Recording summary · January 2017
I tried 'Meetup' in Japan and hated it - Failed attempts at socialising
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Overview
While staying at a guesthouse in Japan, Daniel befriended a married Japanese resident practicing English, who suggested using the Meetup app for local events.
After the resident departed, Daniel felt disconnected, joined an event at a Hub pub in Ikebukuro via Meetup, but quickly left after experiencing discomfort in the crowded, noisy venue and being told by a waiter not to block the bar.
Following his exit from the pub, Daniel went to a karaoke venue alone, where staff told him in Japanese that his room was ready instead of calling out his English name, and he sang for about two hours, which relieved his stress and prompted four or five subsequent solo karaoke trips in Japan.
Themes
Friendship with a Japanese guesthouse resident practicing English.
Recommendation and planning of a Meetup gathering at a Hub pub in Ikebukuro.
Negative experience in the crowded pub, social discomfort, and prompt departure.
Solo visit to a karaoke establishment following departure from the pub.
Karaoke staff interactions and waiting procedures in Japan.
Comparison between solo karaoke and singing in large groups.
Emotional benefits of solo karaoke and song selections.
Developments
Daniel stayed at a guesthouse in Japan and conversed in English with another guest.
The guest departed the guesthouse to return to his family, later returning for occasional visits and meetups.
Daniel downloaded the Meetup app, contacted an organizer, and registered for an event with a 500-yen entrance fee at a Hub pub in Ikebukuro.
Daniel arrived at the pub, stood near the bar briefly, was told by a waiter not to block the area, and left the establishment.
Daniel walked toward the train station, saw a karaoke sign, entered the facility, and filled out the intake form at the counter.
Daniel wrote his first name in English on the waiting list at a karaoke venue.
A staff member approached Daniel and told him in Japanese that his room was ready.
Daniel sang songs by Queen, My Chemical Romance, and others alone for approximately two hours.
Daniel went to karaoke alone four or five additional times during his stay in Japan the previous year.
Uncertainties & gaps
Whether the staff avoided calling out Daniel's name because they could not read it or did not know how to pronounce it.
Whether the two counter staff discussing the paper were attempting to figure out how to call Daniel.