Karaoke Etiquette

If you've never been to Japan then it's a safe bet that you only know Japanese karaoke from that classic scene in Lost in Translation. Before Japan, I only knew karaoke as an embarrassing experience involving lots of alcohol and a drunken crowd of strangers listening to mediocre singers destroying classic songs. In Japan, it is roughly the same, but the crowd is much smaller and generally speaking, controlled by you. You can go with a group of friends ranging in size from one (yes, you can go alone, and no, this does not make you a loser) to 15 (perhaps more or less depending on the facility). However, going with your friends or coworkers does not guarantee a perfect experience, which is why I am giving you a wonderful guide to polite and fun karaoke.

1. If you love death metal, remember that there is a good chance many of your companions do not share you enthusiasm. Please pick one or two songs to inflict upon the group as they will no doubt inflict some Barbie Girl or Disney classics upon you. However, most importantly, as your friends will hopefully not sing your System of a Down with a Barbie Girl voice, do not use your death metal screams while they try to sing Let it Be or I Will Survive.

2. If you a smoker, unless all of your karaoke buddies are smokers, remember that the room is small and enclosed. Lighting up five cigarettes in the course of two hours will choke everyone in the room. On one evening with 6 smokers continusouly indulging, my eyes were glued shut. Even some of the smokers protested. So even if there is an ash tray in the room, check with others before lighting up or better yet, just assume they don't want to breathe it all in.

3. If the phone in the booth rings, remember this is most likely the staff calling to tell you your time is almost up. No matter how much chu-hi or sho-chu or cassis-orange (japanese drinks found in most bars and izakayas) you've had, do not answer the phone in English and yell at the staff for speaking Japanese. Calmly say "arigato" and hang up when they finish talking. Then turn to your friends and discuss going for another hour...or 3. (I think 75% of the time I end up buying more time. It's seriously addictive).

These are some basic suggestions I've realized in my 6 months in Japan. Most important however, is just have fun. Don't be shy! Everyone sings every song in most rooms anyhow. Your voice will not usually sing out much louder than anyone else's unless its a small group or the night is very young or very late. And remember: friends don't let friends sing 15 death metal songs to pop music fans.