Karaoke, originally a Japanese word created from kara (meaning “empty”) and oke (meaning “orchestra”), is now known as a global word to express a form of entertainment in which people sing along with recorded music. And of course in Japan, singing at karaoke bars, or in karaoke rooms, is one of the most typical entertainments and is loved by all generations.

However, some people may feel a little uncomfortable when going to karaoke with others. For example, if you love singing but are not good at it, you may feel embarrassed to let others listen to your singing. Or, if you want to sing as many songs as possible, you may not enjoy just sitting and listening to others singing, while waiting for your turn. Also, if you and your company have different tastes in music, that could be a problem, too.

To solve all these problems, more and more people have begun to enjoy hitokara or hitori karaoke (meaning “going to karaoke alone”), over the last few years. In hitokara, you don't have to waste your time listening to others singing but can just concentrate on singing your favorite songs. If you're not good at singing, you can practice alone and prepare for a "real stage" with your friends or co-workers. And of course, if you want to become a professional singer, hitokara is a great place to practice singing.

Still, going to the front desk of a karaoke place and saying, "I'm by myself," could be a little embarrassing. So, last year, a company called Koshidaka opened a new type of karaoke place, "One Kara," which specializes in hitokara. At One Kara, the rooms are smaller but spacious enough for one person to fit in. They have the usual karaoke equipment , but each customer wears headphones to listen to the music while they are singing. The hitokara idea is still a very new business, but Koshidaka plans to open more of the same in Tokyo this year. If the hitokara business catches on, singing alone may become a typical pastime in Japan, and the rest of the world, in the future.