E-kara

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E-kara
ManufacturerTakara
Type
Released
  • JP: October 20, 2000
  • NA: October 6, 2001
Introductory price
US$59.99 (equivalent to $110 in 2025)[1]
Discontinued2009 (2009)
Units sold3.45 million (Japan)[2]
Online services
  • JP: E-kara Web
Marketing target
Girls, ages 8–18[3]
SuccessorHi-kara

The E-kara (stylized in all lowercase) is a handheld TV karaoke system created by Takara (later Takara Tomy). The E-kara was first launched in Japan on October 20, 2000, and was later released on October 6, 2001, in the United States through Hasbro. The toy was later discontinued in 2009 after the release of the E-kara's successor, Hi-kara, on October 18, 2008.

Features

Karaoke functions

The E-kara's main unit is the microphone.[4] The microphone has built-in karaoke functions and can also be used to adjust the key up to 12 steps, the tempo up to 7 steps, and the volume.[4] The microphone also allows for 3 types of echo — bath echo, hall echo, and reverberation — and 3 types of voice effects.[4] The LCD screen on the microphone also displays the number corresponding to the song in the inserted cartridge.[4]

The E-kara microphone can optionally run on batteries.[4] The microphone has RCA connectors that are able to not only be plugged into the television, but portable music players, as well as audio and video systems in cars.[4] Up to 10 people can participate by daisy-chaining the microphones together.[5]

Songs

Songs are played on the E-kara through removable cartridges that are inserted into the microphone.[4] The cartridges are compatible with Pop it Up and Pop it Up 2, a handheld TV rhythm game console series also produced by Takara.[6] By 2004, songs were able to be downloaded from E-kara's website, E-kara Web, with the E-kara Mix.[7] Over 700 songs are available on the E-kara cartridges,[4] and over 2,000 songs were available for download on E-kara Web.[7] In 2010, E-kara Web ended song downloads.[8]

Release history

E-kara models

The E-kara was first released on October 20, 2000, as part of Takara's "Plug It!" game series.[9] A wireless version of the E-kara was announced at the 2001 Tokyo Toy Show on March 23, 2001.[10] An updated model called the E-kara N, with "N" standing for "next generation", was announced at the 2002 Tokyo Toy Show[11] and released on June 21, 2002.[6] The 4th generation model, E-kara Mix, was released on September 15, 2004, and allowed users to connect the E-kara to computers to download new songs, with up to 2,000 songs available.[7]

Hi-kara

In June 2008, Takara Tomy introduced the Hi-kara as a successor to the E-kara, which was released on October 18, 2008.[2][12] The Hi-kara is a 7 cm cube with a color LCD screen.[2] The Hi-kara includes scoring and adjusting pitch, tempo, and echo.[2] Up to 2 players can play using microphone headsets, and songs can be downloaded from computers using a downloader device that transfers data to cartridges.[2] Approximately 3,500 songs were available for download.[13] The official website announced that they were ending online services in June 2011.[14]

Marketing

Various idol groups have been featured in E-kara's marketing campaigns, including N Moni,[11] Bishojo Club 31,[7] and, most notably, Morning Musume, the latter of whom was credited with boosting E-kara sales to 1 million units in 2001.[10] Coinciding with the E-kara's 5th anniversary, Takara launched the first E-kara Star Auditions in 2004 where the winner will have a CD debut through Pony Canyon, a chance at becoming a model with Oscar Promotion, and an opportunity to appear in an E-kara commercial.[7]

In 2002, in an attempt to market the E-kara N to young girls, Takara collaborated with the junior fashion brand Angel Blue to release a special version of the product.[15] In the same year, the manga Pichi Pichi Pitch launched in the manga magazine Nakayoshi, following a similar marketing pattern in that the story was built around the E-kara.[16] After the manga was adapted into the anime series Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch, Takara introduced the E-Pitch, a version of the E-kara based on the one seen in the series,[17] along with an updated version called the E-Pitch Pure to coincide with the show's second season.[18] In 2006, Takara Tomy released the Kira Kara Starter Set to promote the anime adaptation of the Kirarin Revolution series.[19]

Hasbro distributed the E-kara in the United States,[20] launching the product on October 6, 2001.[3] Hasbro spent US$5 million on its initial launch promotions, including producing its "Popstar" television commercial.[3] In 2002, Hasbro launched a "Dare to Diva" press tour to promote the E-kara headset, with Jamie Lynn Spears appearing in the product's demonstration and its television commercial.[21]

Reception

By February 2001, Takara reported that they had sold 800,000 units of the E-kara and 2.5 million cartridges.[9] By March 2001, sales were boosted to approximately 1 million units in Japan, which Takara attributed to the commercials for the product featuring girl group Morning Musume.[9][10] By June 2008, the E-kara had sold approximately 3.45 million units in Japan.[2]

In the United States, the E-kara won the Best Girls Toy category at Toy of the Year Awards in 2002.[22]

