Koshidaka, a company runs 317 karaoke shops all around Japan (and one oversea, in Korea), foretold that it would open a new category business “Hitori Karaoka”(one man’s karaoka) at Kanda, Tokyo around the end of this month, November 2011.
Different from many other countries where Karaoke means singing in a bar in front of other people whom you do not know, mainstream Karaoke experience in Japan is to rent a so-called “box” and let your friends hear your singing. (I see resemblance with the difference between Facebook and Mixi there)
And the term “Hitori Karaoke” has been around there by people who are too shy to sing for others (Google search gives back 3 million results [J]), but still want to sing by herself/himself. The phrase sometimes had a masochistic tone, and visiting Karaoke box and asked to rent a room by oneself might be more humiliating than singing to audience.
So this new shop, having all 24 rooms are for single person, would be a cure for those stoic tao of Karaoke seekers.
According to SankeiBiz [J], those single rooms are so small then they may cause acoustic howling. The shop will rent a head-phone for free for the case.
via Nico Nico News
release [J]
[Update 2011-11-26] The Hitori Karaoke shop was opened to media. Some media report with photos.
