A collection of classic enka masterpieces about love: songs that depict the nuances of mature romance.
Among popular enka songs, there are truly so many that depict romance.
What’s more, many of them portray mature love stories, and they’re full of such passion that just listening can make your chest ache.
In this article, we’ll introduce a selection of classic enka masterpieces themed around love.
We’ll cover famous songs everyone knows, but when you revisit the lyrics, you’ll undoubtedly be moved by the profound love woven into them.
I hope you’ll listen to the songs below while reading along with the lyrics.
- A collection of masterpieces! A roundup of enka love songs
- Classic enka songs you’ll want to sing at karaoke: recommended popular tracks
- Women’s Enka: A collection of classic enka songs expressing women’s emotions
- An enka themed around heartbreak: a collection of masterpieces whose lyrics seep with lingering regrets
- Compilation of enka duet songs. Introducing popular kayōkyoku hits as well!
- Men’s enka: a collection of classic songs portraying the way men live and their fighting spirit
- [Unrequited Love] Heart-wrenching Love Songs | A Roundup of Tear-Inducing Crush and Breakup Tracks
- [For Women] Masterpiece Enka Songs with a High Degree of Difficulty
- [2026] A roundup of classic enka songs you'd like to sing at weddings and receptions
- Nostalgic enka. A collection of classic enka hits from the Showa era.
- A roundup of captivating enka female singers in their 50s [2026]
- [Karaoke] Love songs that make you want to sing along. Heart-throbbing popular romance tracks
- [2026] A Collection of Classic Enka and Kayōkyoku Songs About Nagasaki [Local Songs]
Masterpieces of enka songs about love. A collection of tracks depicting mature romance (41–50)
Secret Flowerumetani kokona
Kokoa Umetani’s second single, “Secret Flower,” is a gem that portrays a youthful romance woven from both heartache and joy.
Released in April 2025, it beautifully blends Masao Urino’s fresh, evocative lyrics with Kohei Sachi’s kayōkyoku-style melody line.
Enhanced by Mitsuo Hagita’s contemporary arrangement, it radiates cross-generational appeal.
Her warm vocals, which gently embrace a love kept close to the heart, feel like a true friend to the soul.
A collection of classic enka masterpieces about love: songs depicting adult romance (51–60)
Because I love youSasaki Mai
Released in April 2025, Mai Sasaki’s song beautifully captures the joys and bittersweet pains of love.
With a clear, pure voice, she lays bare her honest feelings for the person she loves.
Even as she hears bad rumors about them, she can’t bring herself to let go—an emotion many listeners will surely relate to.
It’s a pure yet slightly melancholic enka track with an irresistibly light, catchy rhythm.
Homesick Love Songfujimachiko
A gem of an enka ballad that poignantly sings of lingering feelings for a loved one.
Released by Nippon Crown in March 2025, this work is a song by Machiko Fuji, with her mentor, Kuto Masuda, composing the music.
Its unhurried rhythm and wistful melody—evoking vivid scenes of the raging Sea of Japan—resonate deeply in the heart.
As you listen, why not let your thoughts drift to that precious someone you can no longer meet?
PhoenixHarada Namito
It’s a mature love song that beautifully fuses the vibe of 1980s Japanese pop with a modern sensibility.
Released in March 2025, the track captures the poignant, ever-reviving nature of love—like a phoenix—through Namito Harada’s gentle, warm vocals.
Its romantic melody is also a key element that shapes the song’s world.
Listeners familiar with Showa-era pop will surely be swept up in a wave of nostalgia.
Flames of LovePaku Junyon
This is a mature love song by Junyon Park, a captivating presence in Japan’s enka scene, that revisits a lost romance.
Released as a digital single in March 2025, the story begins with a reunion in a small bar drenched in rain.
It doesn’t stop at mere nostalgia; it sings of an unwavering form of love that looks toward the future.
A powerful melodic line and Junyon Park’s rich, resonant vocals blend beautifully in this track.
One listen is sure to put you in a romantic mood!
Kamuro-zaka in the chill of cherry-blossom seasonNahomi
This enka piece weaves a poignantly bittersweet love in rich emotion against a backdrop of cherry blossoms fluttering along an urban slope that still carries the lingering air of Edo.
Set at Shinagawa’s symbolic cherry-blossom landmark, it portrays the inner feelings of a person harboring unspoken love with lyrical sensitivity.
Nahomi’s delicate vocals evoke the quiet yet resilient strength of a mature woman, resonating deeply with listeners.
Released in March 2025 by Tokuma Japan Communications, with lyrics by Naofumi Yanagida and composition by Akito Shikata, it’s a song perfect for the season when spring arrives—recommended for those who think of a cherished someone during cherry blossom time.
Like sakura blooming in a corner of the city, its fragile yet beautiful portrait of love will surely touch the hearts of those who can relate.
Turn me onayano Aya
A single by Aya Ayano that beautifully captures the loneliness and lingering attachment left after a breakup.
The scene where the desire to gradually erase the memories of love intersects with the feelings that can’t be forgotten seeps into the heart atop a beautiful melodic line.
Released in February 2025, this piece retains the flavor of Showa-era kayōkyoku while featuring a modern arrangement.
It’s a perfect song for those who resonate with the bittersweet emotions of adult love or who want to let their hidden feelings ride on a song.