[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 (21–30)
hay feverIchikawa Yukino
Hanawazurai is a striking piece with a melody that exudes allure and passion.
While it carries the distinctive luster of enka, it also contains a generous dose of Showa-era pop essence.
In fact, elements typical of enka—such as the kobushi vocal ornament—rarely appear in the vocal line; the enka quality remains more of an atmospheric impression.
Because Showa pop forms the foundation, the vocal line is inherently less demanding, so if you sing with careful attention to dynamics and phrasing, it will sound professional.
I miss you.Ichikawa Yukino
Among Yukino Ichikawa’s songs, “Aitai Naa” is renowned as one of her finest masterpieces.
It fully embodies the pathos that is the defining feature of enka, with vocals in every section that stir the listener’s emotions.
While expressive ability is certainly required, the song prioritizes sentiment, so the vocal lines surprisingly feel quite straightforward.
In particular, most of the kobushi ornamentations involve relatively few pitch turns, making it an easy song to sing even for those who feel uncertain about executing kobushi.
[For Beginners] Recommended Enka Classics for Karaoke – Female Singers (31–40)
False Forget-me-notIchikawa Yukino
Tokyo Wasure: a work that portrays the feelings of a woman who leaves Tokyo behind to start a new life with the one she loves.
Beginning with a dramatic intro, the song repeatedly features vocals delivered with a dramatic flair throughout.
While the expressive elements—such as breathing nuances—demand a high level of control, the technical aspects of enka, like kobushi ornamentation, are comparatively lenient.
Therefore, anyone with solid basic vocal skills and a grasp of kobushi technique should be able to perform it without difficulty.
Echigo Love StoryKobayashi Sachiko
The single Echigo Jowa, released in 1996, is a masterpiece that lets you fully savor Sachiko Kobayashi’s appeal as a classic enka singer.
It has the feel of pure enka, with Kobayashi’s sultry, heartfelt vocals shining from start to finish, Toyohisa Araki’s concise yet all-encompassing lyric choices, and Tetsuya Gen’s beautiful, faintly wistful melody—all superb.
The overall key is average, and as long as you grasp basic enka techniques like kobushi and vibrato, it should be easy to sing even for those who aren’t comfortable with high notes.
It’s enka through and through, so beginners should try learning the essence of enka with this song!
Where is your hometown?Teresa Ten
When people think of Teresa Teng, many probably remember her mood-evoking songs.
This track, “Where Is My Hometown?”, differs from that image and is crafted as a gentle kayōkyoku with a touch of enka flavor.
In terms of genre, it feels like a mix of country, enka, and kayōkyoku.
Although the piece sits slightly high in vocal range, there are no sections that require belting out high notes, so its difficulty is surprisingly low.
There are quite a lot of long tones, so be sure to take solid breaths during the rests.
Premonition of PartingTeresa Ten
She has produced numerous masterpieces, and among them, “A Premonition of Parting” is one of her most well-known works.
Although the chorus sits mostly in the mid-to-high range, the pitch movement is very gentle, so even if it feels high, you may find it surprisingly easy to sing.
If you still find the height challenging, don’t hesitate to lower the key.
This song has a narrow vocal range, so even if you lower the key, you won’t struggle with the low parts.
Be sure to add it to your repertoire.
snow-cappedTeresa Ten
Although Teresa Teng is often associated with moody numbers and pop songs adorned with catchy melodies, she also has some tracks that resemble enka.
Among them, the one I especially recommend is Yuki-Gesho (“Snow Makeup”).
Melodically, it is pure enka, but the kobushi—ornamental vocal turns characteristic of enka—appear only in the chorus, and even then they are relatively easy.
The vocal range is narrow and the tempo is relaxed, making it undeniably an easy song to sing.