Karaoke has long become a global phenomenon and conquered almost every country in the world, but perhaps nowhere is it as widespread as in its homeland—Asia. In karaoke bars, business deals are made, dates are set, stress is relieved, and in some places, people readily reach for their knives if you decide to sing Sinatra. All this and other facts about karaoke in Asia are in our article.
Karaoke originated in Japan in 1971. Daisuke Inoue, who worked as a musician in so-called “singing cafes” where people came to drink and sing to live music, came up with the idea of making a machine into which customers could drop money and sing while the musicians rested.
Time magazine named Inoue one of the most influential Asians of the 20th century. The inventor of karaoke was even awarded the Ig Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 “for inventing an entirely new way for people to learn to tolerate each other.” This parody prize is usually awarded for unusual but useful inventions.
Until the late 80s, all major karaoke-related inventions appeared first in Japan. The first home karaoke console for TVs, the first karaoke taxi, the first karaoke box—the prototype of modern VIP rooms in karaoke clubs. From Japan, karaoke spread first throughout Asia and then to the rest of the world. Now Japan is the recognized center of karaoke culture with more than 135,000 karaoke clubs, some of which reach 7-8 stories high.
The Japanese are perhaps the only ones who go to karaoke alone. For many, it is a good way to relieve stress after work, but often, a solo trip to the club is a rehearsal before an upcoming corporate party. A Japanese person will sing the same song long and diligently, bringing the performance to perfection so as not to embarrass themselves in front of colleagues and the boss.
Japanese bosses also spend a lot of time on vocal training to impress clients and business partners. They even hire professional singers to improve their performance. And it works! Only sound engineers know how many deals are closed every evening in Japanese karaoke clubs.
According to some estimates, someone sings karaoke in Japan about 16.5 million times a day. The popularity of karaoke is so great that often after meeting someone, Japanese people politely ask what their new acquaintance’s favorite song is. But if you are a girl, you shouldn’t immediately accept an invitation from a new acquaintance to continue the date in a karaoke bar. For the Japanese, karaoke for two in a private room sometimes means something more than just singing together.
In the Philippines, where karaoke culture is almost as ingrained as in Japan, Frank Sinatra’s song “My Way” is banned as it incites hatred towards the people performing it. Seriously, singing this classic piece in a Philippine bar often ends in stabbings and deaths. Perhaps it’s because it was sung far too often.
China holds the record for the longest karaoke session. It lasted 456 hours, two minutes, and five seconds. That’s a whopping 19 days! During this time, the venue’s guests performed 6,281 songs.
Singing in a Chinese karaoke is not a test for the faint-hearted. The average session lasts about 4 hours, and it all happens with copious amounts of alcohol. Short sessions exist only in karaoke booths in shopping malls.
Mini KTV karaoke kiosks have literally taken over Chinese shopping malls. There are more than 20,000 of them across the country. They are usually used to take a break from shopping and sing a song or two, but some kiosks allow you to record a whole album and email it to yourself or share it with friends in a messenger.
