Yoko-chan

Nagayama Yoko is another well-known Enka singer. She learned minyo (Japanese folk songs) when she was a child and actually began her professional career singing pop. She made the unusual transition from pop to Enka in the 1990's. She often plays the shamisen while singing. Yoko-chan also had her own television show featuring Enka music. Her recording label, JVC Music, maintains a website for her called New Yoko Times. The site has videos of some of her performances. She's one of only a handful of Enka singers helping to keep the minyo tradition alive. I like her singing a lot.