Anyone Can Sing!

There is a great animated Pixar/Disney movie called “Ratatouille” in which the motto of the fictional French restaurant founder Gusteau, whose establishment is the focus of the movie is “Anyone Can Cook!”  Well in my many travels to Japan I have found out (to my initial horror) that Karaoke is a wonderful thing, and yes, anyone can sing – it’s just that some can sing better than others!  None of that really matters in a Karaoke session in Japan though.  For the most part, Karaoke in Japan can be found in one of the millions of “boxes” - that is, private rooms that you rent just for your own group.  This is so much easier after all, for you only have to embarrass yourself in front of your own friends.  In the U.S., most of the Karaoke is done in bars where there is some amount of audience of complete strangers.  They tend to be monopolized by semi-professional singers, which makes it a very intimidating and unfriendly place for those who have any bit of inhibition about getting up in front of people to sing (that would be 99% of us I think!).  Not the case in Japan.  After an initial incredible amount of doubt and trepidation, I was initiated to Japanese Karaoke in 1999 in the basement of the Shinagawa Prince hotel (actual picture from that session is below).  I was immediately aware of the team building and camaraderie that can easily be felt in such a private session.  I sang my first song, a pathetic rendition of an at the time current hit by the U.S. group “The Backstreet Boys” and watched in utter amazement at the fun being had by most everyone (ok not all!!) in the group.  It is true that not everyone is a good singer, but I have seen that once inside a friendly session that even the most awkward and tone deaf person can join in the fun and have a good time.  Of course having a ready supply of “lubricant” on hand (always just a quick call away by using the phone hanging by the door) is a powerful stimulant!!  Throughout the years Karaoke has been a constant source of enjoyment for me in my trips to Japan.  From short 1 hour sessions in the plethora of small “snack” Karaoke bars found everywhere, to mammoth all night sessions that ended by taking the Yamanote line back to my Shinagawa hotel only to be joined by early rising workers going to the office after the sun has just risen, I have found that Karaoke is a truly magical thing.  You only need to be just a little bit brave, and willing to step out of your normal “comfort zone”.  I guarantee you with the right attitude that a Karaoke session is fun and you will make some new friends!  I will write about some of the more memorable “sessions” in some later posts.