Karaoke?
The word Karaoke in itself already screams Japan, the word itself meaning empty orchestra, but it makes you feel far from empty. It really is something everyone who visits Japan should do, even if you have been to karaoke in your own country, you should really experience Karaoke in its origin country. The difference to many other countries is that in Japan you can basically choose who you want to sing to. If you enjoy the more western style of karaokethat is sang in a bar to strangers then just look for the カラオケ "karaoke" sing written on it.
Karaoke at bar is not as popular or are there as many of these bars as there are the so called “Karaoke boxes”. These karaoke boxes are more private and you can go to them with a friend or just alone and sings as much as your heart desires. In Japan there are karaoke places all around and it is not hard to find one at the busier areas.
Where should I go?
You can go almost anywhere in the busier areas of Japan and you can find a karaoke box chain store. Beware though, the prices of hiring a karaoke box differ extremely according to which chain store you go to, you can usually find chain store with a blue banner that reads カラオケ館 and one with a red banner that reads "Big Echo" these are two of the most common, but also on the more expensive side. They have good facilities and a lot of songs to choose from though. The prices are usually per half an hour per person, not per room!! The prices are higher in rush hours, weekdays after 19:00-20:00 and all weekend. Often you have to order one drink that is around 400 yen but at some places you get an all you can drink course included for about the same price.
If you want to go someplace cheap and get some free drinks while you`re at it, I would recommend you to go to either カラオケの鉄人 (karaoke no tetsujin) or 歌広場 (utahiroba). They usually have some good deals when it comes to free time and all you can drink services.
What do I do once I am there?
Usually when you want to rent a karaoke box, you just walk to the counter and you will be asked for how many people do you want to rent the room for and for how long. If you go for more than 3 or 4 hours, it is usually cheaper to go for a "free time" course which means you can go as long as you want within either normal time or rush hours (the price differs). You will be appointed to a room and your time starts to run from that moment so every minute counts. Your room will include a television screen, two microphones and a touch pad on which you can choose the song you want to sing. The control panels are usually set on default in Japanese but don’t worry it is easy to figure out how the control panel works (some of them can be set to English) and they usually have many English songs in their collections as well. Just pick your song, pick up a microphone (be sure to turn it on) and you can start singing. You can also change the volume of both input and output, change the key and insert echo! If you don't know how, you can just ask an employee, they will surely help you. If you want to order some food or drinks, you can use the phone which usually hangs on the wall near the door.
When your time is up, you will usually get a phone call, telling you your time is almost up (you should still keep attention of how much time has gone). You can then wish to increase your time or
go to the counter and pay the fee.
Word of advice from a hardcore karaoke hobbyist
First tip is to come prepared. Make a list of the songs you want to sing the most beforehand. Also, time goes by faster than you think so make sure you order them by preference. And remember to give others chance to sing as well and don’t be the only one hogging the mic. If you really don`t have anything to do, or just love singing for hours, I recommend you to try and go to karaoke by yourself! It is also a perfect way to kill time same way as ordering coffee and chilling at a cafe. Although it might be a little bit embarrassing, you will soon find out that you can sing all your favorite songs without any fear of anyone judging you of your singing skills and even dance while you’re at it. Another fun way to spend karaoke is by going at night and getting an all you can drink course including alcohol, which can be somewhat expensive, but done with the right mood and the right friends, a great time is guaranteed. And just a word of caution, if you are invited to a karoke box alone with someone they might want to do something other than sing and that is prohibited in most karaoke boxes.