[For Beginners] Recommended Enka Classics for Karaoke — Women Singers Edition
In recent years, as Showa-era kayōkyoku has been attracting attention not only in Japan but also overseas, enka—often called the spiritual hometown of the Japanese—has also been drawing keen interest among younger generations.
Enka is a genre that has evolved in many forms, from classic, orthodox styles to songs with a strong kayōkyoku flavor and even pieces that fuse multiple genres, and it continues to enjoy enduring popularity in the Reiwa era.
For those new to enka, this article introduces classic enka masterpieces by female singers that are easy to try at karaoke.
We’ve compiled a lineup of timeless hits that even beginners are likely to know, so if you’re interested, be sure to check it out.
By the way, we also introduce a male-singer version in another article, so don’t miss that, either!
- [Enka] Songs that are easy to sing even for those who are tone-deaf [Female singers edition]
- [2026] Easy Enka Songs for Karaoke: Recommended Picks — Women Singers Edition
- [2026] Easy-to-Sing Enka: From Classic Masterpieces to Recent Hits [Female Singers Edition]
- [For Beginners] Recommended Enka Masterpieces for Karaoke — Male Singers Edition
- [For Women] A roundup of enka songs that can score high in karaoke
- A roundup of female enka singers in their 70s: voices that evoke nostalgia
- [2026] Amazing if you can sing them! Enka Masterpieces [Women Singers Edition]
- A roundup of leading female enka singers representing the Showa era
- [For Women] Masterpiece Enka Songs with a High Degree of Difficulty
- 【2026】Difficult Enka Songs to Sing — Women Singers Edition
- [Asian Songstress] A Collection of Teresa Teng’s Easy-to-Sing Songs
- [Enka] Songs That Are Easy to Sing Even for the Tone-Deaf [Male Singer Edition]
- Nostalgic enka. A collection of classic enka hits from the Showa era.
[For Beginners] Recommended Enka Classics for Karaoke – Women Singers (11–20)
freezing rainHino Mika
This song is a quintessential example of enka, where a catchy melody and emotionally rich lyrics blend beautifully.
Released in December 1982, it remains beloved by many as one of Mika Hino’s signature numbers.
The lyrics, which intertwine the chill of winter rain with the pain of heartbreak, portray a universal theme that anyone can relate to.
Hino, renowned for her vocal prowess, conveys the aching heart of a forlorn love with remarkable expressiveness.
With its relaxed tempo and relatively modest melodic shifts, it’s a song that even beginners to enka will find approachable.
Why not sing it slowly, savoring the lyrics that resonate so deeply?
I’ve fallen for you.Ishihara Junko
Junko Ishihara’s classic “Horemashita.” Released in 1988, this piece marked her memorable debut and is still beloved by many fans today.
While it inherits elements of enka, the song as a whole features an easy-to-sing vocal line reminiscent of kayōkyoku.
In particular, the kobushi (ornamental vocal turns) are very easy—there are no difficult kobushi in this piece at all.
They’re limited to, at most, a one-step pitch change, so anyone with experience singing enka should be able to perform it with ease.
TATSUYATanaka Aimi
Aimi Tanaka is an enka singer known as the beloved disciple of Takashi Hosokawa.
She possesses a remarkably deep voice for someone in her early twenties, and on top of that, her expressive power is extraordinary.
She is undoubtedly expected to play a leading role in the future enka scene, yet she has also released many songs that are easy to sing.
Among them, the one you can especially expect to get the crowd going is “TATSUYA.” While the lyrics are sad, depicting a widow, the melody is powerful and still brings out a feminine quality, so you can expect it to be quite exciting.
It leans more toward kayōkyoku in style, and the absence of difficult pitch movements—such as the dramatic ups and downs often associated with kobushi—makes it notably easy to sing.
I’m falling in love with you againSakamoto Fuyumi
This is a famous song by Fuyumi Sakamoto that portrays how love for a longtime partner deepens over time and blooms anew.
Even the scars born of youthful folly turn into cherished memories as the two share their days together.
Those warm feelings soak into the heart, carried by a gentle melody.
The song was released in January 2009 as the B-side to the single “Asia no Kaizoku,” and was later included on the acclaimed album “Love Songs ~ Mata Kimi ni Koishiteru ~.” It also gained widespread recognition as the theme song for Sanwa Shurui’s barley shochu “iichiko,” and in 2010 it reached No.
3 on the Oricon weekly chart.
Why not listen when you want to reflect anew on the preciousness of the days you spend with someone dear?
Your path of gloryTendō Yoshimi
Yoshimi Tendo, a songstress who represents Osaka.
Discovered by Takajin Yashiki, she rose to public prominence.
Her vocal ability and expressive power are truly top-class, yet she has an approachable personality that has long endeared her to many enka fans.
Her hit number “Anta no Hanamichi” is a prime example.
Among her works, it’s one of the brightest, so it’s sure to get the crowd going.
This song features the distinctive twisting kobushi (melismatic ornamentation) characteristic of the Kawachi Ondo style, but since most of the ornamentation involves shifts of only two or three notes, you won’t encounter the complex kobushi heard in Tsugaru folk songs.
Instead, it calls for the powerful delivery typical of Kawachi Ondo.
As long as you can keep your pitch in check, it’s by no means a high-difficulty piece, so consider adding it to your repertoire.
Come back.Matsumura Kazuko
Kazuko Matsumura is an enka singer from Hokkaido.
While she also performs orthodox enka, her essence arguably lies in rock-influenced enka.
Many people have surely been moved by her performances, where she holds a shamisen and sings as if she were a rock musician doing an acoustic set.
“Kaette Koi yo” is one of her signature songs; it maintains the fundamentals of enka yet stands out with a rock-tinged power.
The range is somewhat high, from mid2 A# to hi D#, but since the overall span is narrow, it shouldn’t be difficult to sing if you adjust to a suitable key.
It also features fewer kobushi (ornamental turns) than typical enka, making it a recommended choice.
[For Beginners] Recommended Enka Classics for Karaoke – Women Singers (21–30)
Life waits for no one.Moriyama Aiko
Aiko Morikawa is an enka singer from Toyama Prefecture.
Despite her solid vocal abilities, she has produced many catchy songs, so even those not from the Hokuriku region may know her.
Her famous song “Matta Nashi da yo Jinsei wa” features many kobushi (ornamental vocal turns) with a shouted edge, but because most of them descend and the pitch movement in the kobushi stays within three notes, the overall difficulty is on the lower side.
The melody also has the feel of a fight song, giving it a bright tone, so you can expect it to really get the crowd going.