A typical Shinjuku nightcrawl: the spooky kids stumble through Kabuki-cho, convenience store alcohol in hand, and run smack-dab into Maya, Mistress of Goth/industrial party Midnight Mess. She is shoe-less (don’t ask). Happy Phantom turns into Lord Lionheart and offers her a lift. The transsexual bar is closed; where to now? The Visual Kei dive? Sticker pictures? Or how about all-night karaoke… yes!

Maya whips our her cell and orders up a deluxe room at Pasela, a many-leveled Shinjuku karaoke parlor decorated like a tiki resort (again, don’t ask). Pasela is relatively cheap, air conditioned, equipped with plush seating – and best of all, serves 10-inch slices of white bread topped with decadent sweets. Repeat after me: don’t ask.

Tokyo karaoke booking tips:
† The cheapest karaoke parlors are in the outskirts of Tokyo. Shinjuku rooms are more expensive, so walk around and compare prices before putting down yen. Look for all-night, alcohol-inclusive deals that generally begin at 11pm or midnight.
† If possible, ask a Japanese-speaking friend to book the room. The staff will try to squeeze your group into the smallest possible room… but Maya batted her eyes and wrangled a large one! She even got a special price for Happy Phantom because he had to catch the last train.
† Don’t be intimidated by the song-choosing gizmo. You can switch the language to English and search by artist or song.
† Turn on the mike, grab the tambourine, and let’s karaoke!

Now, what shall we sing? Pick a track that everyone knows, that isn’t too long, and has male/female vocal trade-offs. Here’s a list of recommended karaoke songs:

1980s: because we love the 80s, yes!
† Bonnie Tyler – Total Eclipse of the Heart
† Europe – The Final Countdown
† Pet Shop Boys – Always On My Mind

Don’t forget the New Romantics (seen above):
† Visage – Fade to Grey
† Duran Duran – Hungry Like The Wolf
† Culture Club – Do You Really Want To Hurt Me

Goth: for self-explanatory reasons
† The Cure – Boys Don’t Cry
† Depeche Mode – Enjoy the Silence
† Marilyn Manson + Soft Cell – Tainted Love

Cheesy: because one needs calcium in one’s diet (don’t ask)
† Army of Lovers – Crucified
† Dschinghis Khan – Moskau (make sure you do the dance!)
† Journey – Separate Ways (you better hit the last high note!)
† Disney songs

Japanese: everything’s in hiragana so if you suck at kanji like I do, you can still belt along
† Anime songs
† Malice Mizer, Moi dix Mois

What are your favorite karaoke songs? Add your suggestions in the comments and we’ll sing them next time.

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