Yesterday Japanese toymaker Takara Tomy announced [JP, PDF] the development of the world’s smallest Karaoke box, dubbed Hi-Kara. It will go on sale in Japan on October 18th and will be available in white or pink.

The Hi-Kara is a complete portable Karaoke system that Takara Tomy managed to squeeze into a tiny cube (7 cm, 150 grams). It comes with a 2.4-inch LED, which can display music videos and song lyrics. Users will be able to sing and listen to songs either via a headset/microphone set or through speakers. Takara Tomy claims 4 AAA batteries last for 4.5 hours of Karaoke.

The songs will be added to the Hi-Kara using cartridges. Takara Tomy wants to charge $19 for 10 songs or $34 for 20 songs. The company will also set up a Hi-Kara web site through which users can download more music on blank cartridges.

The Japan-only Hi-Kara cube is scheduled to be offered for $97. Targeting young girls, Takara Tomy plans to sell 500,000 units in one year.