Enka themed around flowers: a collection of songs depicting flowers in full bloom and flowers falling away.

Seven-colored flowerYūki Saori

Saori Yuki / Nanairo-bana (Seven-Colored Flower)

Saori Yuki, the enka singer affectionately known as the “Smiling Songstress.” Released in August 2025, this work is a heartwarming kayōkyoku that overlays the image of hydrangeas standing gracefully in the rain with the figure of a woman who keeps facing forward despite hardship.

Its story, depicting the hope that comes after tears and the richly colored beauty of life, warms the heart just by listening.

It’s a number that gently gives you a push when you lack the energy, offering the courage to step into tomorrow.

Four o’clock flowerMizumori Kaori

Ochiroi-bana · Kaori Mizumori

This is the debut song that became the starting point of Kaori Mizumori’s brilliant career, beloved as the “Queen of Local Songs.” Released in September 1995, the track debuted at No.

3 on the Oricon enka/kayō chart.

It portrays the single-hearted feelings of a woman who wishes to bloom beautifully by the side of the one she loves, likening her heart to a flower blooming at dusk.

Her deeply expressive vocals, carried by a light, string-accented melody, resonate in the heart.

Listening to this piece may revive memories of a once-pure love, and some may find their hearts unexpectedly stirred.

It’s a gentle song that feels as if it softly embraces earnest, devoted affection.

Rainy Night WineFuji Ayako

Aya Fuki “Amayo-zake” Music Video (First Chorus)

This is a song by Aya Koizumi that sings of a woman’s aching heart as she drinks alone on a rainy night, thinking of the lover who left her.

What stands out is that it doesn’t merely lament the sorrow; her lustrous yet restrained vocal delivery quietly sketches the deep grief lying in the protagonist’s heart.

Released in March 1991 as her third single, it became a forerunner of “sake-themed” enka, paving the way for the later classic Kokoro-zake.

Its inclusion in the concert video Aya Koizumi First Recital: Ayayaka ni also shows how lovingly it has been performed over the years.

If you listen to it on a quiet night while thinking of someone dear, you might feel your nose sting with empathy.

selfish; self-centered; willfulMochizuki Ruka

Ruka Mochizuki “Wagamama” Music Video

This is a song by Ruka Mochizuki, with lyrics and composition by Tetsuya Komuro, bringing a fresh breeze to the enka world.

The bittersweet feelings toward a loved one are portrayed like waves that ebb and flow.

The choice of indirect wording—such as the scene of jumping onto the last train—ironically serves to highlight the protagonist’s sense of helplessness.

Many listeners may find their hearts captured at first listen by this bold, innovative approach.

Not only longtime enka fans, but even those who don’t usually listen to enka, are sure to be drawn into this new sound!

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.

A Woman’s Life: Flowers of Sweatkawanaka miyuki

[MV] Miyuki Kawanaka / A Woman’s Life ~Flowers of Sweat~

A heartwarming life-affirming song that sings of gratitude to a devoted mother and the deep love from her daughter.

Lyricist Osamu Yoshioka portrays a mother who toiled through daily life, overcoming any hardship with a smile.

That scene overlaps with Miyuki Kawanaka’s loving, compassionate voice, deeply resonating in the hearts of listeners.

The single was released in May 2003 to coincide with the Mother’s Day season.

It was later included on best-of albums such as the classic “Miyuki Kawanaka Daizenshū” and continues to be beloved by many.

Doesn’t it make you feel the beauty of those who live earnestly and give you strength to face tomorrow? Let it be an opportunity to express the gratitude you can’t usually put into words to someone important to you.

Winter Love FlowerHanasaki Yukimi

Winter Love Flower (Fuyurenka)

Set against the frozen winters of the northern provinces, this is Yukimi Hanasaki’s fourth single, a richly emotive song that poignantly gives voice to the longing for a lover she cannot meet.

Vivid scenes—like a train racing through the darkness and a harbor echoing with foghorns—spring to mind, heightening the tragic drama of the love story.

Released in December 2009, the track became a long-running hit, staying on the Oricon charts for 19 weeks.

It was later included on the acclaimed album “Zenkokushū: Fuyukoi-bana / Fuyu no Hotaru.” Through Hanasaki’s powerful vocals, you can feel the protagonist’s steadfast resolve as she likens herself to a flower determined to bloom in the harshest conditions.

It’s a song that may draw you deep into its world on nights when you want to dwell on a helpless, aching love.