The night an after-party ran long, the night you missed the last train. Try to find karaoke late in Kyoto and you notice there is far less choice than by day.
Late-night karaoke differs from daytime in both pricing and how you spend it. Staying until the first train and singing for an hour point to different venues.
Decide first how long you are staying
Late at night, free-time and by-the-hour pricing produce very different bills. Until the first train, free-time; for an hour or two, by the hour usually comes out cheaper.
Kyoto's last trains run around midnight on the main lines. Once past midnight there are about five hours until the first, so which pricing you pick shows up clearly in the total.
- Staying until the first train: free-time
- One or two hours: by the hour
- Check when the late-night rate starts
A karaoke chain and a venue that happens to have karaoke
A dedicated karaoke venue has many rooms, so a free one is easier to find late at night. The pricing is clear, and plans with a drinks bar are available.
A bar or lounge with karaoke has fewer rooms, but more range in what you do when nobody is singing. In a group where someone wants to keep talking, this can be the more comfortable choice.
Balance the room size against your numbers
A room listed for eight is often comfortable for five or six. Staying for hours late at night, taking a room for fewer than its capacity is far less tiring.
The shape of the seating is worth a look too. A U-shape where everyone can see each other keeps the conversation going; in a long narrow room, whoever sits at the end is left out of it.
How drinks are handled changes the bill
A drinks bar, one drink minimum, free-flow included. Late-night karaoke handles drinks differently at every venue, and that is where the bills diverge.
If you are drinking, a free-flow plan makes the bill predictable. Where each order adds to the total, a long night easily runs past what you expected.
- Drinks bar, free-flow, or ordered as you go
- Whether drinks are included in the late-night rate
- Check the price of extending, too
Staying until the first train, look at what is around
When you come out late, whether a convenience store and a taxi rank are close matters more than you would think. Around Gion-Shijo and Kawaramachi there are still people about late, and taxis are easy to find.
Away from the stations, what you can do with the hours until the first train narrows sharply. Plan the journey as well, and the small hours pass more easily.
Somewhere in Gion with karaoke too
The VIP room at Gion Country Club is a fully private room with DAM karaoke. We are open from 5pm until 5am, so the hours between the last train and the first are covered.
Simulator golf and darts share the space, so if the group splits between singing and not, each has something. It is three minutes on foot from Gion-Shijo Station, and a taxi home is easy to arrange.
Frequently asked questions
Is there karaoke open late at night in Kyoto?
There are dedicated karaoke venues, and bars and lounges with karaoke. The VIP room at Gion Country Club is available until 5am.
When does the late-night rate start?
It varies by venue, but the change usually falls between 11pm and midnight. Check when you book.
Can two or three of us use a private room?
Yes. With a small party, a room with room to spare over its capacity is the comfortable choice.
