From Comic Songs to Enka: Easy-to-Sing Songs by Ikuzo Yoshi [2026]
Of course, he has towering achievements as a veteran enka singer, but he’s also renowned as an exceptional singer-songwriter—an Aomori-born hero, Yoshikazu “Yoshi” Ikuzō—who’s produced everything from comedic, rap-like novelty tunes such as “Ora Tokyo sa Iguda” to heart-wrenching ballads that tug at the heartstrings, as well as providing songs for other artists.
He’s also showcased his talent as an actor, and with his strong name recognition in households across Japan, Yoshi’s songs are hugely popular at karaoke.
In this article, we’ve picked out and compiled some of Yoshi’s many classic tracks that are relatively easy to sing.
We’ve included plenty of famous songs too, so beginners should definitely check them out!
- [Sub-chan] A Collection of Easy-to-Sing Songs by Saburo Kitajima [2026]
- Queen of Enka: A roundup of Aki Yashiro’s easy-to-sing songs
- The Most Idol-Like Star in the Enka World: Easy-to-Sing Songs by Kiyoshi Hikawa
- [Enka] Songs That Are Easy to Sing Even for the Tone-Deaf [Male Singer Edition]
- Enka songs that are easy for men to sing: a roundup of tracks to try at karaoke
- [Tears and Alcohol] A Collection of Kaori Kozai’s Easy-to-Sing Songs [2026]
- [People・Songs・Heart] A Collection of Miyuki Kawanaka’s Easy-to-Sing Songs [2026]
- The Allure of Deep Vocals: A Collection of Yutaka Yamakawa’s Easy-to-Sing Songs [2026]
- [For Beginners] Recommended Enka Masterpieces for Karaoke — Male Singers Edition
- Queen of Local Songs: Kaori Mizumori's Easy-to-Sing Tracks
- [2026] Recommended for those who find high notes difficult! Enka by male singers that you can sing in a low register
- [Flower News] A Collection of Hiroshi Takeshima’s Easy-to-Sing Songs [2026]
- [Enka 7th Generation] A Collection of Easy-to-Sing Songs by Yuto Tatsumi [2026]
[From Comic Songs to Enka] Easy-to-Sing Songs by Ikuzo Yoshi [2026] (1–10)
South… spring and summerYoshi Ikuzo
Ikuzo Yoshi is well known for songs that praise his hometown, and among them, the one I especially recommend for its ease of singing is “Nanbu…
Spring and Summer.” Its lyrics overflow with scenes of home and a deep nostalgia for them, and the melody is crafted with a warm tone to match.
With a very relaxed tempo, it features no fast, intricate kobushi (ornamental turns) or kobushi that span more than three scale steps, so even those who feel uneasy about enka should be able to sing it without trouble.
Blues of SorrowYoshi Ikuzo
Ikuzo Yoshi’s classic “Ai no Blues” is memorable for its passionate vocal delivery.
Although it falls into the so-called ‘onnagata’ (woman’s song) category, Yoshi’s husky voice brilliantly conveys a woman’s sorrow.
One reason this piece is easy to sing is its frequent repetition.
From the A section to the B section, the same vocal lines are often repeated, and because these repeated parts don’t include kobushi (ornamental vocal turns), the overall difficulty naturally decreases.
There is a slightly higher passage toward the end, but the overall vocal range remains narrow, so it’s undoubtedly an easy song to sing.
Elegy of a Port TownYoshi Ikuzo
Ikuzo Yoshi’s classic “Minato-machi Banka” is marked by a melancholy, lingering melody.
It’s a women’s song depicting a woman in a port town, beautifully expressing her feelings as she dotes on her husband who’s returned from fishing after a long time away.
Despite its powerful melody, the piece surprisingly features few advanced kobushi (melismatic turns).
They do appear, but when they do, the kobushi only span one or two scale steps, so the difficulty level as enka is quite low.
Consider adding it to your repertoire.
[From Comic Songs to Enka] Easy-to-Sing Songs by Yoshi Ikuzo [2026] (11–20)
Women’s Counting SongYoshi Ikuzo
Among Yoshikazu Ikuzō’s songs, Onna no Kazoewuta stands out for its especially smooth melody.
While it follows the enka tradition, the piece flows with a smooth-jazz-like ease throughout, and compared to typical enka, it features far fewer occurrences of kobushi—the intricate pitch bends that require complex rises and falls.
It’s a work that should especially resonate with fans of adult contemporary.
Instead of techniques like kobushi, it calls for many expansive long tones, so be sure to stay mindful of sustaining those lines.
Dear MomYoshi Ikuzo
A masterpiece of the enka world known as one of Ikuzo Yoshi’s most tear-jerking songs, “To Mother.” As an enka singer, Ikuzo Yoshi is a rare singer-songwriter.
Because he writes both the lyrics and music for most of his songs, his work is compelling for its vivid sense of reality.
This song, sung by Yoshi, was created in memory of his late mother.
It is characterized by a deeply subdued atmosphere, and techniques such as kobushi (melismatic ornamentation) are kept to a minimum to serve that world view.
While it demands a high level of expressive ability, its overall difficulty as a typical enka piece is relatively low, so consider adding it to your repertoire.
To my daughter…Yoshi Ikuzo
The classic “To My Daughter,” which portrays a father thinking of his daughter as she departs for her new home.
Told from the perspective of the father seeing her off, the song features a melody that carries a subdued, rugged charm amid a wistful atmosphere.
Vocally, it relies heavily on repetition, with most of the piece built around similar vocal lines.
There are no difficult vocal ornaments; the phrases proceed plainly and similarly throughout, making it very easy once you get used to it.
The range is also very narrow, so for those with lower voices, it’s about as singable as it gets.
drunk on menYoshi Ikuzo
Among Yoshikazu Ikuzō’s songs, the masterpiece “Otokoyoi” stands out for its especially powerful melody.
It’s a straight-up ‘man’s song,’ crafted with a consistently forceful melodic line throughout.
There are many shout-style sections where the voice is driven hard, but because the emphasis is on sheer power, you won’t find ornamentations that demand delicate control, like intricate kobushi runs.
Even the kobushi at the end of the chorus is essentially an extension of the vibrato, so the difficulty level is relatively low.
Gentlemen with a rich, gravelly voice should definitely consider adding this piece to their repertoire.