Enka , a sentimental ballad genre, epitomizes for many the nihonjin no kokoro (heart/soul of Japanese).
To older members of the Japanese public, who constitute enka \'s primary audience, this music--of parted lovers, long unseen rural hometowns, and self-sacrificing mothers--evokes a direct connection to the traditional roots of "Japaneseness." Overlooked in this emotional invocation of the past, however, are the powerful commercial forces that, since the 1970s, have shaped.
Enka , a sentimental ballad genre, epitomizes for many the nihonjin no kokoro (heart/soul of Japanese)