The Most Idol-Like Star in the Enka World: Easy-to-Sing Songs by Kiyoshi Hikawa
Enka singer Kiyoshi Hikawa, who greatly energized Japan’s enka scene with “Kiyoshi no Zundoko Bushi.” With his idol-like, handsome appearance and stable vocal technique, he sparked a renewed boom in the 2000s, a time when enka was on the decline.
This time, we’re introducing some of Kiyoshi Hikawa’s songs that are easy to sing.
Because his musical background includes rock, many of his tracks have a pop-like feel.
We’ve gathered songs that even those unfamiliar with enka can sing, so be sure to check them out.
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- [Enka] Songs That Are Easy to Sing Even for the Tone-Deaf [Male Singer Edition]
- Queen of Enka: A roundup of Aki Yashiro’s easy-to-sing songs
- [Queen of Enka] A Collection of Easy-to-Sing Songs by Sayuri Ishikawa [2026]
- [The Pinnacle of Modern Enka] Shimazu Aya’s Easy-to-Sing Songs
- [Original Endoru] A Collection of Easy-to-Sing Songs by Junko Ishihara [2026]
- [Heisei-born, Showa-raised] Oe Yutaka’s easy-to-sing songs
- 【2026】Recommended Enka by Male Singers with Captivating High Notes
- [Mitsuko Day] A Collection of Easy-to-Sing Songs by Mitsuko Nakamura [2026]
Enka's Top Idol: Hikawa Kiyoshi’s Easy-to-Sing Songs (1–10)
Ooi Stalker OntaroHikawa Kiyoshi
Oikake Onjiro from Oi, a song by Kiyoshi Hikawa, is marked by its heartwarming melody.
While catchy, it still features melodies and vocal lines that firmly embody the essence of enka.
The kobushi (ornamental vocal turn) delivered with Hikawa’s signature hiccup-style flip of the voice is less difficult than the more typical kobushi that finely moves up and down the scale.
Since this song contains many such hiccup-inflected kobushi, its overall difficulty level is relatively low.
Osaka dragonflyHikawa Kiyoshi
Hikawa Kiyoshi’s classic song “Osaka Tonbo,” set in Osaka, features a bright, upbeat atmosphere reminiscent of bon odori.
The vocal line is crafted to be easy to sing throughout.
While the overall mood is cheerful and the range is fairly wide, the high notes appear only briefly, and most of the melody sits in the mid range.
In addition, the tempo is slow, and there are no intricate melismatic inflections that require dramatic pitch movement.
Because the piece leans strongly toward pop and kayōkyoku elements, it’s comfortable even for those who struggle with traditional vocal ornamentation.
Consider adding it to your repertoire.
phantom / illusion / vision / fantasyHikawa Kiyoshi
Among Kiyoshi Hikawa’s songs, the masterpiece “Maboroshi” is known as one of his finest ballads.
While Hikawa is often associated with his distinctive kobushi style that includes the hiccup-like flip of the voice, this piece contains none of those elements.
It leans far more toward kayōkyoku than enka, so the melodic movement is very gentle.
If you pay close attention to pitch control, you can aim for a high score even without exceptional vocal prowess.
Consider adding it to your repertoire.
My beloved TequiloHikawa Kiyoshi
Hikawa Kiyoshi’s classic “Itoshi no Tekīro” is memorable for its passionate melody.
Released not as an enka song but as a kayōkyoku track, it blends a distinctly Japanese kayōkyoku sound with Latin elements centered on bolero and flamenco in just the right balance.
The vocal range is somewhat wide, so it can be selective about who can sing it, but since it doesn’t feature kobushi—the intricate pitch ornamentation typical of enka—it’s actually one of the easier Hikawa Kiyoshi songs to sing.
The Finest BoatmanHikawa Kiyoshi
Kiyoshi Hikawa’s classic “Mogami no Sendou,” released in 2019.
The song has a traditional enka feel, characterized by a relaxed tempo and a warm melody.
While the slow tempo means there are many long sustained notes—which can be challenging—it’s also easier to create pauses before adding vibrato-like kobushi, so the overall difficulty is relatively low.
If the kobushi at the end of the chorus feels difficult, it’s recommended to practice each kobushi section individually and then connect them together when singing the full phrase.