New enka single release [March 2025]

night-flowering jasmineOka Midori

Oka Midori “Yakanran” Music Video

A gemlike love song released in February 2025 that richly portrays the sweetness and ache of first love.

Carried by a gentle, companionable melody, the fragility and sorrow of love are delicately woven together.

Celebrating Midori Oka’s 20th anniversary since her debut, this work beautifully harmonizes Reiji Mizuki’s lyrics with Masato Sugimoto’s composition to sensitively express a woman’s heart swayed by love.

Like soap bubbles, a fleeting romance and the anxious feelings blown by the wind are tenderly sung in a clear, transparent voice.

A recommended track for those who want to empathize with tender yet bittersweet emotions.

Wind cherry blossomSatō Akemi

Akemi Sato “Kaze Zakura (Wind Cherry Blossoms)” Official Music Video

This is a distinctly Japanese lyrical song that portrays ways of living through contrasts.

Akemi Sato’s clear, translucent voice deftly conveys the song’s delicate emotions.

Created by the renowned duo of lyricist Takahiro Maeda and composer Shunichi Makaino, the piece was released in February 2025.

While celebrating the importance of living true to oneself, it movingly captures the profound expressive power of depicting life’s opposing emotions—joy and sorrow.

It’s a perfect track for moments when you want to pause in your daily life and reflect on yourself.

The graceful melody, harmonizing the tones of traditional Japanese instruments with modern arrangements, is also part of its charm.

I am most delighted.Kitazawa Mai

Mai Kitazawa “So Delightful” MV [Official]

A pure love song wrapped in kindness, expressing the feelings of unrequited love with the classical word “ito.” It’s a work by Mai Kitazawa, released by Tokuma Japan Communications in February 2025.

The song celebrates the timeless beauty of love that doesn’t change with age, conveying a warm message that simply caring for someone is itself a source of happiness.

With its calm vocals and emotionally rich arrangement that resonate deeply, this is her third single since moving to Tokuma Japan.

The worldview woven from archaic language and a modern melody will gently accompany anyone who holds dear feelings for someone special.

Husband-and-wife sugorokuKitano Machiko

Machiko Kitano “Husband and Wife Sugoroku” Music Video

This is a heartwarming enka song that likens a married couple’s journey through life to a sugoroku board game.

Sung with rich expressiveness by Machiko Kitano, the piece portrays the joys and trials of life with deep emotion.

Within its unhurried tempo lies a moving resolve to keep walking forward while building a life of love together.

Released in February 2025 by King Records, the song was composed by Hiroshi Tokuhisa with lyrics by Takashi Manjo.

It’s a perfect choice for celebrating a wedding anniversary or for peaceful moments spent together as a couple.

The resonant vocals and warm lyrics will surely deepen the bond with someone dear.

Naniwa SpiritSakamoto Fuyumi

Naniwadamashii

Its powerful sound, reminiscent of the debut single “Abare Daiko,” blends beautifully with her lustrous vocals.

Released in March 2025, this work is the first song in which Ms.

Sakamoto, who hails from Kansai, sings with Osaka as its theme.

Created by an all-star team, it reunites Yo Yashiro after 20 years and Chiaki Oka after 9 years.

It vividly portrays, with deep emotion, the importance of facing forward and moving on precisely when you hit a wall.

It truly feels like a song that stays close to the hearts of those striving to overcome difficult times in life.

potato flowersKoyama Yudai

potato flowers

This is a song that brings a swell of gratitude for one’s mother.

Set for release in March 2025, it’s by Yudai Koyama, an enka singer from Hokkaido.

With a powerful voice honed by winning folk song competitions, he vividly portrays the vast northern landscapes and his feelings for his mother.

Featuring lyrics by Suzuko Sawada and music by Tetsuya Gen, this work weaves a love story that resonates with anyone who cherishes their parents.

The Northern CliffsYamauchi Keisuke

Keisuke Yamauchi “Cliffs of the North” Music Video

This work gives voice to a woman’s aching heart, as if the sea breeze were piercing her chest.

Released in February 2025 to commemorate Keisuke Yamauchi’s 25th anniversary since debut, it perfectly pairs his powerful vocals with a melody that conveys emotions with no place to go.

Set against the sheer cliffs of the north, it portrays lingering attachment, frustration, and a loss of hope for tomorrow.

It is a song that will surely stay close to the hearts of those bearing the pain of love.

your catchphrasekawanaka miyuki

Miyuki Kawanaka “Your Catchphrase” Music Video

A song woven by Miyuki Kawanaka’s gentle voice that tenderly conveys feelings toward a mother and touches the heart.

Its worldview—where a mother’s favorite sayings become a pillar of support in life—evokes a nostalgic, heartwarming mood.

Released in February 2025, this work is a gemlike ballad crafted by lyricist Suzuko Sawada and composer Masato Sugimoto.

When you want to quietly reflect on memories with your mother and gratitude for family, this piece will offer a melody that resonates within.

Embraced by Kawanaka’s characteristically warm expressiveness and a calm, gentle tone, it is a song that makes many listeners want to express their thanks to someone dear.

Tsugaru Shamisen StorySaisei

Ryusei / Tsugaru Shamisen Story

This is a warm-hearted song themed around the shamisen rooted in the land of Tsugaru.

Written and composed by Ikuzo Yoshi, it was released in February 2025.

It’s an enka number that gently weaves together the protagonist’s feelings toward their parents and pride in the shamisen, having chosen a path away from their hometown.

A modern, rock-like arrangement and effective use of electric guitar shine throughout.

Ayasei’s emotionally rich vocals, singing of gratitude to father and mother and a longing for home, and the shamisen’s evocative tones that resonate like memories, sink deep into the heart.

The scenic descriptions are superb, such as the scene of looking up at the stars on a blizzardy night while thinking of home.

It’s a song that offers comfort to those living apart from their families and hometown.

Melancholy NightMatsu Kaori

Kaori Matsu - 'Melancholy Night' Official Music Video

A poignant love story woven from the beautiful lights and loneliness that color the city nightscape resonates in the heart.

The wavering feelings of a romance that was supposed to be just a fling and the strength to choose farewell are expressed with finesse, brought to life by Kaori Matsu’s sultry vocals.

Released in February 2025, this work perfectly marries lyrics spun by Tsubasa Kazu with an emotionally rich melody crafted by Hiroshi Tokuhisa.

Set in a lounge on the 55th floor of a high-rise, its striking world overlaps the star-like city lights with a fragile longing for love.

Perfect for night drives or moments when you want to sink into a mellow mood.

A recommended track for anyone who relates to the urban sense of loneliness and bittersweetness.