ASAKUSA Underground > Sleep at a Karaoke box.
To save your travel expense, you should know that a Karaoke box is a good
alternative to a hotel.
Unlike a Western Karaoke bar, a Karaoke box in Japan is not a place to sing in public. It is a place to sing privately among your friends and families.
A Karaoke box is a kind of a bar / restaurant with various small rooms separated by soundproof walls, though you can often hear the noises of off-the-note Karaoke singers from the next door.
In principle, the rooms are not spacious (about between 25 square meters and 50 square meters) though some Karaoke boxes have a bigger room (more than 200 square meters) for a Karaoke banquet.
Each room has a TV set, a Karaoke machine, a table and a sofa.
You can sleep fairly comfortably unless you are too tall.
At least, you might sleep better than in a Net cafe (a cyber cafe).
[See "Sleep in a Net cafe".]
Your advantage there is that, in spite of its relatively low charge, you can have your own private space.
-Use Utahiroba
Although Asakusa has a few Karaoke boxes, Utahiroba in Ueno could be the best choice because it is the cheapest.
There, they don't have a fancy the-state-of-the-art Karaoke machine.
Their sofa may have a hole.
But, who cares. You are there to sleep.
- Utahiroba, Ueno ten (branch)歌広場 上野店
Dobiru Faasuto Building 1F
4-5-4 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-3836-1077
Opne 24 hours.
URL http://www.utahiro.com/tenpo088.htm
Their charges for one person:
--- 23:00 to 5:00AM Shin Ya 深夜 Free Time (pronounced [free taimu])
Free soft drink package for 980 yen (weekdays, Sundays, and public holidays)
Free soft drink package for 1,980 yen (Fridays, Saturdays, and the days before a public holiday)
Free drink package (beer and other alcoholic beverages are included) for 2,180 yen (weekdays, Sundays, and public holidays)
Free drink package (beer and other alcoholic beverages are included) for 2,680 yen (Fridays, Saturdays, and the days before a public holiday)
--- 11:00AM to 5:00AM Special Free Time
Free soft drink package for 1,980 yen (weekdays, Sundays, and public holidays)
Free soft drink package for 2,280 yen (Fridays, Saturdays, and the days before a public holiday)
Free drink package (beer and other alcoholic beverages are included) for 2,980 yen (weekdays, Sundays, and public holidays)
Free drink package (beer and other alcoholic beverages are included) for 3,280 yen (Fridays, Sturdays, and the days before a public holiday)
Look at the 23:00 to 5:00AM Shin Ya 深夜 Free Time soft drink package on weekdays , Sundays, and public holidays for 980 yen.
It is slightly cheaper than sleeping at a Net cafe.
You can drink as much soft drink as you want, and sing as much as you like (though it is kind of sad if you sing alone).
It is nothing but reasonable.
------Language Tips------
<Caution!>
In Japanese, the expression "Free time" does NOT mean either "the period of time during which it is free of charge" nor "unlimited time span". Gerenally speaking, it means "you will not be carged hourly".
In the context above, 23:00 to 5:00AM Special Free Time signifies that if you enter this establishment after 11:00PM, you are charged a fixed price regarding the package you choose and allowed to stay until 5:00AM.
On the other hand, “free drink” means “You can drink as much as you want”.
In the case above, if you order a “free drink”, you can drink as much beer and as many Japanese (Shochu-based) cocktails as you want.
-As for other Karaoke boxes
If you are happy to pay more and enjoy singing to the Karaoke in the country of its origin, you have some other choices. Of course, the more you pay, the more comfort and better foods you can expect.
- Karaoke Shidax, Asakusa Kaminarimon Club カラオケ シダックス 浅草雷門クラブ
1-1-2 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-3843-3561
No holidays
Open Noon to 5:00AM
Noon to 6:00AM (Fridays, Saturdays, and the days before public holidays)
- Karaoke-kan, Asakusa Kokusai Doori ten (branch) カラオケ館 浅草国際通り店
Zip. 111-0032
Asakusa Eki Mae Heiwa Building
2-11-3 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-5830-1671
No holidays
Open 13:00 to 7:00AM
- Big Echo, Asakusa ten (branch)
Nikko Asakusa Building
1-1-13 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-5806-3558
No holidays
Open Noon to 5:00AM
[Use Diddlefinger to find out the exact locations of the establishments.]
Though you are allowed to have privacy in a Karaoke box, it is not advised to do libidinous activities because most rooms have surveillance cameras inside and the shopkeepers can enjoy watching your most humane acts.
All the three shops mentioned above are a part of three nation-wide Karaoke Box chains respectively. While travelling, you will surely come across one of those somewhere in Japan.
