Japan: The Second Day, Part 5 – The Singing Room

After the formal dinner I was invited to go with the Korean and Japanese-Korean instructors to a gentlemen’s noraebang. Directly translated “noraebang” means singing-room, basically it is a Karaoke Bar. Now a gentlemen’s noraebang is a little different from a normal noraebang. At a gentlemen’s noraebang the clientele are men only, and there are hostesses.

Honestly, I expected somewhat sinister occurrences to happen, but this was not the case. The hostesses were middle aged ladies dressed in formal clothes who make it their job to compliment the guests. They would pour them drinks, and prepare them food. I appreciated how the ladies respected my request not to have any alcohol. They merely filled up my glass with water. I found it very strange when one hostess fed me some food with chopsticks, and then wiped my mouth afterwards. They did this with most of the guests. From my observation there was no real sexual innuendo, instead the hostesses seemed to be acting in mothering-roles for the male clients. There was some touching: mostly patting thighs and stroking shoulders. The hostesses also acted as Karaoke assistants. They would work the Karaoke machine, act as backup singers, cheer-on the male singers, coordinate the smooth exchange of microphones and play drums or tambourines. If I was a Korean women and I knew that my husband was visiting one of these gentlemen’s noraebang with his friends, I would not be worried.

Whilst the Korean delegation respected my non-alcoholic preference, I was not going to get away from not singing. Although I’m not really shy of singing, I really do not know popular pop songs. I listen more to alternative music – not the type of music listed in Karaoke books. The saddest moment was when they started to choose songs for me and I had to attempt to do a rendition of “We are the World”. It was just short of a disaster.

I only got to bed well after 1am.