Debut song of an enka singer

Brother ShipsToba Ichirō

Ichiro Toba “Kyodai-bune”

As his stage name suggests, he hails from Toba City in Mie Prefecture.

His father was a fisherman and his mother an ama (female diver), and he himself spent five years aboard deep-sea fishing vessels, working as a crew member catching tuna, skipjack, and more.

His songs about men of the sea are grounded in life-risking personal experience.

His younger brother is Yutaka Yamakawa, and it was his brother’s earlier debut that led Ichirō Toba to become a disciple of Toru Funamura and make his own debut at the age of 30.

Bungacha-bushiKitajima Saburō

Bungacha-bushi

It’s a legendary debut song that was banned from broadcast just a week after its release.

Apparently, after they performed it three times on TV, it got banned, so I listened to see what kind of song it was—and it turned out to be bright and fun.

Back then, the shouted “kyutsu-kyu-kyu” seems to have been a major issue.

I wonder who came up with that.

Mist-bound feelingsYamauchi Keisuke

Keisuke Yamauchi “Foggy Affection” Music Video

Keisuke Yamauchi made his debut in 2001 at the age of 17 after being scouted at a karaoke competition in his home prefecture of Fukuoka.

To become a singer, he reportedly traveled to Tokyo once a month for a year to take vocal lessons.

That must have been quite an expense.

With a somewhat feminine vibe, enka singer Keisuke Yamauchi is now an idol among older ladies.

A Flower of This WorldShimakura Chiyoko

The Flower of This World — Chiyoko Shimakura

Chiyoko Shimakura’s clear, melancholy voice had many fans.

Because of her gentle nature and pure-hearted trust that didn’t know how to doubt others, she even lent her personal seal to an acquaintance and ended up burdened with debts said to total as much as 2 billion yen.

Astonishingly, she is said to have paid it all off in just seven years.

teacherMori Masako

Masako Mori - Sensei (1986-06-29)

Masako Mori, at 13, had outstanding vocal ability, but she didn’t start singing full-fledged enka until around 1977 with “Namida no Sambashi.” Her mentor, the lyricist Yū Aku, reportedly told her, “Don’t sing too perfectly,” and “Sing as you are now.” Indeed, a hardcore enka performance from a 13-year-old can be a bit off-putting.

Hide-and-seekIshikawa Sayuri

Hide-and-Seek Sayuri Ishikawa

She was one year older than Masako Mori, and when she first debuted, she wore a hat that seemed a bit like an imitation of Junko Sakurada’s.

There was a time when she didn’t sell well, overshadowed by Momoe Yamaguchi, Junko Sakurada, and Masako Mori—the “Flower Trio of Ninth Graders.” Her big break came with Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyugeshiki in 1977.

An enka singer is, after all, best suited to enka.

It’s nice, it’s nice.Takeshima Hiroshi

It’s a good thing, it’s a good thing / Hiroshi Takeshima (It’s a good thing, it’s a good thing, released in 2002)

Hiroshi Takeshima reportedly decided to become a singer after attending Fuyumi Sakamoto’s concert when he was ten years old.

During his high school career counseling, he told his teacher he wanted to become an enka singer, which met with strong opposition.

In the end, he graduated from Meiji University’s School of Business Administration, but he made his debut after a karaoke contest he entered in his freshman year became the turning point.