It’s Friday evening in Shibuya. The sun is setting, the neon is flashing and the crowds are swelling. And so with beginning-of-the-weekend fever in the air, it is perhaps little surprise that Madonna is already blaring in one karaoke room on the second floor ...
Born in Japan three decades ago, karaoke has evolved into a global fixture. Since the beginning, karaoke (empty orchestra) has manifested itself in myriad ways. Following are questions and answers about the popular entertainment system: How did karaoke come about? The prototype machine originated ...
These days the government is jumping on the bandwagon. The Foreign Ministry is singing in tune. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has hopped on, with a conductor’s baton in his hand and a spring in his step that you don’t even see when he’s ascending ...
