulas are very different. Some chains offer food and drinks, others serve Nomikai (All you can drink) during the fixed length of time at the beginning. Sometimes, it is also possible to brought some snacks or drinks. Thus, for the Christmas night, a whole night of Karaoke (from 11p.m. to 5a.m.) with a Nomikai (and some candies we brought) cost 2100¥, about 20€, which is quite reasonnable. Here, you can see that Karaokes are opened all overnight: most of them are opened from 10a.m. to 5a.m.... which let those who have missed the last train, which leaves around midnight, and who have to wait until 5a.m. spend a good night for a quite small amount of money (at least in Tokyo...).

While entering for the first time in this kind of building, you should be particularly suprised by the large number of rooms in a floor... but also in a building, as there exist for instance a room 666 on the 6^th floor. Then, you should be astonished by the size of the room (no more than some square meters) and by its disposition: a large screen in an angle, coaches all around the room and, at the center, a table to put your drinks. Even more impressive, the technical equipment: two microphones, of course, and two ''remotes'' which are some touch-sensitive screens where you can chose the songs you want to sing with a stylet...

The deathrow

A Karaoke Box

And now... Here is the reply you are waiting for: is a foreigner who doesn't speak a single word of Japanese (and obviously who doesn't read it too) able to find out some songs to have fun in a Japanese karaoke ? Well... this is yes ! Thanks to a large choice of songs in English (from the Beattles to the Disney's classics, and as well Britney Spears or the Offsprings), or even in French (even if the choice is less board... but you should be able to find l'Hymne à l'Amour of Edith Piaf and Poupée de Son of France Galles ^^)... and if you know some songs in Japanese and if you are able to read at least the hiraganas and the katakanas, some songs are available with furiganas (those are hiraganas which indicates the reading of the kanjis).

A Karaoke's screen

during a Japanese song

At the end of the original fixed time, you have to leave. Depending on the companies, music stops when the time is slipped by, or not. Then you will have to keep an eye on your watch or you should be surprised and have to pay the next half-hour. The payment shouldn't be too painfull for an activity in Tokyo: some chains sell 50¥ the half-hour, and most often, the hour costs 300¥.

It is kind of expensive but it really worth it, as it is a lot of fun, and even more if you share the same tastes as your friends, or at least the same musical background ! As there is nothing better than to sing (to yell ?) a piece from your childhood as Part of the World from the Little Mermaid, or from some classics as Somebody to love by Queen, as well as the Beattles' Yellow Submarine.

POULAT Marièke