Shibuya Nightlife Tour With Karaoke And Drinks
About This Crawl
A Shibuya nightlife tour that combines bar stops with karaoke, the latter being significantly more serious in Japan than its Western equivalent. The karaoke component is the differentiator here.
What to Expect
Japanese karaoke (karaoke, not 'karaoke bar') operates in private rooms booked by the hour. You go with your group, you choose songs from a catalogue, and nobody outside your room hears you. This is categorically different from the Western bar karaoke experience where you perform for strangers. The absence of an audience removes the inhibition that makes people avoid karaoke elsewhere. The tour covers Shibuya's bar scene first, probably two to three stops across Nonbei Yokocho and the surrounding streets, then moves to a karaoke venue for the second half. Drinks are typically ordered through the karaoke venue's internal system and arrive at your room. Major karaoke chains like Karaoke Kan (which appears in Lost in Translation; the Shibuya branch is the actual filming location) and Big Echo are the format standard. The karaoke room typically holds eight to twelve people. Song selection spans Japanese pop, international pop, rock, and anime tracks. Most major chain venues have extensive English-language catalogues.
Who It's For
Anyone curious about Japanese karaoke in its actual context; people who'd never do karaoke in a bar but might do it in a private room.
Tips
- You don't have to be good. The point of karaoke in Japan is participation, not performance. Everyone sings.
- The song catalogue is searchable by artist name in romaji (Romanised Japanese characters). Major international artists are easy to find.
- Drinks at karaoke venues are ordered from an internal menu and delivered to your room. Costs are per drink; some tours include a drinks allowance.
- Shibuya's karaoke venues are concentrated near the station. The walk from bar stops to karaoke is usually short.
- If you want to continue after the guided tour ends, you can book additional karaoke time directly at the venue.
Verdict
The karaoke addition makes this more memorable than a straight Shibuya bar crawl. Private room karaoke in Japan is genuinely different from the Western version and worth experiencing once.
