Enka songs that are easy for men to sing: a roundup of tracks to try at karaoke
You might be surprised by how many people want to try singing enka at karaoke.
Of course, there are those who love enka, but even among those who don’t, some people think, “I want to sing enka well and liven up the mood,” or “I often go to karaoke with older people, so I’d like to add some enka to my repertoire.”
In this article, we’ll introduce easy-to-sing songs for men who want to sing enka at karaoke.
Songs with a not-too-wide vocal range and simple melodies are considered easier to sing.
That said, what suits you can vary, so try singing a variety of songs first to see what works for you!
- Classic enka songs you’ll want to sing at karaoke: recommended popular tracks
- [2026] Easy Enka Songs Recommended for Karaoke – Male Singers Edition
- [Enka] Songs That Are Easy to Sing Even for the Tone-Deaf [Male Singer Edition]
- [Men] Enka Songs That Can Score High in Karaoke
- Even karaoke beginners can relax! Easy-to-sing songs for men
- [Enka] A feature on male singers in their 60s: enka vocalists whose rugged charm shines
- Easy-to-sing enka: A roundup of recommended enka songs for karaoke
- [2026] Representative Famous Enka Songs: A Compilation of Classic Favorites [Beginner-Friendly]
- [Japan’s Best Vocalist] Fukuda Kohei’s Easy-to-Sing Karaoke Songs
- A collection of iconic, cool Showa-era kayōkyoku classics sung by male vocalists
- Queen of Enka: A roundup of Aki Yashiro’s easy-to-sing songs
- [2026] Recommended for those who find high notes difficult! Enka by male singers that you can sing in a low register
- [For Beginners] Recommended Enka Masterpieces for Karaoke — Male Singers Edition
Easy-to-sing enka recommended for men: A roundup of songs to try at karaoke (1–10)
old man teacherSen Masao
Masao Sen has left behind many great songs, but among them, Oyaji Sensei is especially known for its outstanding storytelling.
The spoken lines at the beginning draw you into the piece, and from there the world of the song unfolds all at once.
The depiction of sharing drinks with one’s former teacher is particularly memorable, and the whole piece is set to a warm, unhurried melody.
There’s hardly any kobushi (ornamental vibrato), so even those who find enka vocal stylings challenging can sing it comfortably.
Consider adding it to your repertoire.
Our town was green indeed.Sen Masao
Masao Sen’s classic “Waga Machi wa Midori Nariki” is notable for its gentle melody.
While it is nominally classified as enka, the vocal line strongly reflects the essence of Showa-era kayōkyoku, and the characteristic enka vocal melisma (kobushi) is scarcely present.
The few instances of kobushi are mostly limited to a single scale step up or down, so even those not adept at enka-style phrasing should be able to sing it without difficulty.
If you enjoy songs with a nostalgic, old-fashioned mood, consider adding this one to your repertoire.
Motomachi BluesSen Masao
Speaking of the Showa era, it’s also memorable as the heyday of blues.
Unlike overseas blues, the Japanese take on blues was about whether it carried a bluesy feel within an enka style, and by that definition, this work is a spot-on blues kayō song.
It preserves the essence of enka while combining the grit of blues with the singability of pop kayō, and the vocal lines are kept very simple throughout.
It’s approachable even for beginners, so consider adding it to your repertoire.
Easy-to-sing enka recommended for men: A roundup of songs to try at karaoke (11–20)
70th birthday celebrationSen Masao
The piece “Koki Celebration,” cherished by many fans as a late-period masterpiece, is exactly what its title suggests—a work celebrating one’s seventieth birthday.
True to that theme, it features a warm, inviting melody.
While it’s solidly enka, most of its characteristic kobushi rely on Masao Sen’s unique style of completely stopping the voice to form the phrases, so you shouldn’t find the ornamentation particularly difficult.
Because it begins with a clear, decisive opening, you’ll need some familiarity with singing it.
Be sure to add it to your repertoire.
Beside the TearsSen Masao
Masao Sen is known for his wide-ranging repertoire, but among his works, “Namida no Tonari” is especially beloved by many fans as a real outlier.
While it’s categorized as enka and the vocal lines are sung very much in an enka style, the song as a whole incorporates a Hawaiian music flavor.
As a result, it settles into a very relaxed tempo, with relatively few instances of kobushi (ornamental vocal inflections), which is a distinctive feature.
Consider adding it to your repertoire.
A Man’s HarborToba Ichirō
When it comes to enka singers with a masculine vocal style, many people probably think of Ichiro Toba first.
If we’re talking about the song that best showcases his manliness, it has to be “Otoko no Minato” (A Man’s Harbor).
While its power and masculinity are captivating, it’s actually one of the easier songs to sing within the enka genre.
Although the kobushi (melodic shakes) appear repeatedly, they’re relatively simple and reproducible for enka beginners, so the overall difficulty is low.
However, because you need to sing with strong vibrato, diaphragmatic strength and control are required.
I’m going to Tokyo.Yoshi Ikuzo
Enka singer Ichi Ikuzō, known for his wide-ranging musicality from comic songs to songs in a female voice and heart-wrenching ballads.
Unusual for an enka singer, he also has the side of a singer-songwriter, and his original songs, for which he writes both lyrics and music, are full of creativity and have remained beloved across generations.
Speaking of Ikuzō Yoshii’s masterpieces, it has to be “Ora Tokyo sa Iguda,” doesn’t it? While it has elements typical of enka, it features many spoken-style parts, so the overall difficulty is on the lower side.
As a comic song, it really gets the crowd going, so be sure to add it to your repertoire.