Karaoke in masks, roller coasters but no screaming in Japan
SINGING your heart out at karaoke boxes may never feel the same in Japan in the coronavirus era.
To encourage customers to return following the lifting of the state of emergency, the Japan Karaoke Box Association has drafted a set of guidelines detailing recommendations on how the industry can safely resume.
They call for a limit on how many people can be in one box – typically a small booth smaller than a motel room – and for people to wear masks “and/or other protective gear that covers the eyes and face” while belting out the latest hits.
A national pastime and cultural export, karaoke unfortunately ticks every box in the government’s guidelines of environments to avoid: crowded, cramped and potentially laden with viruscarrying droplets. But that didn’t stop customers from lining up outside outlets of Manekineko, Japan’s largest karaoke chain, as they reopened for business on
Wednesday in Kanagawa, south of Tokyo.
“We’re asking for everyone except the person singing to wear masks,” said Hitomi Baba, a spokeswoman for chain operator Koshidaka Holdings Co.
“We’re also giving out a mask to each customer where possible, and where we can’t, giving disinfectant sheets instead.”
About half of the chain’s 527 outlets across the country have resumed business.
Japan lifted its state of emergency nationwide on Monday, as new infections and overall hospitalizations dropped to fractions of the peak.
The government has warned people they must adjust to a ‘new lifestyle,’ with recommendations covering everything from how to commute and shop to the right way to enjoy leisure and hobbies.
Some recommendations may be easier to obey than others, however. An organisation representing theme parks, including the operators of Tokyo Disney Resort and Universal Studios Japan, unveiled a set of measures to reduce risk at the parks.
Among the recommendations was one calling on customers to refrain from screaming on roller coasters and attractions and, of course, to wear masks while on the rides.
Japanese TV shows will begin filming again, with one widely reported book of guidelines from Nippon TV calling for kissing and action scenes to be avoided to the extent possible, no meetings over lunch, and for actors to dress and microphone themselves.
“Japanese organisations like to create rules,” said Rochelle Kopp of Japan Intercultural Consulting, who advises and trains Japanese firms. “And Japanese individuals like to have rules so they know what’s appropriate or not. Going along with what the rule is, what has been determined, is very important.”