Lovely karaoke song

Carefully selected easy-to-sing songs by Takuro Yoshida! Enjoy classic folk song masterpieces

Vocal coachKubota Mami
After working as a voice trainer at a studio for seven years, I went independent in 2025. To date, I’ve taught more than 300 students. Honestly, I started teaching out of simple curiosity (lol). When I was job hunting, I stumbled across a listing for a “vocal instructor,” thought, “What is this?!” and applied on impulse. That’s how I became a teacher with zero prior knowledge—so I went through more training than anyone and studied a lot on my own. When I started teaching what I’d learned to my students, their responses were really positive, and that’s when I felt a real sense of purpose. As a teacher, I absolutely love those moments when I’m growing together with my students. As for my musical activities, I’ve been playing bass in a wind ensemble since high school and still do. I’ve also performed live in a band as a singing bassist, and sometimes I’m invited to sing as a vocalist only. Through vocal training, I want to keep using my voice and stay healthy and beautiful for years to come!
Editor-in-Chief, RAG MUSICHane Keisuke
Editor-in-chief of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. After working in a music studio and handling wedding sound, joined the RAG MUSIC editorial team in 2016. Experienced with a variety of instruments: marching band in elementary school, clarinet in junior high school wind ensemble, and drums in a band from high school onward. Drawing on my own musical activities and the experience gained through my work, I produce daily articles, including various song introductions, features on music festivals around the country, and live reports. In music, I enjoy not only rock from Japan and abroad but, lately, a wide range of J-pop as well.

Have you ever found yourself at karaoke thinking, “I want to sing a folk song, but I don’t know what to choose”? Songs by Takuro Yoshida are beloved for their simple melodies and deeply moving lyrics, and they remain consistently popular choices at karaoke.

In this article, we’ll introduce plenty of Takuro Yoshida’s classic tracks that feel great to sing at karaoke.

Enjoy the distinctive intros that only folk songs can offer, find your favorite number, and show it off at your next karaoke session!

Carefully selected easy-to-sing songs by Takuro Yoshida! Enjoy the masterpieces of folk songs (1–10)

My good friendNEW!yoshida takurou

My good friend

My good friendNEW!yoshida takurou

This is a song composed by Takuro Yoshida and made a big hit by Hiroshi Kamayatsu; even people who don’t know Takuro Yoshida likely know the song itself.

With a vibe of “old friends,” “times we laughed together,” and “each of our lives,” the lyrics resonate more deeply as you grow older.

Also, the key changes and rises in the latter half, which lifts your spirits and makes your chest swell the more you sing it.

When singing, focus on the drum sound, ride the rhythm, and hit the opening accents firmly.

Sing it at karaoke or in a snack bar and you’ll probably earn some respect.

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flutteringNEW!yoshida takurou

fluttering

flutteringNEW!yoshida takurou

A gentle, life-tinged masterpiece, “Hirahira.” Its tempo is relaxed, smoothly singing of “time that flows on” and “feelings you can’t grasp.” It isn’t flashy, but it quietly sinks in.

The overall vocal range is quite calm, from A#2 to F#4.

Since the low register is a hallmark, be mindful not to let the pitch drop too much.

If the pitch sinks into the throat, the lows get muffled, making it harder to sing and harder to listen to—so focus on resonance! When you let your body resonate, the chest and head resonate more.

The low notes naturally resonate in the chest, so if you add resonance in the head, your volume will increase, you’ll hear your own voice better, and it’ll be easier to sing! Raising your hand toward your head while singing helps your head resonate more, so it’s recommended!

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Mark IINEW!yoshida takurou

Mark II - Takuro Yoshida

Mark IINEW!yoshida takurou

This is the B-side to a debut single whose title and motif were inspired by a heartbreak experienced at a café in Hiroshima and by a Toyota Corona Mark II that passed by right in front of them.

Rather than fitting neatly into the folk genre, it’s a bluesy sound where the beautiful melody and instrumental tones convey an urban, nighttime, adult sense of loneliness.

It would really click and convey the mood if sung by an older man or someone with a lot of life experience.

