New enka single release [November 2025]

Cicadas of WinterNonaka Saori

Saori Nonaka 'Winter Cicadas' MV [Official]

Saori Nonaka, now in her 38th year since debut, released “Fuyu no Higurashi” in November 2025, an enka ballad that overlays winter scenery with a bittersweet woman’s heart.

Lyricist Makiko Suga, composer Hiroshi Tokuhisa, and arranger Tatsuya Nango—the team behind “Hanabana” and “Koizuki”—have reunited for this release.

Making full use of Nonaka’s signature falsetto, the song is rich in emotional nuance.

It gently sings of the lingering traces of love and complex feelings that dwell within the winter season.

This piece, which intertwines the changing seasons with a woman’s inner landscape, is one to savor carefully.

Witch’s BluesKasumi-KASMI-

Witch's Blues / Kasumi -KASMI-

“Witch’s Blues” is KASMI’s second single.

It’s a work wrapped in the bewitching atmosphere of the late night.

The arrangement is by Hideya Sawamura.

True to KASMI’s self-styled persona as a “witch who sings and dances,” it’s crafted as a kayōkyoku piece that boldly incorporates elements of blues.

Her sultry vocals pair beautifully with the smooth, restrained melody.

It’s an emotion-rich enka-kayō song that makes you want to listen slowly in a nighttime bar.

origamiSakamoto Misato

Misato Sakamoto – Origami – [Official Music Video]

Misato Sakamoto, an enka singer from Monbetsu, Hokkaido.

Immersed in enka since childhood and certified as a Natori in Japanese dance, she released her second original single in October 2025.

This work is a gem-like ballad that expresses the feelings imbued in paper cranes.

Its gentle, piano-centered arrangement and her soaring vocals warmly weave themes of love and prayer.

Please take your time and listen closely.

Farewell MelancholyTakigawa Maiko

Maiko Takigawa / Farewell Melancholy

A single released by Nippon Columbia in October 2025.

Layering a driving melody over poignant lyrics that capture the moment of parting as two people step off in different directions at an intersection, it delivers a stirring contrast.

The arrangement by Masashi Yatabe is superb, using the timbre of the saxophone to amplify the song’s emotional depth.

In addition to being selected as a recommended track by Radio Nippon, it was featured in the magazine Monthly Uta no Techo, generating buzz.

Be sure to check it out.

lip service; idealistic talk; sugarcoatingOka Yuuko

Yuko Oka “Kireigoto” Music Video

Kireigoto is a single released in October 2025—an enka piece that powerfully portrays the dual nature of a woman’s heart.

Sung by veteran artist Yuko Oka from Saga Prefecture and released by King Records, the song features an all-star creative team: Kyosuke Kuni, Akihito Shikata, and Norio Ito.

It expresses the wavering emotions of a woman who moves between goddess and demoness, carried by a classic enka melody.

Highly recommended for those who enjoy elegant, woman-centered enka and for anyone looking for a satisfying karaoke number.