Since moving to Japan I have noticed that going out to karaoke is a really common thing for people to do. Its almost distinctly a part of the culture and something that people really enjoy doing socially. Just walking through the city, you’ll see dozens and dozens of Karaoke spots, often with workers outside trying to lure in drunk wanderers to sing Karaoke. If you go to any major city in Japan you are bound to see a ‘Jankara’, which is the most famous chain Karaoke spot in Japan. They are literally everywhere and to be honest, the inside of the Karaoke spots are really nice. They serve all kinds of foods and drinks, they even have courses where you can do all you can drink alcohol. To be honest, in this past year living in Japan, I have gone out to karaoke more than I have gone to karaoke in the US in my whole life.
Being from Los Angeles, I would distinctly tell you that although people may occasionally go out to karaoke, it would not be that often and there really aren’t many Karaoke businesses in general. Occasionally a bar or restaurant may have a karaoke night here and there, but definitely not all the time. I just feel like the culture is quite different than Japan. Typically, people would prefer to do outdoor stuff, like going to the beach or hiking or sports before they even thought about karaoke. In terms of night time socializing, I would say people would choose to go bar hopping or clubbing before thinking about locking themselves up in a private karaoke room and singing. I feel like people are more likely to get their karaoke fix singing in the car or the shower or home alone in their room than to actually go out to an actual Karaoke spot. Maybe it has to do with being too shy to sing in front of people or maybe it doesn’t, but it definitely is a difference in culture.
