SoraNews24 —Japan News—

Odds are at some point you’ve been part of an after-school study group with your classmates, either to help each other power through a difficult course or cram for an important exam. Maybe you got together at a friend’s place or took over a corner of your local coffee house, but in Japan, neither of those of those is really a viable choice of location.

Japanese homes are generally too small to host a large group of visitors. Meanwhile, the coffee break-loving country’s cafes tend to be packed when schools let out in the afternoon, so it’s often a serious challenge to find even a single empty seat in a Tokyo Starbucks, let alone adjacent ones for all your study buddies. So in response, clever Japanese students thought outside the box and discovered a trendy new venue for group study sessions: karaoke boxes.

Japan
(clever • cool • education • karaoke • studying • youth)

Love costumes and karaoke? Shinjuku Cosplay Karaoke is just what you need! 【Pics & video】

Preston Phro
Aug 20, 2015

Cosplay has certainly become of Japan’s most well-known and loved subcultures, exploding on the world stage partly thanks to the Internet and partly thanks to the ingenuity of many of its most fervent participants. Despite this, it can still be difficult to find and make friends in the cosplay community if you’re coming in alone, as with any other subculture. But it doesn’t need to be that way! The Japanese cosplay community is just that — a community — and some of its members are working to make sure people can get together and cosplay as often as possible.

Perhaps the most relaxed way to join the fun is to take part is Shinjuku CosKara, or Shinjuku Cosplay Karaoke! While singing in front of others might set your nerves on edge, the events are organized so that people can come, have fun, take lots of cool photos, and make friends. You needn’t worry about your warbling offending anyone either; half the fun of karaoke is doing it badly with a giant grin! So, come along as we take a look at the event and talk to some local cosplayers!

Internet, Japan
(CosKara • cosplay • karaoke • shinjuku • Tokyo • video)

How to do Japanese karaoke the right way: Six tips for newbies, mic hogs and nervous singers

Evie Nyan
Apr 29, 2015

Karaoke in Japan tends to be a little different from in the west, and it comes with its own set of rules and etiquette that it’s a good idea to learn if you want to keep being included in karaoke parties.

Whether it’s your first time ever singing in (semi-)public or you’re a seasoned karaoke veteran back home, these six tips for not being a total karaoke bore will help make your singing sessions super special (and not at all humiliating…).

Global, Japan
(culture • entertainment • etiquette • karaoke • manners • singing)

Filipina singing sensation Charice is back with a short clip of ‘Let it Go,’ karaoke style!

Krista Rogers
Jan 28, 2015

This one goes out to all our readers in the Philippines–Charice is back, and she’s telling everyone to “Let it Go!”

We haven’t heard much about Charice for about a year, so it was a pleasant surprise to see the talented singer belting out the iconic song from Disney’s Frozen in a short YouTube karaoke clip. Also, we love that short new-ish ‘do she’s sporting!

Internet, SE Asia
(Charice • frozen • karaoke • Let It Go • Philippines)

New Japanese karaoke parlor welcomes Muslims by introducing traditional halal menu

Scott Wilson
Dec 29, 2014

Anyone with dietary restrictions who has been to Japan will know that it can be quite frustrating. If you’re a vegetarian, you’ll be shocked to hear that the fish head in your miso soup “isn’t meat.” And if you don’t drink, well, good luck at the nomikai (drinking parties).

For Muslims who follow a halal diet of no pork, alcohol, and other restrictions, it can be extremely difficult. Pork-broth is very common in Japan, alcoholic mirin and sake are often used in cooking, and in Japan animals who have been slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines are about as rare as a mosque. But thanks to a halal-friendly karaoke parlor that’s just opened in Tokyo’s Yotsuya, Muslim customers finally have a place to kick back, belt some tunes, and not worry about dictionary-checking every ingredient.

Japan
(halal • islam • karaoke • karaoke parlor • muslim)

Vocaloid takes over teen karaoke scene, more than half of 2014’s top 20 songs synthetic

Audrey Akcasu
Dec 23, 2014

No matter where you are in the world, the end of the year is always fun because you get to look back on the last 12 months and reflect on the different trends, hits and big stories. Joysound, a company that is bringing karaoke and social media together, is doing just that, and recently released a list of the top 20 karaoke songs of 2014 divided by age, from teens to 60-year-olds.

