[Self-made Diva] Ichikawa Yukino’s easy-to-sing songs
Yukino Ichikawa has drawn attention from early in her career for her consistently strong vocals.
Although her life as a singer might have seemed smooth sailing, she was forced to take breaks—first due to burnout, and the second time because of ovarian cancer.
After that, she made a miraculous comeback and continues to captivate many fans with her powerful singing.
That said, because her vocal ability is so high, many of her songs are quite challenging.
So this time, we’ve picked out the songs by Yukino Ichikawa that are especially easy to sing.
There’s also commentary from a former vocal coach, so please use it to find pieces that could work as your own practice repertoire.
- The Most Idol-Like Star in the Enka World: Easy-to-Sing Songs by Kiyoshi Hikawa
- [Enka] Songs that are easy to sing even for those who are tone-deaf [Female singers edition]
- [Queen of Enka] A Collection of Easy-to-Sing Songs by Sayuri Ishikawa [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
- [Treasure of Powerful Enka] Takashi Hosokawa’s Easy-to-Sing Songs
- [For Beginners] Recommended Enka Classics for Karaoke — Women Singers Edition
- Enka songs that are easy for men to sing: a roundup of tracks to try at karaoke
- [For Women] Masterpiece Enka Songs with a High Degree of Difficulty
- [For Women] A roundup of enka songs that can score high in karaoke
- [Japan’s Best Vocalist] Fukuda Kohei’s Easy-to-Sing Karaoke Songs
- Songs by Yoshimi Tendo, the songstress born in Osaka, that are easy to sing
- [For Beginners] Recommended Enka Masterpieces for Karaoke — Male Singers Edition
[Self-Made Diva] Ichikawa Yukino’s Easy-to-Sing Songs (1–10)
snowIchikawa Yukino
Yukino Ichikawa’s classic “Yuki” is memorable for its melancholy-tinged melody.
Included on the album “Uta-Onna IV: Song, Drama, Poetry — The Works of Akira Yoshida,” the piece is crafted with a tone that sits between Showa-era kayōkyoku and pop throughout.
The tempo is very relaxed, and for a Yukino Ichikawa song, the vocal range is quite narrow; aside from one instance, vocal techniques such as kobushi do not appear.
Even the sole kobushi that does appear only shifts by a single scale step, so it shouldn’t feel difficult.
Snow Love BlossomIchikawa Yukino
With a range from E3 to E5 (two octaves), this song may feel a bit low overall for women.
The A section starts on relatively low notes, so you’ll want to avoid engaging your throat right from the beginning.
If you sing as if gently placing your voice right in front of you, it’s easier to hit the low notes.
Also, since this song builds rapidly from the chorus, singing the first A and B sections softly, as if speaking gently, will help set the mood.
The chorus opens around G#4, which requires a bit more projection, so pay attention there.
Make sure to breathe well and add accents on the higher notes! In the latter half of the chorus, the melody drops lower, so be careful not to let your pitch sag.
Je t’aime ~ More and moreIchikawa Yukino
Among Yukino Ichikawa’s songs, the celebrated Je t’aime ~ Motto Motto is known as something of an outlier.
Released squarely as a kayōkyoku (Japanese pop) number, it features none of the intricate, vibrato-heavy vocal lines typical of enka.
Crafted to evoke late-70s to early-80s kayōkyoku, it maintains a sultry vocal tone throughout.
The difficulty level is low; the melody stays within a narrow range with gentle rises and falls, making it a great candidate to add to your repertoire.
[Self-Made Diva] Ichikawa Yukino’s Easy-to-Sing Songs (11–20)
Nostalgic match flameIchikawa Yukino
Yukino Ichikawa is known for her wide-ranging vocal ability, covering everything from classic enka to kayōkyoku and pop.
Her song “Natsukashii Matchi no Honō” is a pop piece and ranks among her most popular pop-oriented tracks.
Its melody is reminiscent of Ghibli’s classic “Once in a While, Let’s Talk About the Old Days,” and it maintains a simple vocal line within a narrow range throughout.
It’s such an easy song that it doesn’t even employ kobushi, the advanced enka ornamentation, so consider adding it to your repertoire.
Coral AnthologyIchikawa Yukino
The song Sango-sho, released as the coupling track for Yukino Ichikawa’s popular hit Nostalgic Match Flame.
While it’s classified as enka, from a technical standpoint it leans heavily toward kayōkyoku, so the vocal difficulty is relatively low.
The range is about average, with many passages sitting in the low to mid register throughout.
Since it doesn’t demand anything particularly challenging in terms of vocal range or technique, it’s a comparatively easy song to sing even for those not accustomed to enka.
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.