A Japanese female singer with excellent singing ability; an outstanding vocalist.
Even when we say someone is “a good singer,” that can mean many different things.
They might have astonishingly steady pitch, a superhuman vocal range, exquisite sense of rhythm, or a truly overwhelming voice.
This time, I’ve picked out female singers who are widely regarded as “great” from various angles like these, as well as female singers who, from my years of experience as a vocal producer and voice coach, make me think, “She’s outstanding!”
Of course, a singer’s appeal doesn’t necessarily lie only in technical skill.
But every now and then, isn’t it nice to listen with a focus on “skill”?
I hope this will be helpful for those who aspire to become singers as well.
- [Overwhelming Vocal Ability] A Compilation of Popular Female Singers
- Diva of Enka: A roundup of female singers leading the enka world
- [Feels Great to Listen To!] Popular Songs by Female Artists with Captivating High Notes
- [If You Can Sing These, You're Amazing!] Cool Karaoke Songs for Women
- [Powerful] A roundup of Japanese pop singers with incredible vocal power
- 【2026】Difficult Enka Songs to Sing — Women Singers Edition
- Recommended female vocalists for anime songs
- A masterpiece with exhilarating high notes. An enchanting high-tone voice.
- Reiwa era mustn't be missed: an enka singer with excellent vocals.
- [For Teen Girls] Popular Karaoke Songs That Are Easy to Sing
- [Crystal Voice] An artist with a clear, translucent singing voice.
- [For Women] A roundup of enka songs that can score high in karaoke
- Songs you’d want women to sing at karaoke! Karaoke picks recommended for Gen Z
Female Japanese singers with great singing ability (71–80)
Tree of WadatsumiHajime Chitose
This was the debut single by Chitose Hajime, a singer rooted in the folk music of Amami Ōshima, released in June 2002.
Known also as an Amami folk singer (utasha), her voice is clearly distinct from singers whose roots are in rock or pop.
In particular, her technique in the higher register and her use of what might be called melismatic ornamentation (I’m a bit unsure if that’s the right term…) evoke a strong sense of “shima-uta,” or island song.
You could say it’s truly a fusion of traditional performing arts and pop music.
fragileMochida Kaori (Every Little Thing)
Released in January 2001, Every Little Thing’s 17th single.
It also served as the theme song for the TV show “Ainori.” The theme of this article is “Japanese female singers who are good at singing and have high vocal ability,” but I think the appeal of ELT’s vocalist Kaori Mochida as a singer lies in her positive touch of amateurishness that never makes her feel like a full-fledged, classically trained singer.
Her voice isn’t meticulously crafted for singing; if anything, it’s like that of a karaoke-loving big sister you might find anywhere.
Yet it has plenty of inner strength, and the stable singing supported by that strength may be backed by her career of running at the forefront ever since her debut.
It’s a confident voice that seems to say, “Try to imitate me carelessly and you’ll get hurt, okay?”
wintering swallowMori Masako
Masako Mori, who debuted in 1972, is a former Japanese singer and actress known primarily for enka and kayōkyoku.
Her vocal ability has been highly acclaimed since she won the Grand Champion title on the show “Star Tanjō!” at the age of 13.
She produced many hit songs starting with her debut single “Sensei,” and in 1983 she received the Japan Record Awards’ Best Vocal Performance for “Etto Tsubame.” Cherished by Hibari Misora and known for covering Harumi Miyako’s songs, her talent has been widely recognized.
Masako Mori’s steady vocal technique and rich expressiveness make her a compelling artist that fans of enka and kayōkyoku should definitely listen to.
Great singers. Japanese female vocalists with high singing ability (81–90)
Life’s journeyMisora Hibari
Hibari Misora’s “Jinsei Ichiro” is a masterpiece whose powerful, deeply emotional vocals and message of boldly overcoming life’s rough seas resonate in the heart.
Her rich expressiveness and overwhelming vocal prowess in the song move listeners profoundly.
The precise intonation and emotion-filled voice continue to encourage many people even today.
Each listen reveals new charms; one of the song’s greatest strengths is that it conveys not only her superb singing technique but also the spirit of the performer herself.
Discerning music fans will surely find themselves returning again and again to Misora’s sincere performance.
GodAina ji Endo
Aina The End is a Japanese singer, dancer, female idol, and singer-songwriter, who is also active as a member of the six-person girl group BiSH.
Writing this piece, I listened to Aina The End’s vocals for the first time (my apologies for my ignorance), and I found her slightly husky, somewhat muffled tone incredibly captivating.
I also felt that the way she conveys each song accurately without ever forcing her voice is worthy of praise.
Many of the students who come to my lessons admire this kind of vocal style, but when you actually try it, it’s a very difficult style to pull off.
Goodbye for today.Moriyama Ryoko
Ryoko Moriyama is a singer born into a musical family, with a father who was a jazz trumpeter and a mother who was a jazz singer.
Her single “Kyou no Hi wa Sayonara,” released in 1966, is well known as a song often sung around campfires, such as in the Boy Scouts.
Sayonara, baby.Kato Miria
It’s Miliyah Kato’s 13th single overall, released in September 2008.
It’s also known as her first single in her twenties, as she says she began writing lyrics at the age of ten.
While she started singing inspired by artists like Namie Amuro, Lauryn Hill, and Hikaru Utada, her solid vocal delivery here comes across as more straightforward, with less of an overt black music influence than Lauryn Hill or Utada, making it very accessible as a female-vocal J-pop track.
That said, the brief high-tone switches that appear from time to time in the song—between falsetto and middle voice—and the way she uses them are spot-on, contributing a “Western pop” flavor to the track.