[Heisei-born, Showa-raised] Oe Yutaka’s easy-to-sing songs
Recently, Hiroshi Oe has been appearing frequently on variety shows and the like.
He first gained popularity through the hit show “Sanma’s SUPER Karakuri TV,” and afterward continued working in earnest as an enka singer.
Today, he boasts a career that places him somewhere between mid-career and veteran status.
This time, we’ve picked out some of Hiroshi Oe’s songs that are especially easy to sing.
There’s also concrete vocal commentary from a former vocal instructor, so be sure to read to the end.
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- The Allure of Deep Vocals: A Collection of Yutaka Yamakawa’s Easy-to-Sing Songs [2026]
- [Enka First Year] A Collection of Easy-to-Sing Songs by Yoko Nagayama [2026]
- 【2026】Recommended Enka by Male Singers with Captivating High Notes
- Tokyo Desert: A Collection of Kiyoshi Maekawa’s Easy-to-Sing Songs [2026]
- Classic enka songs you’ll want to sing at karaoke: recommended popular tracks
- [Glamorously Cool] A Collection of Easy-to-Sing Songs by Ayako Fuji [2026]
- [2026] Recommended for those who find high notes difficult! Enka by male singers that you can sing in a low register
[Born in Heisei, Raised in Showa] Hiroshi Oe’s Easy-to-Sing Songs (1–10)
Dotonbori SentimentŌe Yutaka
The piece Dotonbori Ninjō, themed around Dotonbori—an iconic spot in my hometown Osaka—is a regional enka song with lyrics by Kaoru Wakayama and music by Toshiaki Yamada, known through versions by artists like Yoshimi Tendo.
In this version sung by Hiroshi Ōe, the opening sits quite low, so the chorus lands with a relatively restrained impact.
As a result, you don’t need to focus on vocal power and can sing with ease.
There are no kobushi embellishments that leap by more than three to five scale degrees, so overall it can be considered enka on the easier end of the spectrum.
Wings of YouthŌe Yutaka
Oe Hiroshi’s melancholy-filled classic “Wings of Youth.” This piece is characterized by a powerful singing style that evokes Saburo Kitajima.
When you hear “powerful singing,” you might think of shouting—a technique that uses a raspy voice—but in this song the power comes purely from musical dynamics and phrasing, with little use of special techniques like shouts.
Even the kobushi (melodic ornaments) appear relatively infrequently for this type of song and are not very difficult, so even beginners to enka can sing it without trouble.
Eating My Way Across JapanŌe Yutaka
Among Hiroshi Oe’s songs, “Nippon Dochu Itadakimasu” is especially full of warmth.
It brims with patriotism, and in the middle it even features a phrase reminiscent of the Shoten theme.
While the melody has a classic enka feel, the vocal line leans more toward kayōkyoku, and it doesn’t use the intricate, wide-ranging melismatic kobushi typical of enka.
The range isn’t particularly wide either, so as long as you adjust to a suitable key, anyone—regardless of gender—should be able to sing it comfortably.
Consider adding it to your repertoire.
[Heisei-born, Showa-raised] Hiroshi Oe's easy-to-sing songs (11–20)
Heart RainŌe Yutaka
Kokoro Ame, a masterpiece by Hiroshi Oe, is notable for his piercingly emotive singing voice.
While Oe is often associated with a powerful, dynamic singing style, he is actually skilled at female-voiced songs as well.
Among his female-voiced repertoire, this piece is particularly easy to sing.
The melody is pure enka, but the vocal line, somewhat unexpectedly, leans strongly toward kayōkyoku (Japanese popular song), and it doesn’t demand any complex rises and falls in pitch.
There aren’t many instances of kobushi (melismatic ornamentation), but dynamic contrast is crucial, so be mindful of that.
Woman of FateŌe Yutaka
Among Hiroshi Oe’s songs, the one I especially recommend to women is Sadame no Onna.
Although this piece falls into the so-called “onna-uta” (women’s song) category, it leans more toward kayōkyoku than straight enka, so you won’t find the delicate, ornamented vibrato runs—driven by dramatic dynamics—that are typical of many onna-uta.
In fact, there’s only one clear instance of kobushi (traditional enka ornamentation) in the chorus, making it a fairly easy song to sing.
The range is somewhat wide, so I recommend carefully determining the most suitable key before performing.
Raised in the Danjiri traditionŌe Yutaka
Hiroshi Oe was born in Kishiwada City, Osaka.
Speaking of Kishiwada, the Danjiri Festival is what it’s famous for above all, and among the somewhat rough-and-tumble men of Kishiwada, there are even those who devote their entire lives to this festival.
The piece themed around the local Kishiwada Danjiri Festival is “Danjiri Sodachi” (Raised by Danjiri).
As a festival song, it features a brisk vocal line.
The use of kobushi (ornamental vocal turns) is relatively limited, and most of the instances that do appear are sung while descending the scale, so in terms of enka technique, it can be considered on the easier side.
How about I go ahead and do it?Ōe Yutaka
While Hiroshi Oe boasts a wide range of styles—from powerful “male songs” to “female songs” steeped in melancholy—he’s also well-regarded for festival tunes.
Among his festival songs, the one I particularly recommend is Nanka Itcho Yattarokai.
It’s a piece that balances delicacy with strength, offering a broad expressive palette.
The kobushi (ornamental vocal turns) are generally on the easier side, but there’s a spot in the middle of the chorus where a kobushi features slightly intricate pitch shifts, so take care there when singing.
Elsewhere, although the dynamics are quite dramatic, the long tones are short, so you may find it surprisingly easy to sing overall.