New enka single release [July 2025]

Ura-Namba BluesMizuki Kei

Kei Mizuki “Ura-Namba Blues” Music Video

This is a blues enka by Kei Mizuki that conjures up the bustle and neon of Osaka’s backstreets in Ura-Namba.

Known as a “high-spirited Naniwa girl,” she sings a one-night-only love story.

The lyrics, which even drop the names of modern cocktails, are filled with the regret of not exchanging contact information and the aching feelings of a woman who can’t forget the person she spent just one night with.

If you have an unforgettable love memory, or on a night when you want to sink into a touch of sentimentality, listening to this will surely tighten your chest at the heroine’s endearing earnestness.

I don’t need to see you.Date Yuta

I don't need to see you.

This is a dramatic enka ballad performed by Yuta Date, who is also drawing attention as a “fashion leader of the pop music world.” It portrays a heartbreakingly poignant love for someone precious whom one cannot meet.

Date’s husky vocals seem to speak to the depth of those hidden feelings.

Released in July 2025, this piece is perfect for a night when there’s someone you can’t forget—why not savor it alone, steeped in sentiment?

Life’s Stealthy GrassMatsushita Kumiko

Life’s Stealthy Grass

An anthem of life dedicated to everyone who dreams of tomorrow and refuses to yield to any adversity.

Released by Kumiko Matsushita in June 2025, this work portrays the resilience of people who survive with tenacity, like wildflowers that bloom proudly even after being trampled.

Her persuasive vocals deepen the song’s message even further.

When you hit a wall in life and feel your heart about to break, listening to it will fill you with the courage to look ahead and say, “I’m still okay!”

Fate-bound by lifeMatsumae Hiroko

Fate-bound by life

In this milestone year marking her 55th debut anniversary, Hiroko Masomae delivers a heartwarming enka song about a married couple.

It portrays a deep, gentle love as two people vow to walk the long road of life together, never letting go of each other’s hand.

The track will be released in June 2025 as a double A-side single, “Yagoshi Misaki / Inochi Michizure.” The composition is by her mentor, Saburo Kitajima, under his pen name Joji Hara.

Masomae’s increasingly seasoned vocals seem to softly kindle hope for tomorrow in listeners’ hearts.

It’s a song that inspires you to express gratitude to the partner who has been by your side for so many years.

A bit good at lyingTanaka Akira

Akira Tanaka “A Bit Good at Lying” Official Music Video

Released in June 2025 by Akira Tanaka, with music composed by Masato Sugimoto at Tanaka’s strong request.

It’s a track that exudes a stylish vibe.

The protagonist senses the other person’s change of heart, yet out of love pretends not to notice—an earnestness that really tugs at the heart.

With its rhythmic beat, it might just make you want to sing it at karaoke once you hear it.

Showa-era womanNagayama Yōko

Yoko Nagayama “Woman of the Showa Era” Music Video

This is a heartfelt song by Yoko Nagayama that makes your chest tighten with its nostalgic guitar melody.

Scheduled for single release in June 2025.

It portrays a Showa-era woman who, while choosing to part with a man chasing his dreams, keeps her head high and looks forward.

Vivid scenes spring to mind—like telling him goodbye from a public phone—and their purity and poignancy are deeply moving.

It’s a masterpiece perfect not only for those who lived through the Showa era, but also for anyone who wants to feel the spirit of a bygone, golden time.