Takashi Hosokawa Popular Song Rankings [2026]

Love Song of SadoHosokawa Takashi8rank/position

Love Song of Sado

This is a signature song by Takashi Hosokawa, renowned for his overwhelming vocal power honed through folk music.

Released in December 1991 as his 39th single, it won the Oricon Long Seller Award and was performed at the NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen the following year.

The song is set on Sado Island, expressing a deepening longing for a lover across the sea, sung with rich emotion.

Though so close, they remain out of reach—an aching frustration.

You can almost see the protagonist projecting their helpless feelings of love onto the waves crashing against the rugged shore and the birds flying across the sky.

Hosokawa’s own lyricism, brimming with poetic sensibility, blends beautifully with the folk-inspired phrasing inherited from his mentor, moving listeners to the core.

It’s a song that draws you into its bittersweet world—perfect for moments of travel-inspired reverie or nights when you’re thinking of someone far away.

Tsugaru Mountain SongHosokawa Takashi9rank/position

Takashi Hosokawa / Tsugaru Mountain Song – Tsugaruyamauta – (Part 2) [Power Minyo / One-Take Recording]

As its name suggests, “Tsugaru Yama-uta” is a traditional folk song handed down in the three prefectures of Aomori, Iwate, and Akita.

It was sung to ask the mountain gods for guidance, safety, and protection.

It is often performed to the accompaniment of the shakuhachi, a traditional Japanese flute, and its powerful melodic lines are striking.

In Aomori Prefecture, the Iwaki River, which runs north–south, serves as a boundary between two styles—Higashi-dōri (eastern style) and Nishi-dōri (western style).

It can be fun to distinguish the differences between the two: the more popular western style and the now-rare eastern style.

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Murakami Shinpei

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Tsugaru Nakase-bushiHosokawa Takashi10rank/position

Takashi Hosokawa / Tsugaru Nakase-bushi

This is an authentic enka piece that powerfully evokes the harsh winter scenery of Tsugaru and the fervent emotions of the people who live there.

It’s a commemorative work released in May 2025 by Takashi Hosokawa to mark his 50th year in the performing arts, portraying the heartrending feelings of a woman shedding tears over an unattainable love.

Against the backdrop of Tsugaru’s rough, snow-swept sea, the heroine’s sorrow seems to intertwine with the poignant tones of the Tsugaru shamisen.

Hosokawa’s powerful vocals bring into sharp relief a figure who, burdened by feelings beyond her control, still strives to live with all her might.

It’s a song to savor slowly while thinking of one’s hometown.

Harbor night viewHosokawa Takashi11rank/position

Harbor night view

Takashi Hosokawa’s classic “Minato Yakei” is distinguished by its wistful, lingering melody.

Set against the backdrop of a port town’s nightscape, the lyrics poignantly portray a heartrending love—truly memorable.

While the piece has clear dynamic contours, the vocal line itself is surprisingly straightforward, with no complex leaps or intricate pitch movements.

In addition, there are relatively few kobushi ornaments, and no sections that require forceful projection.

For those accustomed to singing standard enka, it shouldn’t pose any particular difficulty.

Consider adding it to your repertoire.

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Ryo

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Original songHosokawa Takashi12rank/position

This commercial features the veteran enka singer Takashi Hosokawa, who appears and sings an original jingle to introduce a great plan.

But did you know there’s actually another enka singer in the ad? The DOCOMO staff member explaining the plan to Mr.

Hosokawa and RG is actually Konomi Mori.

Since she usually wears a kimono, and in the ad she’s dressed as a DOCOMO staffer, not many people may have realized it was her.

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Hane Keisuke

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Tontchin-Kanchin Ikkyu-san (parody song)Hosokawa Takashi13rank/position

[CM] DOCOMO Welcome Smartphone Discount

Here is a commercial where Takashi Hosokawa—well-known among the middle-aged generation—sings a parody of the nostalgic Ikkyu-san song and also stars in it.

Since the era of feature phones is drawing to a close, they clearly want to get feature phone users to make their smartphone debut.

Nora Hirano, who used to carry those big cell phones that were cutting-edge back in the day, also adds a nice touch to the ad.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Let’s ONDO AgainHosokawa Takashi14rank/position

Let’s ONDO Again

Takashi Hosokawa’s unique masterpiece, “Let’s ONDO Again.” Thanks in part to its English title, it may seem like a trendy, Western-style song, but it firmly follows the foundations of enka.

That doesn’t mean it’s difficult—there are no highly demanding kobushi.

By “difficult kobushi,” we mean repeatedly raising and lowering pitch on the same vowel, but this song features few such ornaments, so even those who aren’t comfortable with complex kobushi can sing it well.

However, the melodic range is somewhat wide, so you’ll need to identify your optimal key and adjust accordingly.

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Ryo

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