Inventor of Karaoke Machine, Shigeichi Negishi, Passes Away at 100

Shigeichi Negishi, the entrepreneur credited with inventing the world's first karaoke machine, has died at the age of 100. Negishi's 1967 "Sparko Box" prototype played a pivotal role in Japan's karaoke craze. 

Born in 1923, Negishi founded a company assembling car stereos and was inspired to create the karaoke machine after connecting a spare tape deck to a microphone and mixing circuit. Marketing his invention as the Sparko Box, Negishi sold around 8,000 units mainly to bars and restaurants. Although Negishi did not patent his invention, it contributed to the commercialization of karaoke. 

Today, Japan boasts over 8,000 karaoke box venues and 131,500 bars equipped with karaoke machines, indicating the lasting impact of Negishi's invention.