New enka single release [November 2025]

Gion Shirakawa Evening Cherry BlossomsKitaoka Hiroshi

Hiroshi Kitaoka “Gion Shirakawa Evening Cherry Blossoms” MV [Official]

Released by Tokuma Japan Communications in November 2025, this work sings of a mature love story set against the nighttime cherry blossoms of Gion Shirakawa in Kyoto.

The lyrics are richly expressive, sprinkled with Kyoto dialect.

With beautiful scenic depictions of willow-lined streets and the Tatsumi Bridge, it lets you sink into the feeling of traveling through Kyoto in spring.

It’s a work I highly recommend to Kyoto lovers and to those seeking enka rich in imagery.

Crimson (beni)Yoshinaga Kayoko

Kayoko Yoshinaga “Crimson ~Beni~” MV [Official]

Kayoko Yoshinaga is an enka singer from Narita City, Chiba Prefecture.

Released in November 2025, this ambitious work is a female-perspective cover of classic songs previously crafted by her mentor, Ikuzo Yoshi.

With a sultry vocal touch, it expresses lingering feelings for the past and an enduring, unforgotten love—echoing the moments when lipstick is applied and when it’s removed.

As you listen, you may feel as if you’ve become the protagonist of the songs yourself.

If you want to savor the heart of a mature woman, be sure to check it out.

Secret Love AnthologyShiono Kaori

Kaori Shiono “Secret Love Anthology” MUSIC VIDEO

Kaori Shiono, a powerhouse singer from Osaka, celebrates her 15th anniversary with the November 2025 single “Hirensho / Asaki Yume Mishi ~Gekka no Koika~,” a culmination of the dramatic enka style she has built over the years.

It’s a lyrical ballad foregrounding piano and strings, portraying the feelings of a woman who cannot give up on a love nearing its end, expressed through poignant motifs like withered flowers and shooting stars.

Shiono’s resonant vocals convey the hidden ache of love with rich emotion.

Anyone who has struggled with matters of the heart will surely feel it resonate.

Laughing MountainYukino Rio

Laughing Mountain

This is an enka song that paints Japan’s traditional scenery in the Reiwa era.

Performed by Yukino Roa, the piece is woven with literary language and seasonal imagery.

As it makes a full circle from spring—when the mountains bud and seem to smile—to winter, where the ancestors rest, it warmly expresses gratitude to the hometown that forgave the mistakes of youth.

The gentle melody and tender vocals are a perfect match.

Give it a listen when you want to reconnect with feelings for your hometown and the natural world.

People fall in love and compose poems about flowers.Mainosora

Mainosora “People Fall in Love and Compose Poems about Flowers” MUSIC VIDEO

This work, released in November 2025 as the fourth single by Mai-no-Sora, a Gen Z singer from Osaka Prefecture, is an ambitious piece marking her full-fledged shift into the world of enka-kayōkyoku as she turns 20.

With lyrics and composition by Ryūzō Kimura and arrangement by Shingo Nishimura, its traditional Japanese sound blends exquisitely with Mai-no-Sora’s translucent vocals.

The lyrics reflect a woman’s feelings as she looks back on a past love, interwoven with imagery of moonlit nights and fragrant daphne.

It’s a song that quietly resonates with anyone who has someone they can’t forget.