The song itself might work best sung a bit coolly.

When you sing it, focus on the drum rhythm and it’ll land stylishly! Be sure to keep up the cool vibe all the way to the end!

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Carefully selected easy-to-sing songs by Takuro Yoshida! Enjoy classic folk song masterpieces (11–20)

The morning sun is SanNEW!yoshida takurou

The morning sun is San

The morning sun is SanNEW!yoshida takurou

It’s a bright, hopeful classic with repeated, rhyming phrases, making it very easy to remember even for beginners to Takuro! It carries the meaning of “let’s start walking again,” like the start of a new day.

The song doesn’t reach extreme high notes, so anyone should be able to sing it lightly.

I think it sounds great when you enunciate the lyrics clearly and sing with high energy.

If you can do a solo performance, strumming the guitar with a lively, bigger sound will help your voice project more and make it feel really good to sing!

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Speak not of lifeyoshida takurou

Takuro Yoshida - Don’t Speak of Life (lyrics)Don’t speak of life like you know it allDon’t speak of love like you’ve got it downDon’t speak of dreams the way someone else doesDon’t speak of life, don’t speak of lifeIf you’re gonna talk, then sing it outIf you’re gonna love, then give it allIf you’re gonna dream, then stake your lifeDon’t speak of life, don’t speak of lifeWhen the wind blows through the town at duskI stop and listen to my heartI remember someone I used to loveAnd I feel like I can almost see them nowDon’t speak of life like you know it allDon’t speak of love like you’ve got it downDon’t speak of dreams the way someone else doesDon’t speak of life, don’t speak of lifeIf you’re gonna cry, then cry it outIf you’re gonna laugh, then laugh out loudIf you’re gonna live, then live it throughDon’t speak of life, don’t speak of lifeOn a night when the rain won’t seem to stopI walk with my collar turned upI hum a tune that no one knowsAnd I feel like I can almost flyDon’t speak of life like you know it allDon’t speak of love like you’ve got it downDon’t speak of dreams the way someone else doesDon’t speak of life, don’t speak of lifeIf you’re gonna talk, then sing it outIf you’re gonna love, then give it allIf you’re gonna dream, then stake your lifeDon’t speak of life, don’t speak of life

Speak not of lifeyoshida takurou

It’s a song whose powerful vocals, singing of the doubts and inner struggles we face in life, are deeply moving.

It was included on the 1974 album “Ima wa Mada Jinsei o Katarazu,” whose title is said to have been taken from this song’s lyrics.

While the rhythm is calm yet strong—making the tempo approachable even for beginners—the melody is also simple and easy to sing.

However, to convey the atmosphere of the piece, passionate, heartfelt singing is essential.

It’s important to imagine how to flow the words and where in each phrase to apply emphasis.

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Until today and from tomorrowyoshida takurou

“Until Today and From Tomorrow” by Takuro Yoshida

Until today and from tomorrowyoshida takurou

It’s one of Takuro Yoshida’s signature songs, depicting someone looking back on their life and connections with others while pondering the road ahead.

Its popularity is evident from its use in various works, such as the 1972 film “Tabi no Omosa” and the 2001 film “Crayon Shin-chan: The Storm Called: The Adult Empire Strikes Back.” Centered on acoustic guitar—the hallmark of folk music—the simple sound enhances the clarity of the lyrics’ message.

The repeated, straightforward melody makes it easy to sing, and performing it in a relaxed, almost murmuring tone helps bring out the song’s atmosphere.

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Cape Erimoyoshida takurou

Cape Erimo (from the Tsumagoi Concert)

Cape Erimoyoshida takurou

This song proudly sings of the calm scenery of Cape Erimo, free of anything superfluous.

Although it was provided as a song for Shinichi Mori, it takes on a different atmosphere when sung by its composer, Takuro Yoshida.

Yoshida’s version has a stronger folk feel, with a light sound and relaxed vocals that stand out.

The simple melody and gentle rhythm make it easy to sing, so perform it calmly while imagining the kindness of nature.

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