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Culture
KTV
Kǎlā OK
The short answer
KTV is Taiwan's private-room karaoke, open late with food menus and huge song lists. Chains such as Party World (錢櫃) and Holiday KTV (好樂迪) are a staple of birthdays and work outings.
Where
Taiwan
Category
Social Gathering|Entertainment
When
Daily Evenings
Origin
Karaoke invented in Japan in the early 1970s; KTV rooms spread in Taiwan in the late 1980s
What it is
Private karaoke rooms for singing with friends family or colleagues
Why it matters
A popular form of entertainment and social bonding across Asia
Fun fact
'Karaoke' is Japanese for 'empty orchestra' (空オケ); Chinese transliterates it as 卡拉OK (kǎlā OK).
Kungfucius says: The one place where Taiwanese reserve gives way to full-volume power ballads.
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