Kaori Mizumori Popular Songs Ranking [2026]
Enka singer Kaori Mizumori debuted in 1995 with “Oshiroibana.” She has steadily continued her musical career, and the hit of “Kumano Kodo,” released in 2006, drew attention from beyond enka fans.
She is also known for regional-themed songs such as “Tappi Misaki,” and has been a regular performer on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen since 2003.
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Kaori Mizumori Popular Songs Ranking [2026] (21–30)
Nanki-ShirahamaMizumori Kaori21rank/position
Sung by Kaori Mizumori, known as the “Queen of Local Songs,” this evocative piece is set in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture.
Against the backdrop of famous sights like Sandanbeki and Senjojiki, it portrays a woman bidding farewell to a bygone love and setting out alone toward the future.
The song appears on the album Kayou Kiko 21 ~Kujukurihama~, released in September 2022.
Its expansive melody seems to dramatize both Shirahama’s majestic nature and the heroine’s inner strength.
It gently encourages anyone who longs to move beyond the past and take a new step forward.
At Ouchi-juku…Mizumori Kaori22rank/position
Ouchi-juku, a post town that still preserves a streetscape of over 30 thatched-roof houses, prospered as a station on the Aizu Nishi Kaido, the highway connecting Aizu and Nikko, and is now a lively tourist spot.
Kaori Mizumori, a popular local-song singer, gently sings about Ouchi-juku adorned with dancing cherry blossoms.
Love on the Yamato RoadMizumori Kaori23rank/position
Yamatoji refers to the road leading to Nara Prefecture, or the roads that pass through Nara Prefecture.
It is mentioned in the Manyoshu, showing that it has been a familiar term since ancient times.
This song is a single by Kaori Mizumori and won the Excellent Work Award at the 57th Japan Record Awards.
Osaka Love DropletMizumori Kaori24rank/position
How about enjoying Kaori Mizumori’s song that marks her 30th debut anniversary? Released in March 2025, this “happy enka” is set in Osaka.
It beautifully tells the story of a woman who overcomes a painful past to find new happiness.
You may be pleasantly surprised by this new side of the queen who has traveled Japan in song across 45 prefectures.
Perform it at karaoke, and its bright melody is sure to delight everyone.
Be sure to add it to your new repertoire.
Teshio RiverMizumori Kaori25rank/position
Kaori Mizumori’s song “Teshio River” is themed around the Teshio River in Hokkaido.
Among her works, this piece is marked by a particularly serious melody and, unusually for her, features a powerful vocal delivery.
That said, the power doesn’t come from raspy, shout-like vocals; rather, it uses a hiccup-like technique that flips the voice, so it isn’t all that difficult.
The kobushi (ornamental pitch turns) also stay within rises and falls of about two to three notes, making it a song that’s easy to sing from every standpoint.
Tenryu GorgeMizumori Kaori26rank/position
There’s a narrow footpath in the Tenryu River gorge that runs through Iida City, Nagano Prefecture.
I’m sure the protagonist of the poem must have walked this path.
In that melancholy poem about parting, it says that ringing a bell lifted their spirits a little, and if you cross the Tsutsuji Bridge at the end of this path, there’s a small “Bell of Happiness.” Naturally, it’s said that ringing it will bring you good fortune.
I’d recommend it more as a dating spot than a place for farewells.
Amakusa Gokyo (Amakusa Five Bridges)Mizumori Kaori27rank/position
The sorrowful heart of a jilted woman, the scenery of Amakusa in Kumamoto, and a wistful melody press upon the chest.
Did she come alone to Amakusa to try to forget her heartbreak? The journey, filled with memories of joyful days that can never return, is bittersweet, and one cannot help but wish for her happiness.
Uwajima Farewell WavesMizumori Kaori28rank/position
For a song by the queen of local tunes, it feels a bit lacking in place names, doesn’t it? Still, it promotes Uwajima quite well.
The terraced fields are the Yusu Mizugaura stone terraces, offering a stunning landscape, and the Uwa Sea’s deeply indented ria coastline provides an ideal environment for pearl cultivation—one of Uwajima’s specialties.
It’s a beautiful song that links parting with the pearl rafts.
Onomichi ChannelMizumori Kaori29rank/position
This is a song released in 2000 by Kaori Mizumori, known as the “Queen of Local Songs.” The Onomichi Strait, which serves as the setting, is the part of the Seto Inland Sea nestled between Onomichi City and Mukaishima.
It has long functioned as a major commercial port on the Seto Inland Sea route.
How about enjoying this song while taking in the area’s picturesque scenery?
Saga-no PilgrimageMizumori Kaori30rank/position
This song is a heartbreak number sung by enka singer Kaori Mizumori, and it even carries a hint of an illicit affair.
A woman setting off on a trip to Kyoto with a wounded heart is an image that easily turns into a picture—and a song.
Because Mizumori sings many songs themed around different regions, she is known as the “Queen of Local Songs.”
