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Karaoke: The Protocol

Many karaoke bars are open 24 hours. You hire a room with a group of friends for around $12 per person per hour. This sometimes features an all-you-can-drink (nomihoudai) or an all-you-can-eat (tabehoudai)deal.

Participants are guided to their own room, which is kitted out with all the karaoke paraphernalia necessary, such as microphones, TV, video/karaoke machine and sometimes tambourines and maracas for friends to accompany the singer.

Rooms vary in size and style. The TV and karaoke equipment will be at one end, with seats along the sides and a table in the middle. Food and drinks can be ordered by phone.

With just you and your friends in a room, it is far more private than karaoke in other countries which usually involves a DJ and a bar full of strangers, and hence is a lot more fun.

Karaoke: The Songs

Many places in Japan have a good selection of English songs. While the songbooks bulge with Beatles tunes, they also have a surprising number of new British and American songs too. Although Japanese people usually sing Japanese songs, they do love to have a go at a Western number from time to time, and especially if there is a Westerner present.

Karaoke: The Features

Dim/switch off the lights
Turn on the disco lights
Change the key of the song
Increase/decrease reverb and echo settings (to hide those unsightly off-key notes)
Cancel a song and move on (if it was the techno remix version by mistake!)
Browse songs electronically by artist/song name/recently added.