For the older age groups the rankings are pretty similar, with tracks like Neon Genesis Evangelion‘s opening theme song, “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis,” being a particular favorite, and Frozen’s “Let It Go” managing to sneak into every single group’s list of most-sung tracks. The biggest anomaly, however, was the teen group, with 11 of their top 20 songs being vocaloid tracks, and the remaining nine from anime.

Japan
(anime song • karaoke • sing • teens • Vocaloid)

Yowamushi Pedal set to delight fangirls with karaoke rooms, mocktails and men’s boxers

Joan Coello
Nov 3, 2014

Anime series Yowamushi Pedal has set off on its second season, titled Yowamushi Pedal Grande Road, and its creators have shifted gears with new goods and collaborations to up the game.

Starting with a collaboration with karaoke chain Karaoke no Tetsujin (AKA Kara-Tetsu), the series’ makers also have plans to release men’s boxer shorts, however ironically, at an event targeted for girls. Whether they expect their fangirls to wear men’s undies themselves or are hoping the girls will buy them for their boyfriends, we haven’t got a clue, but we have all the details about this peculiar collaboration after break!

Japan
(Animate • anime & manga • karaoke • merchandise • Yowamushi Pedal)

North Korean official put to death after twisting song lyrics during karaoke session

KK Miller
Oct 31, 2014

Oh, North Korea. Whether you’re hanging out with American “diplomats” or testing your rockets by firing them over your neighbors’ airspace, you never cease to amaze us with your incredible antics.

While Korea’s grumpy northern half can do very little when the rest of the world criticizes its behavior, “justice” will be swift for those who support dissenting opinions within the country. But in order to mask the removal of high-ranking North Korean officers as something other than Kim Jong Un flexing his supreme leader powers, the North Korean media has recently released “reasons” that could only be acceptable there.

North Korea
(crazy • execution • karaoke • lyrics • politics)

Worst date ever! Japan’s ladies reveal the top five date ideas to avoid

Evie Nyan
Oct 21, 2014

Dating these days is a complete minefield, and nowhere more so than in Japan. There’s a lot of stress put on guys to impress a girl with their choice of date spot. Sure, you can get away with cute cafe dates with yummy tea and cake during the “getting to know you” phase, but after that the onus is pretty much always on the guy to come up with something enjoyable each time. In fact, indecisiveness when it comes to date decisions is a major turn-off for Japan’s ladies, according to a survey conducted by Livedoor. To avoid potential dating disasters next time you’re in Japan, here are the top five dates to avoid if you don’t want her to run screaming!

Japan
(date • dating • Japanese men • Japanese women • karaoke • romance)

Norwegian rocker with insane vocal range covers anime songs and more【Videos】

Cara Clegg
Sep 23, 2014

PelleK is a Norwegian rock and metal singer who doesn’t just limit himself to screaming about death and darkness, and uses his amazing vocal talents to cover anime songs and more, uploading them to YouTube for everyone to enjoy. Check out his awesome voice and performances in the videos below.

Europe, Internet
(anime • karaoke • music • singer • singing • YouTube)

We ride the Honey Toast Train to a paradise of massive, decadent desserts

Casey Baseel
Sep 19, 2014

Spend some time walking around Tokyo, and you’ll soon see that the city is packed with karaoke joints. But with so many competing chains, how do you pick which one to go to?

For those looking for some tasty food as they belt out their favorite tunes, it’s hard to beat Pasela. Aside from their tropically styled rooms, the chain is best known for its extensive menu, with the most popular item being its famous honey toast dessert.

But what if you’ve got a special occasion, and even the whole-loaf-sized ordinary honey toast just doesn’t have enough impact? That’s when you call ahead and order a massive Honey Toast Train, a dessert so massive it’s garnished with other desserts.

Japan
(crazy • ice cream • karaoke • restaurants • sweets)

I need gum, milk, and a verse of “Let It Go”: Special karaoke convenience store to open

Philip Kendall
Apr 9, 2014

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been buying beer, bread, or ice-cream at my local conbini and thought to myself, “If only I could scream a few lines of verse into a microphone without having to leave the building.” In the past, the closest I could ever get to combining convenience store shopping with singing was choosing karaoke booths located immediately next door to a 7-Eleven, but now all that is about to change.

