[Sub-chan] A Collection of Easy-to-Sing Songs by Saburo Kitajima [2026]
Saburo Kitajima is a priceless treasure whose name is etched in the history of Japanese popular music, transcending the boundaries of enka.
He has sung numerous famous songs that almost every Japanese person has heard, and he remains a rare figure who continues to showcase his multifaceted talents—not only as a singer, but also as an actor and as a lyricist-composer under the name Gen Hyoji.
As an enka singer, he has a voice you can recognize the instant you hear it.
His rich vocal power and soaring high notes are so remarkable that even an untrained ear can appreciate them.
While it may be difficult to sing like Kitajima, in this article we’ve researched and compiled a selection of his many classics that are comparatively easy to sing.
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[Saburo-chan] A Collection of Easy-to-Sing Songs by Saburo Kitajima [2026] (1–10)
Woman of HakodateKitajima Saburō
Saburo Kitajima’s classic “Onna no Hakodate,” still passed down today, is one of Japan’s representative enka songs, noted for its remarkably expansive vocals.
Among enka pieces, it has a particularly wide vocal range, so it isn’t easy in every respect.
However, because the most challenging element of enka—the kobushi (melismatic ornament)—doesn’t appear very often, the overall difficulty is on the lower side.
The kobushi that does appear isn’t as demanding as in styles like Kawachi Ondo or Tsugaru folk songs; it’s more like an extension of vibrato.
Even those who struggle with enka-style phrasing should be able to sing it without issue.
Woman of OnomichiKitajima Saburō
Saburo Kitajima’s classic “Onomichi no Onna” is marked by its delicate melody and instrumentation.
It features a relaxed tempo and, unusually for Kitajima’s songs, a vocal line with overall restrained volume.
That said, there are moments with expansive long tones, so care is needed.
It leans more toward kayōkyoku (Japanese pop ballad) than traditional enka, and in fact uses kobushi (melismatic ornamentation) only sparingly.
As a result, it’s a very singable piece for those who find enka’s characteristic vocal stylings challenging.
Five Chivalrous Men of the Blue CloudsKitajima Saburō
Saburo Kitajima’s song “Seiun Gonin Otoko,” released in 1966, has the feel of traditional enka, with a notably relaxed tempo.
Precisely because the tempo is laid-back, the vocal line is quite intense, with pitch moving up and down at a somewhat brisk pace.
That might sound difficult, but the pitch movements where the kobushi (melismatic ornament typical of enka) appears are relatively gentle, so the kobushi itself isn’t especially hard.
However, because there are many long sustained notes and few rests, it’s important to steady your breathing well before you start singing.
[Sub-chan] A Collection of Easy-to-Sing Songs by Saburo Kitajima [2026] (11–20)
Brotherly Code of HonorKitajima Saburō
Kitajima Saburō’s masterpiece “Kyōdai Jingi,” which gained popularity for its melancholic lyrics and melody.
While the song features relatively intricate kobushi (melodic turns) for his repertoire, that doesn’t mean it’s particularly difficult.
There are kobushi that span more than three scale degrees, but because they mostly appear in descending passages, the overall difficulty of the ornamentation is low.
If you find it hard to produce the crisp, well-defined kobushi heard in the original, you can apply strong vibrato to sing in a kobushi-like manner as an alternative.
Soran JingiKitajima Saburō
Speaking of Saburo Kitajima, his vocals are known more for their rough, powerful quality than for delicacy.
His song “Soran Jingi,” however, is unusual among his works in that it places greater emphasis on a delicate vocal approach.
There are no intense shouts; instead, the song’s expression is shaped throughout by dynamics and kobushi (ornamental turns).
Since it doesn’t demand fundamental vocal strength as much, it relies mainly on advanced techniques—such as the hiccup method frequently used in kobushi, where the voice is flipped—making it an especially singable piece for those confident in fine, technical control.
If I don’t do it, who will?Kitajima Saburō
Here I’d like to introduce a song that’s relatively easy to sing yet a bit on the challenging side: “Ore ga Yaranakya Dare ga Yaru” (“If I Don’t Do It, Who Will?”).
Among Saburo Kitajima’s masculine songs, this one in particular brings together a wide range of techniques, featuring from the very beginning a powerful vibrato with a shouted edge.
As for kobushi (ornamental pitch turns), they appear frequently, but you’ll rarely encounter ones that shift more than three scale degrees, so the difficulty there is on the lower side.
If you sing with an awareness of strength and of contrasts between stillness and motion, your vocal line will have sharper definition, so try to keep those aspects in mind as you perform.
Northern fishing groundsKitajima Saburō
Kitano Ryojo is a striking piece with a bold intro that incorporates the sound of strong winds.
It falls into the category of “manly songs,” which are Saburo Kitajima’s specialty.
Manly songs typically feature a rough singing style with shouts, and this piece includes those elements as well.
However, since the shouts only appear in the chorus, it’s one of the more approachable manly songs among his works.
The chorus is expansive, yet surprisingly light on long sustained notes, making it quite singable even without strong foundational technique.
The kobushi (melodic ornamentation) is also relatively restrained for a Kitajima song, making this an ideal piece for practice.