[The Pinnacle of Modern Enka] Shimazu Aya’s Easy-to-Sing Songs
Aya Shimazu is an enka singer who boasts overwhelming talent as a female performer, studied under Yuriko Futaba, and is highly acclaimed as a leading figure at the forefront of contemporary enka.
Hailing from Kumamoto Prefecture, she specializes in expansive, pop-like long tones and powerful vibrato embellished with shouts.
Because she possesses top-tier vocal ability even among Japanese enka singers, many of her songs are quite challenging.
This time, however, we’ve selected some of her works that are easier to sing.
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- [2026] Compilation of Enka Singers from Kumamoto
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- [For Beginners] Recommended Enka Classics for Karaoke — Women Singers Edition
- [Treasure of Powerful Enka] Takashi Hosokawa’s Easy-to-Sing Songs
- A roundup of leading female enka singers representing the Showa era
- The Most Idol-Like Star in the Enka World: Easy-to-Sing Songs by Kiyoshi Hikawa
- A roundup of male enka singers who represent the Showa era
- [2026] Amazing If You Can Sing It! Classic Enka Masterpieces [Male Singers Edition]
- [Glamorously Cool] A Collection of Easy-to-Sing Songs by Ayako Fuji [2026]
- Diva of Enka: A roundup of female singers leading the enka world
[Pinnacle of Modern Enka] Aiya Shimazu’s Easy-to-Sing Songs (11–20)
A-un FlowerShimazu Aya
Aya Shimazu is known for having many songs that incorporate kayōkyoku and pop.
Those songs are certainly easy to sing, but I think many people also want to sing solid, traditional enka.
That’s why I recommend Aun no Hana.
This piece prominently features kobushi (the characteristic enka vocal ornament), giving it a strong enka flavor.
However, the kobushi sections are relatively manageable, so the overall difficulty isn’t very high.
For those who struggle with kobushi that require frequent pitch bends up and down, this is a very singable song.
aspiring spiritShimazu Aya
For those looking for an enka song that’s packed with strong kobushi ornamentation yet still easy to sing, I recommend Asunaro-gokoro.
It features a fair number of kobushi turns, and at the most exciting part of the chorus you’ll even get a shout-style, growling vocal.
That said, it’s not extremely difficult as enka goes—there are almost no kobushi that spin three or more times.
If you’ve got basic kobushi technique and are comfortable with shout-style singing, you should find this song reasonably approachable.
Aya’s FestivalShimazu Aya
Aya Shimazu’s signature song “Aya no Matsuri” is notable for her powerful vocals.
As the title suggests, it’s a lively, energetic tune.
Because there are many shouts, it might seem difficult, but surprisingly there are few kobushi (ornamental pitch turns) that repeatedly move up and down in complex ways, and each phrase is relatively short, so you won’t struggle with long sustained notes.
Instead, if you don’t articulate the opening of each phrase clearly, it can come across as limp, so be sure to focus on crisp pronunciation at the start of each line.
To my daughter…Shimazu Aya
Aya Shimazu’s early work “Musume ni…”.
Around this time, she often sang poignant, gently emotional songs, and this piece is especially renowned as a masterpiece among them.
While it follows the melodic style of enka and can rightly be called an enka song, the vocal line itself leans strongly toward kayōkyoku (Japanese pop).
There’s hardly any use of vibrato-like kobushi, and the performance relies mainly on dynamic shading throughout, making it a song where you can aim for a high score.
Be sure to add it to your repertoire.
Mother-Koi Return BoatShimazu Aya
Aya Shimazu’s early song “Haha Koi Modori-bune” (“Mother-Love Homeward Boat”).
Starting with a powerful opening, this piece is a textbook example of enka, featuring many instances of kobushi—the signature enka ornament—throughout.
Songs heavy on kobushi might seem difficult, but in this case the kobushi generally involves just one or two quick pitch bends up or down, so it doesn’t reach the formidable difficulty of folk-song style.
In addition, there are few long sustained notes, so for singers accustomed to enka, this should be on the easier side.
In conclusion
Because Aya Shimazu has exceptionally strong vocal ability even within the enka world, many of her songs tend to be quite challenging. This time we picked out tracks that are easier to sing, but the overall difficulty was still on the high side. If you want to deliver the songs properly, mastering kobushi (the characteristic enka vocal ornament) is essential, so keep practicing. At Lugg Music, we also have articles that explain vocal techniques, so be sure to check those out as well!