Queen of Enka: A roundup of Aki Yashiro’s easy-to-sing songs
Aki Yashiro, a one-of-a-kind singer who sadly left this world on December 30, 2023.
She began performing as a club singer in her teens and, after her breakthrough, became known as the “Queen of Enka.” Yet she never stayed confined to a single field, taking on challenges in many areas.
In the 2010s, she even released a full-fledged jazz album and made her international debut.
Her tremendous achievements can’t be summed up in just a few lines.
Yashiro’s songs are also very popular for karaoke, but many are quite challenging, thanks to her distinctive husky voice, plaintive tone, and exceptional vocal skill and expressiveness.
So in this article, we’re introducing some of Yashiro’s songs that are relatively easy to sing at karaoke—be sure to check them out.
[Queen of Enka] Aki Yashiro’s Easy-to-Sing Songs (1–10)
Bouquet of flowersYashiro Aki
Among Aki Yashiro’s songs, the one I especially recommend as easy to sing is “Hana (Bouquet) Taba.” This work isn’t enka, her usual battleground, but instead puts pop front and center throughout.
As pop, it feels somewhat like a song by Pedro & Capricious, perhaps? There are no kobushi (the challenging enka vocal ornament) at all, and there aren’t many long tones either, so as long as you have basic vocal ability, you can aim for a high score.
Definitely consider adding it to your repertoire.
MU-JOYashiro Aki
MU-JO is a work distinguished by its passionate guitar intro.
Aki Yashiro is known for her diverse vocal style that incorporates jazz, blues, and chanson, but among those, this piece stands out for its soulful vocals.
In terms of genre, it’s like a blend of Showa-era kayōkyoku and rock, while the vocals exhibit characteristics of blues and soul.
Although the track has a strong, powerful feel, the overall vocal range is kept relatively narrow, and there are few long sustained notes.
Despite its intensity, the vocals themselves are rather straightforward, making it unquestionably an easy song to sing.
Izakaya “Showa”Yashiro Aki
Aki Yashiro’s classic “Izakaya ‘Showa’” leaves a strikingly somber impression.
Yashiro is renowned for her ‘men’s songs,’ and among them, this piece is exceptionally rugged and refined.
True to enka style, there are solid kobushi (ornamental turns), but most of them shift only one or two scale degrees, so it shouldn’t feel difficult.
Rather than a clean vocal tone, this song benefits from a weathered, husky quality, so it’s recommended to sing it when your voice feels a bit worn.
Longing for RainYashiro Aki
Aki Yashiro’s classic “Ame no Bojo” (Yearning in the Rain).
It’s a memorable piece that makes the most of her distinctive husky voice, with a vocal line that stays restrained throughout.
There are no parts that call for belting; it’s the kind of song that’s meant to be sung with a subdued, weathered tone, so it doesn’t require powerful vocals like strong projection or shouts.
For one of her songs, it also features relatively few kobushi (ornamental vocal turns), making it comparatively easy to sing.
Consider adding it to your repertoire.
Tearful LoveYashiro Aki
Aki Yashiro possesses a very unusual vocal quality for a singer.
Typically, as singers age, their lower register gains more heft, but in her case it was the opposite—she had a richer, deeper low range when she was younger.
One of the works released early in her career is Namida Koi.
Its slightly muffled, husky voice timbre leaves a strong impression, doesn’t it? As enka, this piece features relatively few kobushi ornaments and incorporates plenty of kayōkyoku (Japanese pop) elements, making it easy to sing even for those who aren’t fond of enka.
Lucky Man’s SongYashiro Aki
Aki Yashiro has left behind many classic songs, but among them, an unusually distinctive masterpiece that continues to be talked about is The Lucky Man Song.
This piece was released as the theme song for the popular anime Tottemo! Luckyman.
It’s fundamentally structured as a pop song, so it doesn’t have the difficulty of enka.
However, in the middle of the track there’s a section that pays homage to part of the famous song Funauta, which does require techniques like kobushi (ornamental vocal turns).
That said, the kobushi and vocal lines aren’t particularly difficult, so if you’re accustomed to singing enka or kayōkyoku, you should be able to handle it without any trouble.
Shiranui Love TaleYashiro Aki
Speaking of Aki Yashiro, she’s known for her delicate vocals that make the most of her distinctive husky voice, but “Shiranui Jōwa” stands out in her catalog for its unusually powerful singing.
The defining feature of this piece is, above all, the opening line: it begins with clear enunciation and a strong vocal delivery, then unfolds into an emotionally rich performance as it moves toward the chorus.
Because the song emphasizes strength, there are fewer instances of kobushi—ornamental bends that require delicate control—so the overall difficulty is relatively low.
A woman’s heartYashiro Aki
Onnagokoro, known as one of Aki Yashiro’s early masterpieces.
Although it falls under the enka category, it leans more toward a blues-style kayōkyoku.
As a result, instances of kobushi are very few; aside from one spot at the end of the chorus, there isn’t anything resembling a typical kobushi.
Even that kobushi at the end of the chorus only shifts by a single scale degree, so its difficulty as a kobushi is quite low.
For those who enjoy somber, brooding songs, this might be right up your alley.
Consider adding it to your repertoire.
Terminal Station of LoveYashiro Aki
Among her many masterpieces, Aki Yashiro’s classic “Ai no Shūchakueki” is especially known for its subdued, heartrending mood.
Despite its calm intro, the song actually spans a surprisingly wide vocal range.
On first listen, it may feel challenging.
However, if you listen closely, you’ll notice there are very few long sustained notes, and there are no kobushi (ornamental turns) that move more than three scale degrees.
Taking all this into account, it’s arguably easier to sing than typical enka.
If kobushi feel difficult, try reducing your volume; keeping the dynamics softer can help mask any imprecision in the ornamentation.
Give it a try.
I want to see you againYashiro Aki
Although Aki Yashiro is known for many poignant and bluesy songs, she has also released some orthodox, warmly toned enka.
Among them, the one I especially recommend is “Mou Ichido Aitai” (“I Want to See You Once More”).
Compared to her usual work, this piece is a bit more powerful and includes sections that demand a certain amount of vocal projection.
Because of that, it sacrifices some of the subtlety of kobushi (melismatic ornamentation), so overall the difficulty level can be considered relatively low.
While it is a powerful song, rather than focusing on singing with sheer force, it tends to sound better if you lower the key and solidly support the lower notes—please keep that in mind.