Classic songs about women. Recommended popular tracks.

Although J-pop and rock are commonplace in Japan’s music scene today, there was a time when enka and kayōkyoku were at the center.

Here is a list of masterpieces from that era in Japan, all themed around “women.” Some sing of tragic love, others of adultery—different situations, yet the abundance of love songs reminds us that, in every era, love is essential for women.