This paper discusses the versatile use of TikTok among Japanese media users in the context of the platform's increased appeal during the COVID-19 pandemic. Japanese users have adopted global trends of sharing creative content under prominent hashtags to spread a sense of togetherness in a time of social isolation. As social forms of entertainment are disrupted and paused, the practice of singing and dancing on TikTok is substituted for the joy of singing in a karaoke bar. This study adopts a walkthrough method to provide an analysis of TikTok's sociotechnical affordances and employs a content analysis for close reading of users’ videos and their accompanying captions and hashtags. The study reveals that the socialities previously afforded by karaoke cultures linger in TikTok song and idol dance challenges and duets, hashtag initiatives mimicking karaoke practices, and users’ endeavours to become ‘TikTok famous’.

本文讨论了在 COVID-19 大流行期间平台吸引力增加的背景下，日本媒体用户对 TikTok 的广泛使用。日本用户已经采用了在突出的主题标签下分享创意内容的全球趋势，以在社会孤立的时代传播一种团结感。随着社交娱乐形式的中断和暂停，在 TikTok 上唱歌和跳舞的做法取代了在卡拉 OK 酒吧唱歌的乐趣。本研究采用演练方法对 TikTok 的社会技术可供性进行分析，并采用内容分析用于仔细阅读用户的视频及其随附的标题和主题标签。该研究表明，卡拉 OK 文化之前所提供的社交在 TikTok 歌曲和偶像舞蹈挑战和二重唱、模仿卡拉 OK 做法的标签倡议以及用户努力成为“TikTok 名人”的努力中挥之不去。