The term enka refers to two different styles of Japanese music. The first is a traditional type of music from both the Meiji period (1868–1912) and the Taisho period (1912-1926). The second is a genre of melodramatic Japanese popular songs, which has been likened to American country music in terms of themes and audience. The term now usually refers to the latter. For many outsiders, Japanese music is associated entirely with cheap, disposable bubblegum pop, of which there is plenty. ... The Meiji period ) denotes the 45-year reign of Emperor Meiji, running from 8 September 1868 (in the Gregorian calendar, 23 October 1868) to 30 July 1912. ... 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... History of Japan Paleolithic Jomon Yayoi Yamato period ---Kofun period ---Asuka period Nara period Heian period Kamakura period Muromachi period Azuchi-Momoyama period ---Nanban period Edo period Meiji period Taisho period Showa period ---Japanese expansionism ---Occupied Japan ---Post-Occupation Japan Heisei The Taisho period (大正 Taishō, lit. ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar). ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ...

The term enka (演歌 - from enzetsu public speech and ka song) originated in Meiji Japan, with possible roots or influence from Korea or China. It began as a form of political dissent - speeches set to music to make them spread more easily - but quickly changed form. It was the first style to synthesize the Japanese pentatonic scale with Western harmonies. Enka lyrics usually are about the themes of love and loss, loneliness, enduring hardships, and persevering in the face of difficulties, even suicide or death. Enka suggests a more traditional, idealized or romanticized aspect of Japanese culture and attitudes, comparable to American country and western music. In music, a pentatonic scale is a scale with five notes per octave. ... Country music, once known as Country and Western music, is a popular musical form developed in the southern United States, with roots in traditional folk music, spirituals, and the blues. ...

The most well-known and beloved performer of this genre is Hibari Misora (1937-1989), who was known as the "Queen of Enka" and "Queen of Showa" for the period (1926-1989) during which she lived and was most popular. Hibari Misora (美空 ひばり, May 29, 1937 - June 24, 1989) was a Japanese singer and the predominant figure in postwar enka music. ... Shōwa is the name of several places, times, people and things in Japan. ...

In recent decades, enka music has declined both in sales and in recognition as American-like J-Pop music has become more popular, and enka's traditional themes are no longer appreciated among younger Japanese generations. However, there are still many in Japan who enjoy this genre. Its popularity among younger Japanese people has increased lately because of singer Kiyoshi Hikawa and the early solo releases of then-Morning Musume member Yuko Nakazawa. Enka singers, who are predominantly women, usually perform in a kimono or in evening dress. Male enka performers also tend to wear formal dress, or in some performances, traditional attire. J-pop (or Jpop) is an abbreviation of Japanese pop. ... Kiyoshi Hikawa Kiyoshi Hikawa (Japanese: 氷川 きよし, Hikawa Kiyoshi), real name Kiyoshi Yamada, (山田 清志), born on September 6, 1977, is a Japanese enka singer. ... Morning Musume ) is a popular all-girl J-pop group from Japan that often changes its members. ... Yuko Nakazawa ), born June 19, 1973, Kyoto Prefecture in Japan, is a Japanese pop singer and actress, best known as a founding member of the all-female supergroup Morning Musume. ... A traditional wedding kimono Japanese woman in a kimono, ca. ...

Nods to traditional Japanese music are common in enka, usually in the form of an interlude featuring instruments like the shinobue and the shamisen. Besides television, enka can usually be heard in many restaurants and drinking establishments, and in karaoke bars and cafes. The Shinobue (篠笛) is a Japanese transverse flute that has a high-pitched sound. ... Kitagawa Utamaro, Flowers of Edo: Young Womans Narrative Chanting to the Samisen, ca. ... A Karaoke machine Karaoke 空 kara, empty or void, and オーケストラ ōkesutora, orchestra) is a form of entertainment in which an amateur singer or singers sing along with recorded music on microphone. ...

In the United States, enka continues to remain popular among a section of the (typically older) Japanese-American population, and enka also has many fans among non-Japanese. There are some enka orchestras and performers active in the U.S., such as the San Jose Chidori Band, which occassionally performs at O-Bon festivals in the summer. Serving from 1999 to 2003, Army General Eric Shinseki of Hawaii became the first Asian American military chief of staff. ... Illuminated by the Albuquerque Bridge, Japanese volunteers place candle lit lanterns into the Sasebo River during the Obon festival. ...

Enka artists

The following are famous enka artists:

• Aki Yashiro
• Ayako Fuji
• Chiyoko Shimakura
• Fuyumi Sakamoto
• Harumi Miyako
• Haruo Minami
• Hibari Misora
• Hideo Murata
• Hiroshi Itsuki
• George Yamamoto
• Kaori Kōzai
• Kaori Mizumori
• Kaye Eunsook
• Keiko Fuji
• Kiyoko Suizenji
• Kiyoshi Hikawa
• Michiya Mihashi
• Mitsuko Nakamura
• Miyako Ōtsuki
• Miyuki Kawanaka
• Mori Shinichi
• Natsuko Godai
• Nobue Matsubara
• Saburō Kitajima
• Sachiko Kobayashi
• Sayuri Ishikawa
• Takashi Hosokawa
• Tendō Yoshimi
• Toshimi Tagawa
• Yōko Nagayama

Ayako Fuji (è—¤ あや子, Fuji Ayako; born May 10, 1961, in Kakunodate, Akita) is a singer of Japanese enka. ... Harumi Miyako , b. ... Haruo Minami statue Haruo Minami (三波春夫 Minami Haruo, July 19, 1923 - April 14, 2001) was a famous Enka singer in postwar Japan. ... Hibari Misora (美空 ひばり, May 29, 1937 - June 24, 1989) was a Japanese singer and the predominant figure in postwar enka music. ... Keiko Fuji (è—¤ 圭子 Fuji Keiko; real name: 宇多田純子 Utada Junko, Born July 5, 1951 in Iwate Prefecture, Japan) was a popular Enka female singer. ... Kiyoshi Hikawa Kiyoshi Hikawa (Japanese: 氷川 きよし, Hikawa Kiyoshi), real name Kiyoshi Yamada, (山田 清志), born on September 6, 1977, is a Japanese enka singer. ... Michiya Mihashi (三橋美智也 Mihashi Michiya, November 10, 1930 - January 8, 1996) was a famous Enka singer in postwar Japan. ... Miyuki Kawanaka (川中 美幸, December 5, 1955 - ) is a Japanese Enka singer. ... Saburō Kitajima (北島 三郎; Kitajima Saburō, born October 4, 1936) is a well known Japanese Enka singer. ... Yōko Nagayama (長山洋子 Nagayama Yōko; born January 13, 1968[1]) is a Japanese enka singer and actress. ...

See also

• Teuroteu - the Korean equivalent of enka

Teuroteu (or somewhat derisively ppongjjak) is the oldest form of Korean pop, having developed in the years before and during the Japanese occupation. ...

External links

• Barbara's Enka Site including introductions to artist and album reviews
• Enka – Song of sweet resignation three page introduction
• Enka: Suffering and Nostalgia for an Imagined Past A nice introduction to enka, which also analyzes its lasting popularity