Kayokyoku

Kayokyoku is a Japanese music genre, which served as the prevailing style of mainstream pop in Japan from the 1950s until the 1980s, when it was supplanted by J-Pop. The term "kayokyoku" literally translates to "pop song" and it's characterized by its melodious tunes and fusion of Western musical elements with traditional Japanese music. The genre often encompasses a wide emotional range, from sweet ballads to more upbeat numbers, reflecting the versatility of its artists, such as Off Course's harmonious folk-pop, Yosui Inoue's lyrical depth, and Pink Lady's catchy disco-influenced beats. Featuring poetic lyrics and clear, expressive vocals, kayokyoku laid the foundation for contemporary Japanese pop, becoming a bridge between the old and new in Japan's rich musical tapestry.

Latest Kayokyoku Release
Kitsuneno Botan album image
Kitsuneno Botan
Single - Released November 2, 2026

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Akiko Yano
Akina Nakamori
Akira Kobayashi
Ami Ozaki
Anri
Aya Nakano
Ayako Natsuki
BEGIN
Chitose Hajime
Cocco
DA PUMP
EGO-WRAPPIN’
Erika Ikuta
Fumiya Fujii
Fuyumi Sakamoto
Ginji Ito
Hako Yamazaki
Hideki Saijo
Hiroji Miyamoto
Hiroko Moriguchi
Hiroko Yakushimaru
Hiroshi Takano
Hirosi Kano
Hitomi Shimatani
Jimmy McHugh
Kaori Kishitani
Kaori Kozai
Kazuya Iwade
Kazuyoshi Saito
Keisuke Hama
Kinocohotel
Kiyoshi Hikawa
Ko Shibasaki
Koji Kikkawa
Kumi Iwamoto
Kyoko Koizumi
Lily
MAX
MISIA
Mariya Takeuchi
Masaharu Fukuyama
Masamichi Sugi
Masayoshi Yamazaki
Masayuki Suzuki
Mika Shinno
Mikiko Noda
Minami Kizuki
Misato Watanabe
Miyuki Hatakeyama
Miyuki Nagai
Mr.Children
Nana Okada
Nanase Aikawa
Naotaro Moriyama
Rimi Natsukawa
SHOW-YA
SPITZ
Sachiko Kobayashi
Sayuri Ishikawa
Seiko Matsuda
Shinichi Mori
THE ALFEE
THE YELLOW MONKEY
TM NETWORK
Takashi Hosokawa
Takehara Pistol
Tamio Okuda
Teresa Teng
The Checkers
The Gospellers
Tomoyo Harada
T字路s
Ulfuls
YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA
YUJI NAKADA
Yasuyuki Okamura
Yoko Oginome
Yoshie Kashiwabara
Yuki Kadokura
Yuki Koyanagi
Yuki Murakami
Yukino Ichikawa
Yumi Matsutoya
にじさんじ
キム・ヨンジャ
デーモン閣下
三山ひろし
中西りえ
二見颯一
児島未散
千葉げん太
大西ユカリ
天童よしみ
川野夏美
朝花美穂
浅香 唯
海蔵亮太
翁倩玉
辰巳ゆうと
長山洋子
Mr.Children
SPITZ
Anri
Mariya Takeuchi
Teresa Teng
MISIA
Seiko Matsuda
Masaharu Fukuyama
Akina Nakamori
Every Little Thing
Yumi Matsutoya
Anzen Chitai
THE YELLOW MONKEY
Kazuyoshi Saito
Masayuki Suzuki
Junko Ohashi
Kyoko Koizumi
Hiroji Miyamoto
中山美穂
BEGIN
TM NETWORK
Ulfuls
THE ALFEE
Yosui Inoue
S. Kiyotaka & Omega Tribe
Kiroro
Junko Yagami
Nanase Aikawa
Yuki Koyanagi
Tamio Okuda
SPEED
DA PUMP
The Checkers
Masayoshi Yamazaki
The Gospellers
Kenji Sawada
Fuyumi Sakamoto
Ko Shibasaki
Hiroko Yakushimaru
Kiyoshi Hikawa
Misato Watanabe
1986 OMEGA TRIBE
Takao Kisugi
Naotaro Moriyama
YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA
Rimi Natsukawa
Wink
大滝詠一
THE BOOM
Momoko Kikuchi
Hitomi Shimatani
Hiromi Iwasaki
Off Course
Stardust Revue
Sayuri Ishikawa
Machiko Watanabe
Aki Yashiro
Fumiya Fujii
Minako Yoshida
Yoko Oginome
Ann Lewis
Cocco
Koji Kikkawa
Yasuyuki Okamura
Erika Ikuta
Hiroko Moriguchi
Akira Terao
C-C-B
EGO-WRAPPIN’
ZIGGY
Pink Lady
にじさんじ
Shinichi Mori
Yu Hayami
Takako Okamura
島津亜矢
Minako Honda
Takashi Hosokawa
Takehara Pistol
Kai Band
Sachiko Kobayashi
EPO
Junpei Oda
Saki Kubota
Kaori Kozai
Kumiko Yamashita
Chitose Hajime
Masako Mori
Ayumi Nakamura
Ryoko Hirosue
MAX
Takashi Sorimachi
CRYSTALKING
Tomoyo Harada
Yoshitaka Minami
Kahoru Kohiruimaki
Keisuke Yamauchi
Whiteberry
川中美幸
Yutaka Yamakawa