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!
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- [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
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- [2026] Recommended for those who find high notes difficult! Enka by male singers that you can sing in a low register
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Easy-to-sing enka recommended for men: A roundup of songs to try at karaoke (41–50)
The northern city, HakodateKitagawa Daisuke
Daisuke Kitagawa has woven a poignant, adult love story set in a port town.
While richly retaining the nostalgic flavor of Showa-era kayōkyoku, this piece features a tenor saxophone that resonates to great effect, creating a gem of a song where wistfulness and warmth blend beautifully.
Scheduled for release in February 2025, the track is set in Hakodate and conveys feelings for a once-beloved partner now separated, expressed with remarkable vocal prowess.
Interweaving evocative depictions of Hakodate—its brick-lined streets and nightscapes—the song brings a heartfelt yearning for someone precious to the fore.
As a mellow, mature enka best savored alone on a quiet night, it leaves a deep and lasting impression.
Easy-to-sing enka recommended for men: a roundup of songs to try at karaoke (51–60)
I’m heading to Tokyo.Yoshi Ikuzo
The song that catapulted Ikuzo Yoshi to nationwide fame, “Ora Tokyo sa Igu da.” It’s a signature comic song of the enka world, with charming lyrics that humorously depict country life.
While this piece is firmly categorized as enka, it doesn’t feature the elaborate kobushi—those complex pitch bends—typical of more traditional enka.
The Aomori dialect phrasing might take a bit of getting used to, but the song itself is quite easy to sing for an enka number, so it’s well worth adding to your repertoire.
passionate flameYoshi Ikuzo
Ikuzo Yoshi is well regarded for his “onna-uta” (songs from a woman’s perspective), and among them, the track Joen is widely praised as a hidden masterpiece.
While its lyrics and melody exude a poignant melancholy, the vocal line is surprisingly straightforward, with gentle rises and falls in pitch.
There are few kobushi (ornamental turns), and the ones that do appear are often close to an extension of vibrato, so even those who feel uneasy about enka-style phrasing should be able to sing it without issue.
The song stays within a comfortable vocal range, making it easy to sing for both men and women.
Elegy of a Port TownYoshi Ikuzo
Ikuzo Yoshi’s classic “Minato-machi Banka” is marked by a melancholy, lingering melody.
It’s a women’s song depicting a woman in a port town, beautifully expressing her feelings as she dotes on her husband who’s returned from fishing after a long time away.
Despite its powerful melody, the piece surprisingly features few advanced kobushi (melismatic turns).
They do appear, but when they do, the kobushi only span one or two scale steps, so the difficulty level as enka is quite low.
Consider adding it to your repertoire.
Drunken SongYoshi Ikuzo
The song “Suika” has earned extremely high praise from critics.
It can be called a track that changed the history of enka, brilliantly mixing elements of orthodox enka, the Soran-bushi, and smooth jazz.
In particular, the jazzy saxophone showcased in the instrumental break greatly expanded the possibilities of enka.
It’s a piece only possible from Ikuzō Yoshi, one of the few singer-songwriters in the enka world.
Because the chorus incorporates the essence of the Soran-bushi, the kobushi (ornamental melismatic turns) appear more frequently there.
The other sections rely heavily on repetition and feature almost no kobushi, so the overall difficulty is relatively low.
The chorus’s kobushi are also the type that extend naturally from vibrato, making the song approachable even for those who aren’t confident with kobushi techniques.
Feel-good song♪Ōe Yutaka
The classic “Gokigen Song♪,” with its bright, smile-inducing melody, leaves a lasting impression.
While the piece faithfully follows the hallmarks of enka-style melodies, the vocals throughout are arranged into a catchy, upbeat pop-like line.
In particular, the kobushi—often considered a challenging aspect of enka—appears infrequently here, and most instances are simple, involving a two-note pitch change, so you’ll hardly feel the typical difficulty associated with enka.
Be sure to add it to your repertoire.
A Migratory Bird with a GuitarKobayashi Akira
Akira Kobayashi’s classic “Guitar o Motta Wataridori” is strongly infused with elements of Western pop.
The song is based on doo-wop, a musical genre that rose to popularity in the 1950s.
While doo-wop has roots in Black music, this track’s melody leans toward a country-flavored pop reminiscent of Elvis Presley, and it’s arranged with a gentle, understated melodic line throughout.
Perhaps to suit that melody, the song features a relatively narrow vocal range for a Kobayashi number.
The long tones aren’t difficult, and there are no intricate melismatic twists like kobushi, so consider adding it to your repertoire.