Karaoke Picture Reel + Tips

Saturday | November 18th 2017 | Makuhari, Chiba

Appreciate アプレシオ (a-pu-re-shi-o)

So there’s this little Karaoke spot about 10 minutes away from school called Aprecio (アプレシオ幕張店 2 Chome-7701 Makuharichō, Hanamigawa-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba-ken 262-0032). For about 1000 yen, you can stay in the Karaoke room for like, forever. I don’t know why, though I’m not complaining, but Aprecio never checks up on you. They never tell you your time is up, so you can really just stay there for as long as you want — no additional charges, and they even have coupons! And let me tell you, an hour simply is NOT enough time to sing everything you want so head on over to Aprecio to sing to your heart’s content. If you find yourself at another Karaoke place, try to stay under 1000 yen for one hour. The last you want is to stay too long (some places won’t warn you) and end up spending double of what you intended.

Go to Karaoke with E-pals and Japanese students

Make an effort to invite E-pals and other Japanese students to go to Karaoke. And when you’re there, encourage them to sing Japanese songs instead of just singing American songs with you and your friends. They work so hard to make us feel comfortable from the day we step off the plane, so doing something as simple as cheering them on when they sing a classic Japanese song goes a long way. At the same time, though, it’s obviously totally okay to sing American songs with your E-pals and Japanese friends. You may be surprised by the extent to which they consume American culture, and they usually know most of the classic bangers.

(Try to) sing a Japanese song

More on the previous point, you should try to sing a Japanese song as well. While most of us don’t have the fluency to actually sing a Japanese song, GO FOR IT if you do. Everyone else will try their best to read the hiragana or katakana, so just have fun!

Don’t be a mic hog

Karaoke is all about having fun, cheering each other on, and just positive energy overall. Don’t be that person that hogs the mic the entire night. Try singing a verse or a line and then passing the mic around the room to make sure everyone feels included. It’s no fun when everyone else is singing and you’re just sitting there checking your phone.

Maximize the free food and drinks

Most Karaoke spots have their own selections of food and drinks. At Aprecio specifically, there is an entire spread of ice cream, slushies, teas, and even miso soup. My ultimate tip is to start the night with a hot cup of tea. Your voice is going to be destroyed as the night goes on, but the hot tea will go a long way. Also, another old farty tip: bring cough drops. All I’m saying is, you don’t want to wake up with a sore throat.

End with a BANG

In the last five minutes, scream your freaking heads off, sing to the top of your lungs, and just live in the moment. In order to do that, the last song has to be a high-energy banger. Some good song choices include: Mr. Brightside, Bohemian Rhapsody, Party in the USA, High School Musical, etc. Whatever you choose, remember to have fun!

Don’t miss the last train…

Trains in Japan typically run until midnight, and when they stop, you have to wait until the next morning to get home. So, even though Aprecio is the best for never kicking anyone out, it is easy to lose track of time. About two weeks ago, my friends and I left Aprecio at around 11:30PM, and we literally had to haul ass to Makuhari Station to catch the last train. Learn from our mistakes, and don’t stay out too late.