Karaoke venues across the country are reaching out to customers beyond those who love belting out a tune in a bid to bolster their bottom lines amid a tough business environment.
With the waning popularity of karaoke, arguably the king of entertainment in Japan two decades ago, more and more shops are offering customers a variety of creative options — such as using the karaoke "boxes" as classrooms for dance and language lessons, or as studios to practice guitar in.
Take for example Shidax Corp.'s Omiya Sashiogi branch in Saitama. On a typical weekday morning, its spacious party room is transformed into a dance studio. Soothing Hawaiian music flows from the speakers, and a group of housewives and others dressed in T-shirts and brightly colored tropical skirts enjoy a hula lesson.