Karaoke is such a common social activity that my soft-spoken brother, whom I’ve never even heard sing in the shower, adopted a go-to tune when he lived in Japan.

Restaurateur Chris Zhu and her siblings grew up singing karaoke–they regularly broke out the family machine to entertain themselves. Now, the Han Palace owner and her brother Nick Zhu are opening a ...

Beth Cream says she loves singing her heart out. (Supplied) Karaoke — a Japanese word meaning empty (kara) and orchestra (okesutora) — is a pastime enjoyed by many.