Karaoke is one of the go-to hobbies in Japan. The country's everlasting love for grabbing a few friends and singing the night away in a private room is so strong that even the most overworked salary-man has at least a couple of songs he can belt out at a pro-level. So what better way to up the challenge and make karaoke-goers break a sweat than to add rock-climbing to the mix?

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Source: Jankara

It's called boulkara, which is a combination of "bouldering" and "karaoke." The concept is being introduced by the Kansai-based karaoke retailer Jumbo Karaoke Hiroba at the chain's location in Kawaharacho, Kyoto.

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Source: Jankara

It's pretty much exactly what it says it is--a karaoke box room with the traditional seating and booths replaced with a rock-climbing wall! You can climb while your friends sing, or obviously challenge yourself by hitting your high notes as you leap from rock to rock.

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Source: Jankara

The coding of the rocks allows you to choose a path divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced courses--so maybe you'll want to pick your songs based on the rock-climbing course you choose! While booze and karaoke go hand in hand, those participating in climbing aren't allowed to imbibe. Safety first!

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Source: Jankara

While Jumbo Karaoke Hiroba is currently only offering it at one location, we figure that the growing popularity of rock climbing in Japan, coupled with the mainstay power of karaoke will lead to other ventures, as well as even more creativity in the karaoke scene!


By - grape Japan editorial staff.