Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and sing karaoke.
And when it has gone past I will go for yakitori.

There are a couple places in this town that I found to be curiously fascinating.  Part of you badly wants to know what is inside, and the other part is afraid of what will happen if you do. Recently we braved the unknown and entered two such establishments.

First is Asuka karaoke. It is at the top of a steep hill but not far from the station. I was attracted by the curviness of the kanji (aren’t we all?) but some features, such as the spinning amber light on the top of the sign caused some hesitation. But we could hear someone singing old-fashioned japanese tunes, and figured we should at least see what their song list was like. We wouldn’t stick around, just take a look….

The best word I can find to describe this place is adorable. Due to the lighting, it was actually very difficult to photograph (I know you are going to get tired of this excuse soon. I admit I am just a terrible photographer!!).  The first thing I noticed was half a dozen sculptures of dogs in the entryway. Pretty sure most of them were golden retrievers, but the memory is getting fuzzy. That was just a taste of what was to come: an amazing array of nicknacks!  I also appreciated two large paintings of birch forests that are unlike anything I’ve seen in Japan but very like something I would see in  places that seniors might frequent back home.

This karaoke place was one room– an open stage concept. And what a stage! Black and white checkered tile, coloured lights that change as you sing, a plastic cherry blossom tree in the background. There were a couple groups of 50+ folk, some of whom turned out to be the grandparents of our students. They all sang enkan, these very dramatic songs with warbly voices that always seem slow, although I realize sometimes they have a very quick tempo with a tango rhythm. They had posters up of professional enkan singers who use this space to practice, so I guess this is the real deal. One lady told us her doctor had prescribed singing to strengthen her lungs following surgery!!

Basically, everyone was lovely. They gave us tips about the best times to come to sing a lot and the times when it is busiest. They were so excited that we got up to sing. We tried to pick slower, croonier songs or retro crowd pleasers to fit with the mood the enkan singers had set. Diana Ross, Earth Wind and Fire, Celine Dione…. But I think they were so amazed when D and J sang Japanese.  Almost makes me want to learn a Japanese song just for karaoke night!!

After this positive experience with the formerly scary-looking karaoke joint, we were feeling brave and hungry.  So we decided to try The Yakitori Place Near My House.

So this is actually not far from the station, but it’s also at the entrance to a residential neighborhood and in a building that looks pretty residential itself. So for the first few weeks I walked past it without giving it much thought.  A few things made me suspect it was a business: curtains in the doorway, a large decal of a…person-like creature… in the window, and, at night, a large lantern that read YAKITORI (yes I could read it! hiragana ftw)

Knowing there was an eating establishment so conveniently located on my side of the tracks was fascinating.  But I also worried. I could be followed home. It could be a front for some yakuza operation. It could actually be a hipster’s house and the toriyaki lantern was an ironic decoration.

But going with two other people, who happen to speak/sing Japanese made these concerns seem somewhat unreasonable. Luckily. Because it was a tasty and fun night!

Because food in Japan is surprisingly affordable and even the prepackaged stuff from the grocery or convenience store is pretty darn delicious, the price-to-quantity ratio was a little surprising.  An order of yakitori includes two tiny skewers for 200yen (that’s like 3 karaoke songs right there!!!). But those tiny sticks held up billions of yen worth of deliciousness!  This might not be the place to go when you are starving. But it has a nice atmosphere and oishikattadesuyo!!!

One thing that was complimentary was the most amazing yogurt I’ve ever had. It was a natural flavour and had the most amazing velvety texture. Apparently it is is from the nearby Ibara area, and the guy goes to the factory to pick it up. Maybe the yakitori place will have to become a front for a yogurt shop…!