References

  1. "e-kara Browse Products". Hasbro. Archived from the original on October 3, 2002. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  2. "7センチ・手のひらサイズのカラオケ機「Hi-kara」　タカラトミーが発売" [Takara Tomy announces the "Hi-kara", a karaoke system that is 7 cm and the size of the palm of your hand]. ITmedia (in Japanese). June 16, 2008. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  3. Aristizabal, Cynthia (October 1, 2001). "Campaign Spotlight – What were they thinking?". Kidscreen. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  4. Yoda, Tomoo (January 26, 2001). "気になるe-Toy遊んでレポート 第3回：カラオケマシン「e-kara」" [Report on playing e-Toys that we're curious about! No. 3: E-kara, the karaoke machine]. Game Watch (in Japanese). Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  5. "e-kara Questions". Hasbro. February 11, 2002. Archived from the original on August 11, 2002. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  6. "「ｅ－ｋａｒａ Ｎ」「ポピラ２」新発売のご案内" ["E-kara N" and Pop it Up 2 new release details] (PDF). Takara (Press release) (in Japanese). May 9, 2002. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  7. "年末はカラオケでホームパーティー！ ネット対応に進化した「e-kara」でみんなが笑顔に！ 「e-kara」シリーズ５周年企画「ｅ－ｋａｒａうたって♪ＨＡＰＰＹ宣言！」のご案内 第一弾『e-kara Star Audition(イーカラスターオーディション)』等、ユーザーハッピー企画満載" [Have a party at next year! With the "e-kara" which has evolved towards the Internet, bring a smile to everyone's faces! Announcement of the "E-kara" series 5th anniversary details: "Sing E-kara! Happy Declaration!" The first "E-kara Star Audition" is full of user-happy plans] (PDF). Takara (Press release) (in Japanese). October 20, 2004. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  8. "e-kara Web". Takara Tomy. Archived from the original on March 9, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2026. 新曲の配信は終了しました (New song downloads have ended.)
  9. "もっと「e - k a r a 」コミュニケーション 大ヒット マイク一体型家庭用カラオケ「e - k a r a 」関連商品登場 楽しさ・機能・使用シーンもさらにボリュームアップ！" [More communication with the "E-kara"! New products for the mega-hit all-in-one karaoke system "E-kara" have arrived! At last, you can rank up the volume for more fun, features, and scenarios where you can use it!] (PDF). Takara (Press release) (in Japanese). March 22, 2001. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  10. Yukimasa (March 23, 2001). "2001東京おもちゃショー" [2001 Tokyo Toy Show]. ASCII Media Works (in Japanese). Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  11. Yoshikawa, Taro; Kuwamoto, Misuzu (May 10, 2002). "東京おもちゃショーが開幕――「ドラえもんを作るのだ～」" [The Tokyo Toy Show begins the show: "I'll build Doraemon!"]. ASCII Media Works (in Japanese). Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  12. Matsumura, Taro (October 30, 2008). "なぜヒトはケータイでカラオケをするのか？" [Why are people doing karaoke with cell phones?]. ASCII Media Works (in Japanese). Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  13. "カラオケも「1人1台」の時代に――手のひらカラオケ機「Hi-kara」" [In the generation of "one-on-one" in karaoke: the "Hi-kara", a karaoke system that is 7 cm and the size of the palm of your hand]. ITmedia (in Japanese). September 25, 2008. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  14. "e-kara Web". Takara Tomy. Archived from the original on January 29, 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2026. 「e-karaWEB」2011年6月サービス停止のお知らせ (End of service notice in June 2011 for "E-kara Web")
  15. "タカラ・ナルミヤインターナショナルコラボレーション企画 「 ｅ－ｋａｒａＮ × ＡｎｇｅｌＢｌｕｅ スペシャルセット 」 新発売のご案内 クリアラメの「ｅ－ｋａｒａＮ」とバッグがセットになって登場！" [Takara and Narumiya International collaboration plan: "E-kara N and Angel Blue Special Set" new release details; a clear glitter bag set with "E-kara N" is here!] (PDF). Takara (Press release) (in Japanese). April 30, 2002. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  16. "『ぴちぴちピッチ』花森ぴんく先生ロングインタビュー。｢"愛"というテーマを漫画でも描きたいと思っています」" [Long interview with Pichi Pichi Pitch author Pink Hanamori: "I want to draw a manga with a theme like love"]. Pash!. Japan: Shufu to Seikatsu-sha. December 8, 2023. Archived from the original on October 6, 2025. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
  17. Motomiya, Shusuke (May 22, 2003). "あの「e-kara」がゲーム機に進化!? タカラ 「e-pitch マイクスターターセット」" [Did that E-Kara system evolve?! E-Pitch Mic Standard Set from Takara]. Game Watch (in Japanese). Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  18. "e-pitchマイクピュアスターターセット" [E-Pitch Mic Pure Standard Set]. Takara (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 5, 2004. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  19. "きらりん採点ウェブメディア" [Kirarin Scoring Web Media]. Takara Tomy (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 15, 2007. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  20. "e-kara". Hasbro. Archived from the original on August 10, 2002. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  21. "Jamie Lynn Spears Takes Center Stage With Hasbro's e-kara At a Toys 'R' Us Times Square `Dare to Diva' Party". Hasbro. September 27, 2002. Archived from the original on January 15, 2003. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  22. "Hasbro Wins Three Top Honors At Toy Industry's Annual T.O.T.Y. Awards". Hasbro. February 11, 2002. Archived from the original on February 7, 2003. Retrieved March 22, 2026.