Enka. It seems every gent over a certain age in Japan responds to these soulful ballads of lost love and lingering pain: “You’ll understand with age, young man,” the wise, older salaryman advises.

But apparently girls mature faster—a lot faster. Meet Sakura Maya, 10, one of the most talked about new stars in the world of Japanese enka.

The “Enka Shojo” made her debut in 2008 with “Tairyo Matsuri,” and immediately there was talk of how this fiery Hokkaido girl had such a mature voice. She counts among her inspirations Misora Hibari, whose rich, sultry tones made her “Queen of Enka” until her death in 1989.

There is no doubt that Sakura Maya is insanely talented. The kid can sing. That, and she has such a sweet face. The discrepancy between her youthful appearance and the adult nature of her lyrics—songs about jilted love and hard luck—made her an instant media sensation.

In February 2009, she appeared on “Music Fair 21″ and sang a duet with a twenty-seven-year-old American enka singer (of Japanese and African American descent) named Jero, who was dubbed the “black ship” after his debut in 2008. Jero and Sakura sang “Moshikashite, Part II,” a song about budding romance. Staring into each other’s eyes, Jero sang what translates to, “You are so selfish, like a child! You are so cute!” (Jero was apparently embarrassed by this, but for the most part the audience loved it.)

Even though enka in the form of pop-ballad really only came into existence after WWII, some saw Jero and Sakura’s performance as the end of the genre of traditional enka music. The genre seems to be in deep decline, and the industry is grasping at gimmicks. Even Teichiku Entertainment, an agency renowned for its traditional enka lineup, has debuted DoHatsuTen, a bizarre enka-rock fusion group.

Sakura has found a niche for herself by marketing her youth. Media outlet Yomiuri Hochi rather unflatteringly referred to her as “loli enka.” Online, she appears on sites also promoting “junior idols,” a euphemism for girls aged two to twelve who appear in swimsuit videos and photo albums.

Perhaps Sakura is unsettling because she is a mainstream media star and also a lolicon idol. In all fairness, she isn’t the only one. The Japanese broadcasting corporation, NHK, is airing a show called “Cooking Idol Ai! Mai! Main!” that features a cute little girl chef, who also stars in anime segments. Her tendency to look at the camera as she eats has earned the show a dedicated viewership among certain sectors.

But Sakura’s audience isn’t made up of only older enka fans or lolicon men. As her performance at Kiddy Land in Harajuku on April 30 demonstrates, she is drawing in a fair number of young girls who praise her and are inspired by her talent.

Being a young girl is a mixed blessing for Sakura. In 2000, Hikawa Kiyoshi swept the enka world with his incredible vocals, youthful energy, and good looks. He was 23, and scorned by many fans for being too young to sing enka. For better or worse, Sakura is instead praised for being young and female. Time will tell if talent alone can sustain her.

For all those fans out there, Sakura’s birthday is July 26, and there will be much revelry in Japan.