Japan Karaoke with Friends

[kyloooooo]

what is your occupation in japan?

[iKawaiiNinja]

i would love to go to a karaoke places, but sadly i am only 12 and barely know any hiragana ;w;

[KikyoChanXD]

OMG. XD

When you started singing... haha..

I can't really talk, I'm worse. xP

[mspenelusuk]

there are no karaoke places in america? i go to that place like once a month. karaoke is addictive and fun

[saymyname1231]

i love the japans coulture so cool everybody enjoys each other doing something i just loveit

[SinginSarahB]

Why Cant we have awesome karaoke places in america

[TetrisNeko]

No one whould belive me but I LOVE Enka ! Sounds so traditional ♥

[NodnarbRS]

hehhehe the motorcycle guy's action was awesome (^_^)

[freakmrhyde]

Look like it was a lot of fun ! I hope I will be able to make some friends and go to one of those Karaoke place too : P

[softypapa]

Hello freakmrhyde, I hope that you have a wonderful experience in Japan! -Kurt :-)

[salsatheone]

How did you meet them, I mean, where did the opportunity of going to japan and doing all this come from?

[softypapa]

Hello salsatheone, I first became interested in Japan way back when I was 19 years old. After that I simply kept learning what I could and making Japanese friends. 26 years later here I am with wife and kid living in Japan. It all just happened rather natually and without too much consideration on my part. I guess that life can be that way sometimes. Thanks for watching and commenting! -Kurt :-)

[salsatheone]

Much the same way I became interested in English and the US. I'm brazilian. Funny though, that I really got into English during my stay in Argentina and I ended up learning two languages at once. I've got a friend who teaches japanese and he never went to Japan, just like I teach English and I've never been to America. hehe. And thank YOU for a prompt and in-depth response.

[softypapa]

My pleasure, salsatheone. Thank you for sharing your story. I have some Brazilian friends here in Japan and I always enjoy hearing their stories of life in Brazil. Sounds like a great place with a postive and upbeat way of life. Thanks again for sharing! -Kurt :-)

[KikyoChanXD]

@salsatheone You were interested in the US and English? :o

I'm American.. I find it boring, and it makes me shocked to see we're interesting to someone. o__O

I want to go to Brazil. Now THAT sounds amazing. :D

[salsatheone]

@KikyoChanXD hehe I understand what you mean. But you'll see, my interest came during a time when every third world country was being bombarded by the american dream and due to such a discouraging living enviroment a kid grows up with great expectations.

[qiranger]

I love going out to places like that. Looks like you all had a great time!!!

[TiramisuHappy]

We usually go hit a few Big Echo (karaoke chain) in town every time I go back to Tokyo to see my folks. My repertoire of songs isn't as extensive as my mom's, but the ones I sing, I sing very well! : ) I only wish I could sing enka as well as she in the video! There are handful of Americans on YouTube who sing enka EXTREMELY well. You must know Jero, right? I'm a HUGE fan of his.

He is far more Japanese than I could EVER be when it comes to enka singing!

The food shots are PURE torture! : (

[softypapa]

Hello TiramisuHappy, I do indeed know about Jero and am a big fan. I'm surprised that he has rather vanished from the tv shows here as he was everyone's darling for several months after his big debut. He sure is talented and his life story is very interesting.

There's a Big Echo near my home here where we can go if you are ever in the area! -Kurt :-)

[TiramisuHappy]

With SO MANY Japanese people (and Asians in general) living here in New York City, I don't understand why there aren't any franchised karaoke places in town. There are some places where you can go to have a singing night on the town, but nothing like Big Echo or any other establishment where its sole purpose is providing karaoke entertainment for the masses. Maybe there just isn't enough demand/audience for it to warrant its existence. Hmmm.

Now, back to my singing practice in the shower! ; D

[Skaijo]

Do they have more modern music available in Karaoke booths line ups? Say stuff by pop/rock songs from the last couple of years--or all them mostly well known classics?

[softypapa]

Hello Skaijo, I think that there is a very wide selection in most of the newer places though older systems (like are sometimes found in small hot spring resorts in the mountains) may not have been updated for many years. So I guess that it really depends on the establishment where the machine is being used and the relative age of the customers. Thanks for watching and commenting! -Kurt :-)

[Vosk21]

HAha that was fun. The Enka singer has good range in her voice.

[Luminasita]

*giggles* Some dance to remember, some dance to forget! I was surprised at the English songs, you did a good job :D Unfortunately there aren't too many places to do karaoke around here, unless you don't mind singing infront of a bar full of people.

Thank you for sharing your family trip, it looks like you all had such fun! :)

~Kat

[softypapa]

Hello Kat, It's interesting that many Japanese karaoke places will offer booths or rooms where parties can be enjoyed in private. I rarely see the type of open environment karaoke here which seems to be favored in some countries outside Japan. I think that the smaller rooms are a better fit for the more reserved nature of the Japanese people. The cultural differences are indeed interesting. I'm glad that you liked the video. Thanks for watching and commenting! -Kurt :-)

[IcanEngrish]

What a wonderful drinking spree! hahahaha! That man sings in the female voice and the madam sang a Enka emotionally. LOL! Oh! I love Brasenia schreberi soup (蓴菜のおすまし).

I toast you!☆

[softypapa]

Hello IcanEngrish, The man and woman you mention are a couple. They are both indeed excellent singers and loads of fun! -Kurt :-)

[acatinny]

When you were singing, some women said "He is even singing the (back)chorus part by himself", lol

[softypapa]

Hello acatinny, You should have seen the parts I edited out. I should not be given a mike under any circumstances and especially not after a few beers. Yikes! Sure was fun though. Thanks for watching and commenting! -Kurt :-)

[cutiebunniex]

wahhh i wanna do that one day<3 looks so fun xDD

[diddykongfu]

the dude in the puma jacket lol

[reymiland]

The enka singer was SO good! I envy the Japanese spirit of community and support for one another. It is something we need desperately here in the United States.  Thank you so much for sharing!

[weya]

That looked like so much fun~~!!

Thanks for such a great video! ^_^

And I agree with amydien09, that woman's enka was AMAZING, I started clapping, too. lol

[amydien09]

Looks so fun! That lady is amazing for being able to sing enka. And what a delicious breakfast!

[MicknFumi]

mMm that food looked oishii...I really enjoy when the olds get up & sing the older songs. That older lady rocked : D

[softypapa]

Hello MicknFumi, Both she and her husband (the man with the high-pitched voice) are very good singers. They are also very fun to hang out with as they know how to bring life and laughter to any setting. Thanks for watching! -Kurt :-)

[lovemac95]

great video! i really want to go to a karaoke place but we have no places to go to that is near, it its not fair :) also hotel california is one of my faveourte songs

cant wait for more vids

Amy :)

[vandrewlongstrider]

Food looks delicious!