Kaori Kozai Popular Song Rankings [2026]

Osaka Te Quiero ~Because of You~Kouzai Kaori8rank/position

Osaka Te Quiero ~Because of You~ Kaori Kozai cover

Released in 2009 as Kaori Kozai’s 31st single.

This song portrays the bittersweet romance of a woman, imbued with the allure and melancholy of a mature woman.

Kaori Kozai’s delicate and beautiful vocals further emphasize the woman’s feelings, lending the piece a sultry elegance.

Elegy of the Uji RiverKouzai Kaori9rank/position

Ujigawa Aika

Kozai Kaori’s masterpiece “Ujigawa Elegy” is striking for its deeply moving melody.

Kozai Kaori is often said to excel most in works that evoke sensuality and heartache, and this piece is exactly that, featuring an incredibly sultry melody and vocals.

In the chorus, the pitch rises and falls a bit more dramatically, but there are no difficult kobushi (ornamental turns).

Aside from the kobushi at the end of the chorus, the vocal line is closer to Showa-era kayōkyoku.

Be sure to add it to your repertoire.

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Ryo

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Love Story of Cape ShionomisakiKouzai Kaori10rank/position

Love Story of Cape Shionomisaki

Kaori Kozai’s enka single “Shionomisaki Jōwa,” released in February 2003.

It’s a heart-wrenching song that pairs the image of waves crashing against a cape with an unrequited love, tightening the chest with sorrow.

Even knowing they can’t be together, she gazes out from a cape where a lighthouse is in view, thinking of the one she loves… Doesn’t it feel like a scene from a movie or drama springs to mind?

A Solo Summer FestivalKouzai Kaori11rank/position

Kaori Kozai – Lonely Summer Festival

When fireworks season and festival season come around, I bet some people can’t help remembering someone they used to love.

This song, Hitori Natsu Matsuri, sung by Kaori Kozai, an enka singer from Osaka Prefecture, is included on her 1998 album Best Selection.

As the woman wanders alone through a summer festival, recalling the past, the song makes you feel like you’re watching a drama or a movie.

It makes you wonder where the person she longs for has gone…

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Araki Jakkan

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At homeKouzai Kaori12rank/position

Kaori Kozai – At Home Music Video

Kaori Kozai is known for her proactive approach to kayōkyoku and pop music.

Among her works, the song “At the Platform” has gained particular popularity as a poignantly moving pop ballad that brings listeners to tears.

Although it’s pop, it’s not complex like contemporary pop; it’s crafted in the style of Showa-era pop, akin to artists like Machiko Watanabe and Hiromi Iwasaki, so the melodic rises and falls are quite gentle.

There are many rests, but since there are also many long tones, be mindful to steady your breathing before starting any long sustained notes.

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Ryo

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Kurashiki, alone in the rainKouzai Kaori13rank/position

Kurashiki Alone in the Rain – Kaori Kozai – Local Song Okayama, Volume 5

Set against a rainy backdrop reminiscent of Kurashiki’s Bikan Historical Quarter, this piece portrays the aching heart of a woman as sung by Kaori Kozai.

It poignantly narrates the image of a woman who keeps waiting in the rain for someone whose arrival is uncertain, intertwining her longing with the concrete place name of Kurashiki.

The song was included in March 2008 as the B-side to the single “Kazekoi Uta.” With its relaxed tempo, it’s easy to sing; those who can delicately convey breathy nuances will be able to savor the world of this work even more deeply.

Izakaya ‘Tsuruga’Kouzai Kaori14rank/position

Izakaya “Tsuruga” Vocals: Kaori Kozai Lyrics: Ryuichi Satomura Composition: Yuh Hijikawa

The lyrics tell the story of a female shop owner running her place alone, who spends an entire night talking with a customer that slips under the shop curtain and happens to resemble her younger brother who died young.

It has an enka-like feel, evoking the image of a man and woman sharing their life stories on a rainy night when no other customers come.