Where to find karaoke in Japan
Karaoke is everywhere in Japan, but a handful of districts have it packed shoulder to shoulder — which is exactly where you want to be, because walking two minutes to the next building can change what you pay. Here are the areas worth heading to, and how many stores we track in each.
Shinjuku
Kabukicho, Golden Gai and the busiest station on earth. The densest concentration of karaoke in Japan.
47 karaoke stores in ShinjukuOpen the map to see each one and what it charges right now→Shibuya
The scramble crossing, Center Gai and Harajuku. Popular with students, so student rates are common here.
33 karaoke stores in ShibuyaOpen the map to see each one and what it charges right now→Akihabara & Chiyoda
Akihabara, Kanda and Tokyo Station. Anime and game songs are well stocked around Akihabara.
27 karaoke stores in Akihabara & ChiyodaOpen the map to see each one and what it charges right now→Ikebukuro
Ikebukuro and Otome Road. A major nightlife hub on the north side of the Yamanote line.
32 karaoke stores in IkebukuroOpen the map to see each one and what it charges right now→Ueno & Asakusa
Ueno Park, Ameyoko and Senso-ji. Handy if you are staying in the older east side of Tokyo.
17 karaoke stores in Ueno & AsakusaOpen the map to see each one and what it charges right now→Roppongi & Shimbashi
Roppongi, Shimbashi and Hamamatsucho. Prices swing widely between business districts and nightlife streets.
26 karaoke stores in Roppongi & ShimbashiOpen the map to see each one and what it charges right now→Ginza & Nihonbashi
Ginza, Nihonbashi and Tsukiji. On the pricier side, but there are bargains a street back from the main avenues.
12 karaoke stores in Ginza & NihonbashiOpen the map to see each one and what it charges right now→Namba & Shinsaibashi
Dotonbori, Namba and Shinsaibashi. The heart of Osaka nightlife.
28 karaoke stores in Namba & ShinsaibashiOpen the map to see each one and what it charges right now→Umeda
Osaka Station, Umeda and Nakazakicho. Home turf of Jankara, which is usually the cheapest chain in the Kansai region.
33 karaoke stores in UmedaOpen the map to see each one and what it charges right now→Kyoto Station
Kyoto Station, Shijo-Kawaramachi and Gion are all within reach.
8 karaoke stores in Kyoto StationOpen the map to see each one and what it charges right now→Kyoto Nakagyo
Central Kyoto around Karasuma and Sanjo.
11 karaoke stores in Kyoto NakagyoOpen the map to see each one and what it charges right now→Fukuoka Tenjin
Tenjin and Daimyo, the centre of Fukuoka nightlife.
18 karaoke stores in Fukuoka TenjinOpen the map to see each one and what it charges right now→Sapporo Susukino
Susukino and Odori, Sapporo's entertainment district.
20 karaoke stores in Sapporo SusukinoOpen the map to see each one and what it charges right now→Not on this list?
We track 2,091 stores across the whole country, not just these districts. The map covers all of them — open it and pan to wherever you are. It is in Japanese, but the price on each pin is a number in yen, so it reads the same in any language.
Not sure what those numbers mean? How karaoke pricing works explains the per-person, per-30-minutes system and what else you will be charged for.