Karaoke

I’ve often heard people refer to Karaoke in Japan as the one of the most self-indulgent activities one can participate in. After my few experiences with it I find myself agreeing.

Karaoke in Japan is the after party of a night out drinking or the next logical step after a successful dinner date. You can rent a room/booth for around $10 per person an hour. This usually includes nomihodai, aka all you can drink or eat. Alcoholic beverages are a must for Karaoke.


Karaoke booths can also be rented for the whole night, which is why after a big night out when you can’t be bothered forking out for a taxi across town or there’s no cheap love hotels around they make a great place to crash for the evening.

I think the reason people say self-indulgent is because the whole experience is very much about you and your amazing singing ‘skills’. Everyone’s forced to listen to you as you get caught up in your rendition of Celine Dion’s- My Heart Will Go On. And while you may think all their ooing and ahhing and clapping is because you’ve finally found your true calling in life. They’re just being polite. That and they’re not really listening to you, they’re just waiting for their next turn.

This weekend I unwillingly went along with some friends:




Surprisingly I had a good time.