In a special collaboration between Japan’s third-largest convenience store chain FamilyMart and nationwide operator Karaoke Club DAM, a one-of-a-kind conbini x karoke parlour will open its doors on April 17 in Tokyo.

Yes, thanks to Japan you can now shop and sing all in the same place.

Japan
(convenience store • Familymart • karaoke • music • shopping)

A tiny capybara bathes in a piece of toast at karaoke parlors across Tokyo

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Oct 11, 2013

Even if you can’t make it out to the Izu Shaboten Zoo in Shizuoka Prefecture, you can still see a capybara take a bath at karaoke joints across Tokyo thanks to Pasela, a chain of high-class karaoke parlors. When it comes down to it, their “Capybara-san Honey Toast” is basically just an entire loaf of bread with some sugary toppings, but that cute little capybara face might inspire you to get one for the shear cuteness of it all.

Japan
(capybara • food • honey toast • karaoke • Pasela)

Cosplayers let loose behind the scenes before the World Cosplay Summit championships

Rachel Tackett
Aug 1, 2013

Every year the city of Nagoya plays host to the World Cosplay Summit (WCS), a large-scale competition between cosplay representatives from around the world. Teams of two from 20 different countries are all brought to Japan to take part in this life-changing opportunity. The championship finals will be held on the outdoor stage of Oasis21 on Saturday, August 3, starting at 7 p.m. Japan time. Tickets are available, though they are not required to watch the event. In fact, you don’t even have to be in Japan to watch this year’s world-class cosplay performances. It’s been announced that for the first time Niconico Douga will be stream the entire event on the World Cosplay Summit’s official channel.

But you know, not everything to do with the WCS involves competition. Cosplay itself is about bringing together people of similar interests and building a sense of community between those who like to dress up as Japanese characters. These cosplay teams must prepare not only as performers but as representatives of cosplay culture in each of their respective countries. Before the finals even take place, teams must take part in a week’s worth of parades, photo shoots, and official meetings. it’s a good thing there are some opportunities to relax worked into the schedule as well.

Global, Japan
(cosplay • exclusive • karaoke • Nagoya • photos • World Cosplay Summit)

Photos of karaoke customers getting frisky circulated online by unscrupulous staff

Andrew Miller
Jun 20, 2013

If you thought the darkness of a private karaoke box was a safe place to get it on, think again! One poor couple recently found themselves plastered all over the internet after one thoughtless employee decided to share photos of them getting fresh between bouts of singing J-Pop hits.

Japan
(karaoke • privacy • social networking • Twiiter)

From nudity to mic hogging – Japanese women share their complaints about karaoke with men

Rachel Tackett
Jun 7, 2013

Karaoke in Japan is quite different from what you find across most of the Western world. Rather than letting wannabe rock stars take to the stage in a crowded bar, most karaoke parlors in Japan offer private rooms for all of their customers, whether singing in a group or taking time alone to do some hitokara. Unfortunately, these closed quarters can lead to some awkward scenarios when single men and women share the mic at office after parties…

Earlier this month My Navi News conducted a short survey of the single women employed by the company. They asked 200 of these working ladies whether or not they’d ever had a man do something at karaoke which really made them want to draw away, and if so, to explain it in detail. The results were quite the eye-opener.

Japan
(Japan • karaoke • music)

Bird’s got talent! Cockatiel belts out karaoke favourite ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ 【Video】

Rona Moon
Jun 6, 2013

Many a foreigner living in Japan has attempted and mangled this classic karaoke favourite, the theme song from popular Japanese animated film My Neighbor Totoro, just so they can let their vocal cords rip in the chorus. Even with limited language skills, you can probably belt out “Totoro, totoro” one million times and manage to mumble through the rest of the words.

But this cockatiel Poko-chan’s sense of pitch and inner pizzazz puts humans to shame. Accompanied by her owner on piano, she warbles through a song that few have fully mastered. What would Simon Cowell say? You be the judge.