Last year, we had written in these pages about how K-pop, or Korean popular music, had garnered a sizeable fan following in India. BTS, the defining face of the genre, had sent a chunk of the youth into a state of rapture with the release of a new album, a listening session for which had left a city venue choc-a-bloc. But there is another similar genre that has also been gaining in strength in the country over the years. And that's J-pop, or Japanese pop, which can be considered an older cousin of the Korean version.

But J-pop fans haven't enjoyed the sort of moment under the sun that K-pop fans have had since 2017. Consequently, the avenues for them to celebrate their fandom collectively have been close to non-existent. That situation changed for the better a couple of months ago, when a Japanese restaurant in the city curated its programming to include a J-pop karaoke night. And following the encouraging response the first two editions received, the event will now be held for a third time this weekend, with plans for it being made into a monthly affair.