Karaoke in Japan

When it comes to karaoke, the common style in Japan is to sing in a karaoke box. Karaoke boxes consist of a number of small rooms inside the shop which are rented for a certain amount of time. Karaoke can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of age and gender. Every downtown area is sure to have karaoke boxes, which are considered a popular social gathering spot where many people can show off their favorite songs and get in close communication with friends. There are also many shops open till morning so that people can enjoy eating meals, drinking alcohol and soft drinks and enjoying themselves all night.

 

 

How do you use the service? What is the fee system?

Most shops charge fees depending on the number of users, the time of day and number of hours.
There are generally two systems. One kind is based on units of time such as 30 minutes or 1 hour. The other kind is the free time plan which offers a fixed rate within a certain designated time period. In most cases, both offer a one-drink system where each person orders at least one drink, but there are some shops which have all-you-can-drink plans available. Weekdays until evening are often cheaper as being a slack time, but on the other hand nighttime and holidays are set at higher prices. Busy seasons such as the year-end and new year season are priced especially high at most shops.

 

Ordering food and drinks one at a time using the phone in each room is the most common style, but nowadays there are some shops where you can directly order from the karaoke machines. *Soft drinks may be offered as all-you-can-drink.
Some stores allow you to bring in food and drinks, so it is convenient to check in advance.
There are also many shops which do not allow automatic extension and they feature a fair and honest system of informing you of the ending time by the phone.

 

What is “free-time”?
“Free time” is a system where you can enjoy karaoke as long as you wish within the designated time. Rather than entering a room by the hour, it means, for instance, you only need to pay ¥2000 to use it from 10 p.m. till 6 a.m. the following morning.
This is one of the familiar fee systems adopted by many karaoke shops because the room charge becomes naturally much cheaper than the usual charge if you are using the room longer.

How do you enter a song?

In order to select the song and start the karaoke machine, you operate the machine’s touchscreen. If you keep on entering a number of songs, the songs will appear in the order of entry. There are various functions for different machines, so the basic instructions are as follows. 1. Select a song. With a touchscreen, you may use a electronic pen instead of button. 2. Search each category: ‘New song’ ‘Name of singer’ ‘Song title.’ 3. Once you’ve decided on your song, touch the [Reserve] button on the screen. 4. Once you complete the reservation, the song will start. The above are the basic operating procedures. You can adjust the key and tempo as well. *There are shops which have English machines available, so please confirm with the shop.

 

 

What model do you have?

There are two main types of karaoke machines.
At the reception desk, you may be asked, “Which model would you like, DAM or JOYSOUND?”If you know the functions and features of each, you will be able to enjoy karaoke more.

 

 

About DAM

There is a function called precision scoring, and it is said that the accuracy is high and the scoring is close to the one evaluated by humans. There are plenty of videos of the artist himself and animations, and you can sing while watching the artist’s PV video, so there is no doubt that you will get even more excited.
On other models, the melody is arranged slightly to make it easier to sing, but DAM reproduces the original song exactly as it is, so it is also a point that you can sing with almost the same melody as the original song you are listening to.

 

 

About JOYSOUND

It has a large number of songs, including many minor songs and Vocaloid songs, so it is recommended for those who want to sing the latest Vocaloid. With the “UtaSuki” function, you can listen to other users’ songs, and you can also distribute your own original songs. You can enjoy detailed and fulfilling contents from the user’s point of view.

 

 

 

Important points to note

 

There are many kinds of karaoke boxes, so be sure to confirm details of the fee system and how to use the services at the shop.

Some stores allow you to bring in food and drinks, so it is convenient to check in advance.

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