Yoko Nagayama’s Popular Song Rankings [2026]

Shitamachi GinzaNagayama Yōko15rank/position

Yoko Nagayama “Shitamachi Ginza” Music Video

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!

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Make me happy.Nagayama Yōko16rank/position

Yoko Nagayama “Make Me Happy” Music Video

Here is “Shiawase ni Shitene,” an early signature song in Ms.

Nagayama’s career as an enka singer, which won the Excellent Work Award at the 38th Japan Record Awards.

Released in 1996 with lyrics by the eminent Toyohisa Araki, many may remember it as the image song for Ginza Jewelry “Yo.” The piece leans more toward kayōkyoku than pure enka, and while Ms.

Nagayama incorporates enka-style techniques in her vocals, she delivers the song overall in a natural manner, making it very approachable for beginners to enka.

The high notes that appear in the chorus are spots where it’s easy to go off pitch, so it’s a good idea to be mindful when singing them.

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Nambu Tawatsumi UtaNagayama Yōko17rank/position

Southern Tawaratsumi Song / Yoko Nagayama

This is “Nanbu Tawara-tsumi Uta,” performed with Yoko Nagayama’s vocals—radiating a feminine softness, suppleness, and strength—accompanied by shamisen.

After transitioning from idol singer to enka singer and achieving a major breakthrough, she says she grew up listening to folk songs under her father’s influence and even attended classes for folk singing and shamisen from a young age.

Hakata Yamakasa Women’s SongNagayama Yōko18rank/position

Yoko Nagayama “Hakata Yamakasa Onna-bushi” Music Video

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!

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A kiss after a fightNagayama Yōko19rank/position

A Kiss After a Quarrel (Ishida Ayumi) Vocals: Tenten, Performance: AMI

It’s not just because Ms.

Nagayama is the one singing—it’s that both the melody and the lyrics are enka.

I’d known it as a song by Ayumi Ishida, so it felt unexpected.

I sense a woman’s heart wanting to make up with a kiss after a small misunderstanding between a man and a woman.

I think Ms.

Nagayama’s calm, matter-of-fact singing suits it well.

Love PlatformNagayama Yōko20rank/position

Love Platform

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!

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Showa-era womanNagayama Yōko21rank/position

Yoko Nagayama “Woman of the Showa Era” Music Video

This is a heartfelt song by Yoko Nagayama that makes your chest tighten with its nostalgic guitar melody.

Scheduled for single release in June 2025.

It portrays a Showa-era woman who, while choosing to part with a man chasing his dreams, keeps her head high and looks forward.

Vivid scenes spring to mind—like telling him goodbye from a public phone—and their purity and poignancy are deeply moving.

It’s a masterpiece perfect not only for those who lived through the Showa era, but also for anyone who wants to feel the spirit of a bygone, golden time.