Classic enka songs you’ll want to sing at karaoke: recommended popular tracks
Enka, the genre of music that helped energize Japan up through around the 1980s.
Countless masterpieces were born in this field of enka.
This time, we’re featuring the crème de la crème—timeless enka hits that defined their eras and are perfect for singing at karaoke.
From well-known classics to hidden gems known only to aficionados, we’ve selected songs across a wide range of years and styles, so be sure to find the one that suits you.
We’re introducing quite a number of tracks, making this a great pick for anyone who wants to reminisce alongside enka.
- Great enka masterpieces and hit songs of the 1970s
- Cool masterpieces of enka, the heart of Japan
- Enka Karaoke Popularity Rankings [2026]
- Great enka masterpieces and hit songs of the 1980s
- [For Women] A roundup of enka songs that can score high in karaoke
- Enka songs that are easy for men to sing: a roundup of tracks to try at karaoke
- Easy-to-sing enka: A roundup of recommended enka songs for karaoke
- [Showa Era] A Collection of Enka Hits: Timeless Classics Loved Across Generations
- [2026] Representative Famous Enka Songs: A Compilation of Classic Favorites [Beginner-Friendly]
- [Songs from the Showa Era] Introducing classic tracks that are easy to sing at karaoke.
- [Enka] Songs That Are Easy to Sing Even for the Tone-Deaf [Male Singer Edition]
- [Japan’s Best Vocalist] Fukuda Kohei’s Easy-to-Sing Karaoke Songs
- A roundup of hit enka songs from the Heisei era
Enka Classics You’ll Want to Sing at Karaoke: Recommended Popular Songs (31–40)
Come back.Matsumura Kazuko
Kazuko Matsumura’s “Kaette Koi yo,” brightly and energetically sung with a shamisen on her shoulder, is a karaoke cheer-up song perfect for farewell parties when a coworker has been demoted and transferred to a regional post, helping lift their spirits.
“Kaette Koi yo” was released in April 1980 and was Kazuko Matsumura’s debut single.
Rainbow BayonHikawa Kiyoshi
It was released in 2010 as Kiyoshi Hikawa’s 21st single.
The song has a Showa-era kayōkyoku style, and he performed it at the 61st NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen in 2010.
It reached No.
3 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart, and the chorus is crafted to make it easy to add call-and-response chants, resulting in a track that’s quintessentially Kiyoshi Hikawa.
Love SongMaekawa Kiyoshi
The resonance of the saxophone in the intro sharply enhances the song’s appeal, and the melody flows with a gentle tone.
Try singing this as a love song in front of the woman you like.
It will surely create the perfect moment to capture her heart.
“Koiuta” was released by Teichiku Records in July 2007.
Let me get drunk—just for tonight.Jōnouchi Sanae
It was released in 1993 as Sanae Jounouchi’s eighth single.
The original song was included as the 10th track on Chisato Moritaka’s sixth album, “ROCK ALIVE,” released in 1992.
On cable radio, it became a smash hit through long-running requests spanning roughly two years into the following year.
The song won the Excellence Award for Cable Music at the 27th Japan Cable Awards.
I won’t let you go tonight.Koyanagi Rumiko & Hashi Yukio
The enka-style duet “Konya wa Hanasanai” is a lively song with a pop Latin rhythm.
It’s perfect for a fun duet with someone you love.
Released in July 1983 as Yukio Hashi’s 149th single, it’s a stylish track that still feels fresh when sung at karaoke today.
Classic enka songs to sing at karaoke: recommended popular tracks (41–50)
Casablanca GoodbyeToba Ichirō
Enka singer Ichiro Toba, popular for his wide-ranging musicality from male-voiced to female-voiced songs, has left many masterpieces.
Among them, Casablanca Goodbye is especially recommended as an easy song to sing.
While there are a few spots that feature kobushi (traditional enka vocal ornaments), overall the piece has a flavor closer to kayōkyoku (Japanese popular song).
It employs a very light mixed voice, but the high phrases aren’t very long, and it doesn’t demand much power overall, so the overall difficulty is on the lower side.
Its mood-rich melody is sure to get the crowd going!
Homesickness on a JourneyNishizaki Midori
The melancholic tone is beautifully performed throughout, and the song portrays a woman’s heart living for a single, unwavering love.
“Ryoshū” (Travel Melancholy) was used as the theme song for the fourth entry in the Hissatsu series, “Kurayami Shi To Nin,” and became a major hit in 1974, sung by Midori Nishizaki, who was in her second year of junior high school at the time.