Live Music, Films and Karaoke

Karaoke

While karaoke in the west is often seen as a chance to show off one’s singing abilities in a public atmosphere, in Japan it’s more about the love of singing. Whether you have a great voice or not, in a private room there’s no reason not to sing your heart out. Most karaoke box establishments have remotes with English guidance and songs are updated regularly, making it easy to find the latest hits. Food and drinks can be ordered to the room, making karaoke a great stop at the beginning or end of a night out.

Cinemas

Japanese cinemas offer the latest domestic films and international box office hits, although local screenings of Hollywood films are typically delayed by upwards of a year from the original release date abroad. Foreign-language movies are usually screened in the original language with Japanese subtitles (字幕), while animations are often dubbed in Japanese (吹き替え版).

Three of the largest cinema groups are 109 Cinemas (Japanese only), Aeon Cinema (Japanese only), and TOHO Cinemas , all of which run theaters with modern facilities and spacious seating in numerous locations across Japan. Theater seating is reserved, and tickets can also be purchased online in advance and printed out using the ticket machines at the theater. Many theaters offer discounts on tickets on certain days―one common offer is a “Lady’s Day” discount for females on Wednesdays.

TOHO Cinemas (Japanese only)

TOHO Cinemas Roppongi Hills (Japanese only)

National Film Archive of Japan (NFAJ)

There are also several smaller, independently-run revival movie theaters in Japan that screen slightly older domestic and international films.

Waseda Shochiku

Music Concerts

Jazz Clubs

Tokyo and Yokohama have nice clubs that showcase live jazz, soul, and pop music performances by Japanese and international artists, while you enjoy food and drinks.