[Tears and Alcohol] A Collection of Kaori Kozai’s Easy-to-Sing Songs [2026]

Kaori Kozai has a unique background: she was active as a folk song (minyo) singer from a young age, then worked as a bank employee before embarking on a career in enka.

Her debut single, “Ame Sakaba” (Rain Tavern), became a long-running hit and earned her the New Artist Award at the 30th Japan Record Awards.

Since then, she has been active across a wide range of genres, not only in enka but also in pop, releasing songs for which she herself has written the lyrics.

To be honest, imitating Ms.

Kozai’s highly refined vocal technique—honed through minyo—is difficult for beginners.

However, the songs introduced here are relatively easy to sing, so if you want to try singing Kozai’s songs but feel unsure, please use this as a reference.