Top songs sung by tourists at Japan’s karaoke stores revealed
The most popular songs sung by foreign visitors to one of Japan’s top karaoke chains have been revealed.
As Japan gears up for a surge in inbound tourism with the upcoming Osaka-Kansai Expo, karaoke operator Xing Inc., under its JOYSOUND brand, has unveiled its “Foreigners’ Karaoke Song Ranking” for 2024.
The data, based on actual karaoke singing activity during a record-breaking year for international visitor numbers, highlights the perhaps unsurprising dominance of Japanese anime theme songs among foreign karaoke enthusiasts.
Karaoke, a cultural phenomenon born in Japan and now enjoyed worldwide, offers a unique and immersive experience for tourists, allowing them to belt out their favorite tunes while enjoying food and drinks in private rooms.
This makes it a highly appealing aspect of Japanese culture for international visitors.
Analyzing the song choices of these karaoke-loving tourists reveals a clear trend: the overwhelming popularity and enduring power of Japan’s anime soundtracks.
The rankings have been split into two distinct categories – the first is the ‘Foreigners’ Karaoke Ranking – Overall Top 20’, which looks at all songs sung by karaoke room users who register as non-Japanese nationalities.
The second is ‘Japanese Songs Sung by Foreigners – Karaoke Ranking Top 30’, which only looks at songs that are originally performed in Japanese.
Ranking data was collected between January 1st, 2024 – December 31st, 2024 at JOYSOUND managed karaoke stores across Japan.
Let’s take a look at the results of each of the two ranking categories!
Foreigners’ Karaoke Ranking – Overall Top 20
Pop classic “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys’ claimed the top spot, however the second position was secured by the globally recognized opening theme of the iconic anime “Neon Genesis Evangelion,” “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” (残酷な天使のテーゼ).
This song, a karaoke staple in Japan for decades, has become an immediately recognisable anthem for anime fans worldwide.
Further down the top 20, amidst globally renowned tracks from ABBA and Disney films, the theme song from the smash-hit anime “Oshi no Ko,” “Idol” (アイドル), landed at an impressive 13th place.
The Oshi no Ko anime’s immense popularity has propelled the song into the global consciousness of anime fans, frequently appearing on social media and video-sharing platforms, further amplifying its worldwide appeal.
Following closely at 14th is “Lemon” by Yonezu Kenshi, a signature hit in the Japanese music scene.
As of April 2025, its music video on YouTube has surpassed 900 million views, significantly bolstering its international popularity.
Japanese Songs Sung by Foreigners – Karaoke Ranking Top 30
- 1: A Cruel Angel’s Thesis – Yoko Takahashi (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
- 2: Idol – Yoasobi (Oshi no Ko)
- 3: Lemon – Kenshi Yonezu
- 4: unravel – TK from Ling Tosite Sigure (Tokyo Ghoul)
- 5: Kaijuu no Hanauta – Vaundy
- 6. Dried Flower – Yuuri
- 7: We Are! – Hiroshi Kitadani (ONE PIECE)
- 8: Betelgeuse – Yuuri
- 9: Silhouette – Kana-Boon (Naruto Shippuden)
- 10: Baka Mitai (I’ve Been a Fool) – Kazuma Kiryu (Yakuza Game Series)
- 11: Zenzenzense – Radwimps (Your Name)
- 12: Pretender – Official Hige Dandism
- 13: Yoru ni Kakeru – YOASOBI
- 14: God knows… – Haruhi Suzumiya/CV: Hirano Aya (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)
- 15: Butter-Fly – Koji Wada (Digimon Adventure)
- 16: Marigold – Aimyon
- 17: First Love – Hikaru Utada
- 18: KICK BACK – Kenshi Yonezu (Chainsaw Man)
- 19: GO!!! – FLOW (Naruto)
- 20: Hikaru Nara – Goose House (Your Lie in April)
- 21: CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA – Hironobu Kageyama (DRAGON BALL)
- 22: Guren no Yumiya – Linked Horizon (Attack on Titan)
- 23: Dan Dan Kokoro Hikareteku – Field of View (Dragon Ball: The Path to Power and Dragon Ball GT)
- 24: Blue Bird – Ikimono-gakari (Naruto Shippuden)
- 25: again – YUI (Fullmetal Alchemist)
- 26: Mayonaka no Door – Miki Matsubara
- 27: Chiisana Koi no Uta – Mongol800
- 28: crossing field – LiSA (Sword Art Online)
- 29: JoJo (Sono Chi no Sadame) – Hiroaki “Tommy” Tominaga (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 1: Phantom Blood)
- 30: departure! – Masatoshi Ono (HUNTER x HUNTER)
The dominance of anime songs becomes even more apparent in the ranking of Japanese songs sung by foreigners.
Out of the Top 30, a staggering 20 tracks are anime theme songs, including the top-ranking “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” and “Idol.”
Nearly 90% of the karaoke systems in the survey allow singers to enjoy the original anime footage or the artist’s music video as a backdrop, highlighting that the karaoke experience for foreigners is not just about singing but also about immersing themselves in the visual content.
Looking at specific anime titles, long-running series that have garnered global recognition and significantly contributed to the worldwide spread of anime, such as “ONE PIECE” and “Dragon Ball,” feature prominently.
Newer anime like “Tokyo Ghoul” and “Attack on Titan,” known for their unique appeal and compelling storylines, have also rapidly gained international popularity, with their theme songs enjoying long-term favor regardless of their original broadcast period.
Interestingly, the only game-related song to break into the Top 30 is “Baka Mitai – Sorrow-” (ばかみたい-哀愁-), an insert song from the Yakuza video game franchise, which secured the 10th position.
These results clearly demonstrate the profound impact of Japanese anime on the global stage, with its popularity deeply reflected in the karaoke choices of international visitors.
With anime songs being amongst the most popular with foreign singers, JOYSOUND have made efforts to make the karaoke experience easier and more enjoyable for those who perhaps can sing in Japanese, but not quite read the lyrics in the original language.
Recognizing the language barrier, JOYSOUND-compatible karaoke machines are equipped with a feature that displays Romanized (Romaji) phonetic transcriptions above the Japanese lyrics, allowing non-Japanese speakers to enjoy singing Japanese songs with ease.
This feature aims to promote the appeal of karaoke, a unique aspect of Japanese culture, to the world.
JOYSOUND hope that the rankings might inspire karaoke enthusiasts to explore new songs during their next karaoke session.
If you’re not in Japan and can’t visit a karaoke store anytime soon, JOYSOUND’s official YouTube channel, “JOYSOUND CHANNEL,” offers free “Romanized Karaoke” versions of 50 popular songs, including Yoko Takahashi’s “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis,” for you to take part in some karaoke fun at home.
Source: PR Times
© JOYSOUND
