Karaoke, which originated in Japan, is an incredibly popular pastime for people of all ages compared to how it is in the U.S.
I learned about and participated in karaoke in Japan. It's not necessarily a tradition in the usual sense of the word, but it's enjoyed by people of all ages and is a staple of modern Japanese culture that I wanted to write about.
I'm sure everyone is familiar with karaoke, but it looks a bit different in Japan! Here, people go with their friends or sometimes alone to karaoke centers, where they can rent a room to sing for a few hours. These rooms are equipped with microphones and machines with thousands of songs to choose from. As you're singing, it displays how accurate your singing actually is, and you're given a score out of 100 points at the end. Because of this, it's common for people to practice for hours on end to get a good score! Because people often spend at least a few hours here, there's usually a wide variety of food that can be ordered.
Karaoke spots are located everywhere, with a few near every train station, and about 10-20 around stations in busier areas.
