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.
- From Comic Songs to Enka: Easy-to-Sing Songs by Ikuzo Yoshi [2026]
- [Prince of Enka] Keisuke Yamauchi’s Easy-to-Sing Songs [2026]
- [Treasure of Powerful Enka] Takashi Hosokawa’s Easy-to-Sing Songs
- The Allure of Deep Vocals: A Collection of Yutaka Yamakawa’s Easy-to-Sing Songs [2026]
- [People・Songs・Heart] A Collection of Miyuki Kawanaka’s Easy-to-Sing Songs [2026]
- [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)
Akiko of the Starry SkyHikawa Kiyoshi
The song Akiko Under the Starry Sky was released in 2002.
It came out as the fifth single, but since the B-side, Denden-mushi, was used as the ending theme for an NHK drama, I imagine not many people remember this A-side track.
Despite that somewhat unfortunate fate, it’s actually a very easy enka song to sing.
The tempo is mid-tempo for enka, but it features an unusually large number of long tones, and those long tones are simply held with vibrato, making them very easy.
There are no complex kobushi that move up and down by three or four notes, so anyone familiar with enka should be able to sing it with ease.
PapillonHikawa Kiyoshi
Hikawa Kiyoshi’s unique masterpiece “Papillon,” with its strong rock flavor.
Hikawa Kiyoshi originally liked visual-kei rock, and this work offers a glimpse of his musical roots.
Its melody is reminiscent of DIR EN GREY, grand yet infused with a sense of drive.
That said, it’s not the kind of rock that features shouts or death vocals; the vocal line is more relaxed, closer to kayōkyoku, so the overall difficulty is on the lower side.
Be sure to add it to your repertoire.
Kiyoshi’s Zundoko SongHikawa Kiyoshi
The song that made Kiyoshi Hikawa’s name known nationwide, ‘Kiyoshi no Zundoko-bushi,’ is one of the catchiest among the many Zundoko-bushi numbers.
It’s an easy song overall, and the most challenging element of enka—the kobushi (melismatic ornament)—doesn’t appear very frequently.
Even when it does, the pitch doesn’t move up and down more than about three steps, so it’s really simple.
The piece does have a slightly wider vocal range, but there aren’t many long sustained notes, so as long as you have basic singing skills, anyone should be able to sing it without trouble.
Blossom RomanticaHikawa Kiyoshi
Kiyoshi Hikawa’s classic “Saite Romantica.” This piece weaves Latin sounds—most notably flamenco—throughout the arrangement.
While flamenco and enka share many similarities in terms of vocal ornamentation (kobushi), the song doesn’t lean into that aspect, so you won’t hear the intricate pitch bends that kobushi requires.
If anything, the vocal line is closer to pop or kayōkyoku.
The tempo isn’t too fast, and there are no overly long sustained notes, making it a song that can be sung comfortably even without advanced vocal technique.
It’s okayHikawa Kiyoshi
Hikawa Kiyoshi’s classic “Daijoubu” stands out for its comical vibe.
The optimistic lyrics leave a strong impression, and the melody is crafted to be light and buoyant to match.
The song features a clean, understated vocal line that fits the breezy tune perfectly.
There are no complex vocal ornaments, and many phrases end with a crisp cut, so there’s no worry about running out of breath on long notes.
Definitely consider adding it to your repertoire.