Sleep at a Karaoke box.
To save your travel expense, you should know that a Karaoke box is a good
alternative to a hotel.Unlike a Western Karaoke bar, a Karaoke box in Japan is not a place to sing in public. It is a place to sing privately among your friends and families.
A Karaoke box is a kind of a bar / restaurant with various small rooms separated by soundproof walls, though you can often hear the noises of off-the-note Karaoke singers from the next door.
In principle, the rooms are not spacious (about between 25 square meters and 50 square meters) though some Karaoke boxes have a bigger room (more than 200 square meters) for a Karaoke banquet.
Each room has a TV set, a Karaoke machine, a table and a sofa.
You can sleep fairly comfortably unless you are too tall.
At least, you might sleep better than in a Net cafe (a cyber cafe).
[See "Sleep in a Net cafe".]
Your advantage there is that, in spite of its relatively low charge, you can have your own private space.
-Use Utahiroba
Although Asakusa has a few Karaoke boxes, Utahiroba in Ueno could be the best choice because it is the cheapest.
There, they don't have a fancy the-state-of-the-art Karaoke machine.
Their sofa may have a hole.
But, who cares. You are there to sleep.
- Utahiroba, Ueno ten (branch)歌広場 上野店
Dobiru Faasuto Building 1F
4-5-4 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-3836-1077
Opne 24 hours.
URL http://www.utahiro.com/tenpo088.htm
Their charges for one person:
--- 23:00 to 5:00AM Shin Ya 深夜 Free Time (pronounced [free taimu])
Free soft drink package for 980 yen (weekdays, Sundays, and public holidays)
Free soft drink package for 1,980 yen (Fridays, Saturdays, and the days before a public holiday)
Free drink package (beer and other alcoholic beverages are included) for 2,180 yen (weekdays, Sundays, and public holidays)
Free drink package (beer and other alcoholic beverages are included) for 2,680 yen (Fridays, Saturdays, and the days before a public holiday)
--- 11:00AM to 5:00AM Special Free Time
Free soft drink package for 1,980 yen (weekdays, Sundays, and public holidays)
Free soft drink package for 2,280 yen (Fridays, Saturdays, and the days before a public holiday)
Free drink package (beer and other alcoholic beverages are included) for 2,980 yen (weekdays, Sundays, and public holidays)
Free drink package (beer and other alcoholic beverages are included) for 3,280 yen (Fridays, Sturdays, and the days before a public holiday)
Look at the 23:00 to 5:00AM Shin Ya 深夜 Free Time soft drink package on weekdays , Sundays, and public holidays for 980 yen.
It is slightly cheaper than sleeping at a Net cafe.
You can drink as much soft drink as you want, and sing as much as you like (though it is kind of sad if you sing alone).
It is nothing but reasonable.
------Language Tips------
<Caution!>
In Japanese, the expression "Free time" does NOT mean either "the period of time during which it is free of charge" nor "unlimited time span". Gerenally speaking, it means "you will not be carged hourly".
In the context above, 23:00 to 5:00AM Special Free Time signifies that if you enter this establishment after 11:00PM, you are charged a fixed price regarding the package you choose and allowed to stay until 5:00AM.
On the other hand, “free drink” means “You can drink as much as you want”.
In the case above, if you order a “free drink”, you can drink as much beer and as many Japanese (Shochu-based) cocktails as you want.
-As for other Karaoke boxes
If you are happy to pay more and enjoy singing to the Karaoke in the country of its origin, you have some other choices. Of course, the more you pay, the more comfort and better foods you can expect.
- Karaoke Shidax, Asakusa Kaminarimon Club カラオケ シダックス 浅草雷門クラブ
1-1-2 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-3843-3561
No holidays
Open Noon to 5:00AM
Noon to 6:00AM (Fridays, Saturdays, and the days before public holidays)
- Karaoke-kan, Asakusa Kokusai Doori ten (branch) カラオケ館 浅草国際通り店
Zip. 111-0032
Asakusa Eki Mae Heiwa Building
2-11-3 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-5830-1671
No holidays
Open 13:00 to 7:00AM
- Big Echo, Asakusa ten (branch)
Nikko Asakusa Building
1-1-13 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-5806-3558
No holidays
Open Noon to 5:00AM
[Use Diddlefinger to find out the exact locations of the establishments.]
Though you are allowed to have privacy in a Karaoke box, it is not advised to do libidinous activities because most rooms have surveillance cameras inside and the shopkeepers can enjoy watching your most humane acts.
All the three shops mentioned above are a part of three nation-wide Karaoke Box chains respectively. While travelling, you will surely come across one of those somewhere in Japan.