[The Pinnacle of Modern Enka] Shimazu Aya’s Easy-to-Sing Songs
Aya Shimazu is an enka singer who boasts overwhelming talent as a female performer, studied under Yuriko Futaba, and is highly acclaimed as a leading figure at the forefront of contemporary enka.
Hailing from Kumamoto Prefecture, she specializes in expansive, pop-like long tones and powerful vibrato embellished with shouts.
Because she possesses top-tier vocal ability even among Japanese enka singers, many of her songs are quite challenging.
This time, however, we’ve selected some of her works that are easier to sing.
- [For Women] Masterpiece Enka Songs with a High Degree of Difficulty
- [Enka] Songs that are easy to sing even for those who are tone-deaf [Female singers edition]
- Queen of Local Songs: Kaori Mizumori's Easy-to-Sing Tracks
- [2026] Compilation of Enka Singers from Kumamoto
- [Wakayama’s Treasure] Fuyumi Sakamoto’s Easy-to-Sing Songs
- [For Beginners] Recommended Enka Classics for Karaoke — Women Singers Edition
- [Treasure of Powerful Enka] Takashi Hosokawa’s Easy-to-Sing Songs
- A roundup of leading female enka singers representing the Showa era
- The Most Idol-Like Star in the Enka World: Easy-to-Sing Songs by Kiyoshi Hikawa
- A roundup of male enka singers who represent the Showa era
- [2026] Amazing If You Can Sing It! Classic Enka Masterpieces [Male Singers Edition]
- [Glamorously Cool] A Collection of Easy-to-Sing Songs by Ayako Fuji [2026]
- Diva of Enka: A roundup of female singers leading the enka world
[The Pinnacle of Modern Enka] Aiya Shimazu’s Easy-to-Sing Songs (1–10)
white magnoliaShimazu Aya
Ayako Shimazu’s masterpiece “Shirakobushi” opens with a striking intro featuring beautiful humming.
While this piece leans more toward kayōkyoku than enka, it also incorporates elements of folk music.
Folk typically features simple vocal lines, and this song embraces that aspect as well.
The shout right before the chorus is the tricky part, but since there are no complex pitch shifts or kobushi (melismatic ornaments), anyone accustomed to singing enka should be able to handle it without trouble.
Consider adding it to your repertoire.
As a flower, as a personShimazu Aya
A moving piece beloved by fans, “Hana toshite Hito toshite.” This work showcases Aya Shimazu’s expansive vocals, but aside from those soaring parts, there aren’t any especially difficult points.
It leans more toward kayōkyoku than traditional enka, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it has strong pop elements, so you won’t have to wrestle with the intricate kobushi (melismatic ornamentation) typical of enka.
The range is somewhat wide, so be sure to adjust the key to suit your own vocal range before giving it a try.
Brocade AutumnShimazu Aya
Aya Shimazu’s masterpiece “Kinshūfu” leaves a lingering poignancy within its power.
While the melody firmly qualifies as classic enka, a look at the vocal line reveals surprisingly few kobushi (melismatic turns), and it lacks the typical difficulties associated with enka.
Instead, it calls for dynamics and a soaring vocal delivery, but these are far less demanding than kobushi, so those who regularly sing enka will likely find nothing particularly challenging.
Do consider adding it to your repertoire.
[Pinnacle of Modern Enka] Aiya Shimazu’s Easy-to-Sing Songs (11–20)
A-un FlowerShimazu Aya
Aya Shimazu is known for having many songs that incorporate kayōkyoku and pop.
Those songs are certainly easy to sing, but I think many people also want to sing solid, traditional enka.
That’s why I recommend Aun no Hana.
This piece prominently features kobushi (the characteristic enka vocal ornament), giving it a strong enka flavor.
However, the kobushi sections are relatively manageable, so the overall difficulty isn’t very high.
For those who struggle with kobushi that require frequent pitch bends up and down, this is a very singable song.
aspiring spiritShimazu Aya
For those looking for an enka song that’s packed with strong kobushi ornamentation yet still easy to sing, I recommend Asunaro-gokoro.
It features a fair number of kobushi turns, and at the most exciting part of the chorus you’ll even get a shout-style, growling vocal.
That said, it’s not extremely difficult as enka goes—there are almost no kobushi that spin three or more times.
If you’ve got basic kobushi technique and are comfortable with shout-style singing, you should find this song reasonably approachable.
Aya’s FestivalShimazu Aya
Aya Shimazu’s signature song “Aya no Matsuri” is notable for her powerful vocals.
As the title suggests, it’s a lively, energetic tune.
Because there are many shouts, it might seem difficult, but surprisingly there are few kobushi (ornamental pitch turns) that repeatedly move up and down in complex ways, and each phrase is relatively short, so you won’t struggle with long sustained notes.
Instead, if you don’t articulate the opening of each phrase clearly, it can come across as limp, so be sure to focus on crisp pronunciation at the start of each line.
To my daughter…Shimazu Aya
Aya Shimazu’s early work “Musume ni…”.
Around this time, she often sang poignant, gently emotional songs, and this piece is especially renowned as a masterpiece among them.
While it follows the melodic style of enka and can rightly be called an enka song, the vocal line itself leans strongly toward kayōkyoku (Japanese pop).
There’s hardly any use of vibrato-like kobushi, and the performance relies mainly on dynamic shading throughout, making it a song where you can aim for a high score.
Be sure to add it to your repertoire.