[Enka First Year] A Collection of Easy-to-Sing Songs by Yoko Nagayama [2026]
Having attended a folk song school and studied the shamisen since childhood, she was preparing to debut as an enka singer after being scouted by an agency, but ultimately made her official debut as an idol due to a change in direction.
Yoko Nagayama has a unique career: after nearly a decade as an idol—during which she produced hit songs—she made a fresh debut as an enka singer at the age of 25.
Her songs are popular choices for karaoke, thanks to her folk-song-honed vocal ability, her versatile style that lets her sing pop songs with ease cultivated during her idol years, and the performance style she established of singing while playing the shamisen as a certified performer of the Tsugaru-jamisen Sawada school.
In this article, we focus specifically on relatively easy-to-sing songs from her enka-singer era.
If you’ve only recently become interested in Nagayama, please take this opportunity to check them out.
- [2026] Easy Enka Songs for Karaoke: Recommended Picks — Women Singers Edition
- Michinoku Solo Journey: A Collection of Easy-to-Sing Songs by Joji Yamamoto [2026]
- [For Beginners] Recommended Enka Classics for Karaoke — Women Singers Edition
- [Glamorously Cool] A Collection of Easy-to-Sing Songs by Ayako Fuji [2026]
- [Queen of Enka] A Collection of Easy-to-Sing Songs by Sayuri Ishikawa [2026]
- [2026] Easy-to-Sing Enka: From Classic Masterpieces to Recent Hits [Female Singers Edition]
- [Enka] Songs that are easy to sing even for those who are tone-deaf [Female singers edition]
- From Comic Songs to Enka: Easy-to-Sing Songs by Ikuzo Yoshi [2026]
- [2026] Easy-to-Sing Enka: From Timeless Classics to Recent Hits [Male Singers Edition]
- Queen of Enka: A roundup of Aki Yashiro’s easy-to-sing songs
- [For Women] A roundup of enka songs that can score high in karaoke
- The Most Idol-Like Star in the Enka World: Easy-to-Sing Songs by Kiyoshi Hikawa
- [Asian Songstress] A Collection of Teresa Teng’s Easy-to-Sing Songs
[Enka First Year] A Collection of Easy-to-Sing Songs by Yoko Nagayama [2026] (1–10)
That’s why I’m scared.Nagayama Yōko
The song introduced here, “Dakara Kowai no,” is a must-check masterpiece that lets you enjoy a different side of Ms.
Nagayama’s singing from enka.
Released in 2023 as the B-side to the single “Oishii Osake Nomer’ya Ii,” it exudes a mature, jazz-inflected mood, with Ms.
Nagayama captivating listeners not as an enka singer but with a jazz-vocal style.
While it presents a completely different kind of challenge than enka, the difficulty is relatively low from a jazz vocal perspective, and the melody line itself is easy to memorize and sing.
So even those who usually sing only enka should definitely give it a try!
Shitamachi GinzaNagayama Yōko
It’s a bright, major-key enka number and a modern classic of the Reiwa era, briskly portraying the pure-hearted feelings of a woman harboring a faint crush in a downtown setting.
Released in 2021 as a single by Yoko Nagayama, it’s also very popular for karaoke.
Although it’s a Reiwa-era release, the lyrics vividly evoke the nostalgic scenery of the Showa period, and Nagayama’s gentle, tender delivery is truly wonderful.
If you often sing Nagayama’s enka, this song should be quite manageable, and the characteristic kobushi ornamentation associated with her style isn’t overly difficult, making it a good practice piece even for beginners to enka.
One note: the opening of the A-melody can be a bit tricky pitch-wise; nailing that part sets the tone for the whole song, so be sure to focus on it when you sing!
Shirakami-SanchiNagayama Yōko
Released in 2024, Shirakami Sanchi—an upright Tsugaru shamisen performance that epitomizes Yoko Nagayama—is already drawing attention as one of her signature songs of the Reiwa era.
Its major key gives it a fresh, bright, up-tempo feel, and the interplay between the shamisen ensemble and rock-style guitar is seriously cool.
It’s already a big hit at karaoke, and many people are surely eager to give it a try.
While Nagayama’s singing features her characteristic kobushi (ornamental vocal turns), the melodic development isn’t tricky, so we’d love for even enka beginners to take on the challenge.
[Enka Year One] A Collection of Easy-to-Sing Songs by Yoko Nagayama [2026] (11–20)
As long as I can drink some good booze, I’m happy.Nagayama Yōko
Born in the Reiwa era, this is a hymn to life for adult women everywhere, with a soothing, massage-for-the-heart effect! “As Long as the Booze Is Tasty” was released in 2023 as a single by Yoko Nagayama, and just as the title suggests, her cheerful delivery of lyrics that make drinkers want to slap their knees and say “Exactly!” is energizing—not only for women, but for anyone who listens.
The melody and Nagayama’s vocals are classic enka in style, so if you’ve mastered the basics of enka technique, you should be able to sing it with ease.
As an enka piece, it’s not particularly difficult, so beginners can use this song to practice techniques like kobushi (melodic ornamentation).
Joppari YosareNagayama Yōko
A representative of Yoko Nagayama’s signature “standing shamisen” style, the single “Joppari Yosare”—with the striking word “joppari,” meaning “stubborn”—was released in 2018 as the second installment marking her 35th anniversary.
Beyond the cool, driving timbre of the shamisen that creates a powerful rhythm and beat, the lyrics depicting a stubborn woman’s heart are impressively intense.
Even those who aren’t particularly into enka might enjoy “Joppari Yosare” as a cool, rock-tinged kayōkyoku.
You’ll certainly hear stylistic elements like kobushi and vibrato throughout, but the melody is easy to remember, making it a great challenge for enka beginners as well.
For the sultry low notes, practice with special attention so you can evoke the same alluring nuance as Nagayama.
Hakata Yamakasa Women’s SongNagayama Yōko
This is a lively, rock-style enka with an irresistibly cool sound: aggressively rock-flavored guitar intertwined passionately with the strumming tones of the shamisen! It’s a single released by Yoko Nagayama in 2011, and her performance—singing lyrics themed around the Hakata Gion Yamakasa with a dignified, powerful voice—is nothing short of superb.
The melody features dramatic rises and falls in pitch and frequent kobushi ornamentation, but since it’s an up-tempo song, you can power through a fair bit on sheer groove.
If you like cool enka, definitely give it a try.
The folk-style melodic line that appears in the middle can be tough if you’re not used to singing it, so keep listening to the original and practice!
Love PlatformNagayama Yōko
Released in 1998, “Koi no Platform” is a single by Yoko Nagayama that shines with its simple yet skillful scene-setting and a cleverly evocative title.
It’s a quintessential enka piece, filled with bittersweet feelings for a lover departing for a distant place.
While it may not be among Nagayama’s most widely known songs, it captures the fundamentals of enka technique and features a melody that’s easy for beginners to sing—so I highly recommend giving it a try at karaoke!