OSAKA -- A karaoke room designed to look like the inside of a Kintetsu Railway Co. train opened here on Feb. 21, giving railroad buffs the chance to let off steam as they sing to their favorite tracks.

The room, which opened at a branch of major karaoke chain Joysound in a busy area of Osaka's Abeno Ward in western Japan is equipped with controls that were actually used in a Kintetsu train. As they fire up their singing engines, customers are treated to video footage captured from the driver's cab of a train running on the Kintetsu Yoshino Line, displayed on a large screen.

The special room has a seating capacity of 10 and the fee is same as for a regular room. A staff member commented, "Even if you miss the train home, you don't need to fret because our 'last train' (closing time) is scheduled for 5 a.m."

(Japanese original by Masaki Takahashi, Osaka City News Department)