Enka’s recent hit songs in 2025: Must-watch popular kayō tracks

Wet with the foghornChō Hōyūki

Nagaho Yuki “Wet by the Fog Horn” MUSIC VIDEO

A new song by Yuki Nagaho that sings of a bittersweet love set in a melancholy port town.

The sound of a foghorn echoing through the mist-shrouded harbor symbolizes the protagonist’s emotions.

Lyrics interwoven with parting, lingering feelings, and hopes for reunion are sure to resonate deeply with listeners.

Released on June 26, 2024, this track showcases Nagaho’s mature vocal prowess and expressive depth.

Paired with the coupling song “Ottori Bushi,” it’s guaranteed to capture the hearts of enka fans.

It’s a perfect tune for an evening drive or to enjoy in the mellow atmosphere of a cozy izakaya.

I couldn’t help but tear upJun Yanagi

[Official] Jun Yanagi “Tsui Horori” Music Video (Release date: August 20, 2025)

Enka singer Jun Yanagi, who captivates listeners with her lustrous vocals.

Her August 2025 release, “Tsui Horori,” is an enka ballad that evokes nostalgia in those living in the big city.

Thinking of a hometown from which no letters come, the protagonist feels the coldness of the city—her emotions come through with aching clarity.

If you’re living away from home, doing your best on your own, and a sudden loneliness passes through your heart, this bittersweet yet warm melody will gently wrap you in comfort.

Yurushi RiverMiyuki Nagai

Miyuki Nagai “Yurushigawa” Music Video

Released in August 2025, this work by Miyuki Nagai is a minor-key kayō enka song, featuring lyrics by poet Rein Dōzan and composition by Akihiro Ōtani.

The lyrics depict a woman who dreamed of a one-night romance and now struggles with the conflict of wanting to forgive yet being unable to.

The protagonist’s feelings, likened to the confederate rose, are expressed in words that are both beautiful and heartrending, leaving a deep impression on listeners.

It’s a piece that invites you to savor the anguish and futility of love.

Sanriku ElegyKaori Mizumori

Kaori Mizumori “Sanriku Elegy” MV (Released January 23, 2024) [Official]

Kaori Mizumori’s “Sanriku Elegy,” released on January 23, 2024, is a song whose bittersweet yet powerful message resonates deeply.

Set in Iwate Prefecture, the lyrics portray a woman awaiting the return of someone who went out to sea and never came back, conveying both mourning for lost love and hope for a new future.

Eiji Takino’s meticulously crafted words and Tetsuya Gen’s deeply affecting melody blend beautifully with Mizumori’s expressively rich vocals.

This work lets you feel the enchantment of the Sanriku sea, where the everyday and the extraordinary intersect.

A song destined to be loved across generations, it’s recommended not only for enka fans but for a wide range of listeners.

Crescent Moon and the Red BridgeYuki Isozawa

Yuki Isokawa “Crescent Moon and the Red Bridge” MUSIC VIDEO

Yuki Isokawa’s song released in September 2024 is set in Ureshino Onsen in Saga Prefecture, telling a fleeting love story through imagery of a red bridge and a crescent moon.

The phrase comparing love to a “water mirage” is striking, symbolically expressing the transience of a temporary relationship.

Composed by Chiaki Oka with lyrics by Chihiro Fuyumi, the piece strongly reflects a dreamlike landscape throughout.

The single also includes “Ginza Sunny Side Street” and “Sayonara Nante,” along with karaoke tracks.

With Isokawa’s clear, transparent vocals resonating with rich emotion, this is a song we recommend to anyone who has ever known the ache of a bittersweet love.

Terminal InnKotomi Maki

Kotomi Maki “Inn at the Last Stop” MUSIC VIDEO

This is a profound song released in September 2024 by Kotomi Maki, known as an active enka singer.

It features the emotive lyrics and weighty melody unique to enka, with Maki’s powerful vocals resonating deeply.

Titled “Shūchaku no Yado” (The Terminal Inn), the piece is set in the northern land of drifting ice and explores themes of parting from a loved one and lingering, unforgettable attachment.

Depictions of crying through the night in a wind-swept strait and the protagonist’s loneliness while drinking “drift ice sake” strike a chord with listeners.

The coupling track, “Ai no Kioku” (Memory of Love), is an unconventional chanson-style work.

It’s a song recommended not only for enka fans but for listeners of all ages.

Courtesan of SatsumaTakeru Ogawa

Takeru Ogawa “Oiran of Satsuma” MV

A work that strikes the heart with its passion for the performing arts and its longing for home.

Composed by Takeru Ogawa and released in August 2025, it features lyrics and music written by Ogawa himself, whose previous release, “Fragments of a Dream,” was also well received.

The lyrics portray the artistic journey of a young performer striving to become Japan’s finest onnagata, along with his yearning for his hometown.

The world it evokes—where an unwavering resolve to reach the summit intersects with sudden surges of love for family—deeply moves the listener.

Anyone who has left home to pursue a dream will surely relate.

It’s a dramatic track you’ll want to hear while reflecting on your own path.