[Male Singers Edition] The face of New Year’s Eve! Enka singers who appeared on the Kōhaku Uta Gassen

I want to spend New Year’s Eve relaxing while watching NHK’s Kouhaku Uta Gassen! This national year-end music show in Japan has seen its lineup of artists and bands—and overall trends—change since it began in 1951, but enka singers still play a major role.

In this article, we’re highlighting male enka singers who have performed on Kouhaku.

From legends to rising stars, we’ll introduce renowned vocalists who lit up Kouhaku in the Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa eras.

Enjoy them along with their signature songs!

Playlist

[Male Singers Edition] The face of New Year’s Eve! Enka singers who appeared on the Kōhaku Uta Gassen
	Title	Playlist	Review
1	Life is a hill of hardships.Yamakawa Yutaka		The musical life of Yutaka Yamakawa, an enka singer raised by the sea
2	Yokohama TwilightItsuki Hiroshi		Hiroshi Itsuki, a master of enka and a singer Japan is proud of
3	I’ll give you everything.Shinhama Reon		The rise and allure of enka’s new star, Leon Niihama
4	Nostalgic JonkaraHosokawa Takashi		Takashi Hosokawa, an enka singer with roots in traditional folk music, known for numerous signature hits.
5	festivalKitajima Saburō		Saburō Kitajima, a grand master of enka, has appeared on Kōhaku 50 times.
6	MotherMori Shinichi		Shinichi Mori: An expressive singer who represents Japan
7	Castle of White CloudsHikawa Kiyoshi		An innovator in the enka world, a singer who captivates with diverse musicality
8	Oh, sake!Yoshi Ikuzo		Ikuzo Yoshi is active across a wide range of genres.
9	Itako GasaHashi Yukio		Yukio Hashi, a giant of the enka world, captivates with the youthful charm of his singing voice.
10	marine snowjero		Jero, the Black enka singer, makes an innovative debut
11	Scorpio womanMikawa Ken’ichi		Kenichi Mikawa, thriving as an enka singer and continuing to perform.
12	Love…passionMiyama Hiroshi		Hiroshi Miyama, enka singer and kendama master
13	Nambu Semi-shigureFukuda Kouhei		Kohei Fukuda, an enka singer with roots in folk music
14	A solitary journey to MichinokuYamamoto Jōji		Joji Yamamoto, a singer famous for folk songs
15	Brother ShipsToba Ichirō		Ichiro Toba, an enka singer who sings about the sea and fishermen
16	Snow Migratory BirdsMinami Haruo		A national singer who fused rokyoku and popular songs
17	And, KobeMaekawa Kiyoshi		Kiyoshi Maekawa’s music that fuses enka and pop
18	king (shogi piece)Murata Hideo		Hideo Murata, a giant in the enka world, also appeared in films.
19	A Man’s Departure by ShipKitayama Takeshi		Takeshi Kitayama, a popular singer in the enka world
20	Crimson ButterflyYamauchi Keisuke		Keisuke Yamauchi, pursuing a new style of enka
21	grandchildŌizumi Itsurō		Enka singer and cherry farmer, Itsuro Oizumi
22	Homeward Journey to the NorthKobayashi Akira		The appeal of Nikkatsu action star Akira Kobayashi
23	Melancholy TrainMitsubishi Michiya		Michiya Mihashi, a leading enka singer representing the Showa era
24	At the End of the Journeykanmuri jiro		Jiro Kanmuri thrives as a standard-bearer of neo-enka.
25	Waltz of StarlightSen Masao		Masao Sen, an enka singer known for his deep emotion
26	The Camellia Sasanqua InnŌkawa Eisaku		Eisaku Okawa captivates many fans with his beautiful voice and acting ability.
27	Parting Cedar (Farewell Cedar)Kasuga Hachirō		Hachiro Kasuga achieved great success as an enka singer.
28	draft (cold air seeping through gaps)Sugi Ryōtarō		Ryotaro Sugi, active in enka music and period dramas
29	Dream-Chasing SakeAtsumi Jirō		Enka singer Jiro Atsumi, a singer who represents the Showa era.
30	A Woman’s LifeKoda Shin		Shin Koda: Stirring Hearts and Living Through Enka