Joe Hisaishi and the Sound of Ghibli: A Guide to the Music

It is impossible to separate Studio Ghibli's visual imagination from the music of Joe Hisaishi. From My Neighbor Totoro to The Boy and the Heron, Hisaishi has composed the scores for every Miyazaki-directed Ghibli feature. His music has become as much a part of Ghibli's identity as any character or image.

Who Is Joe Hisaishi?

Born Mamoru Fujisawa in 1950 in Nakano, Nagano Prefecture, Hisaishi began his career as a classical composer and arranger. His adoption of the stage name Hisaishi (a phonetic translation of Quincy Jones's name) reflects the breadth of his influences: classical music, jazz, pop and world music all filter through his work. His collaboration with Miyazaki began in 1984 with Nausicaa and has defined both their careers.

The Key Themes of the Ghibli Canon

Hisaishi's Ghibli scores are built around memorable themes rather than background texture. His compositional philosophy is to create melodies so singable that audiences will carry them out of the cinema. He has succeeded: the main theme from My Neighbor Totoro, the Merry-Go-Round of Life from Howl's Moving Castle and the One Summer's Day from Spirited Away are among the most whistled and hummed melodies in the world.

Hisaishi in Concert

Joe Hisaishi regularly performs his Ghibli work in concert, conducting orchestral performances of complete film scores. These concerts sell out globally and represent one of the most emotionally overwhelming live music experiences available to contemporary audiences. If you have never heard a live orchestra play the climax of Princess Mononoke or the closing sequence of My Neighbor Totoro, add it to your list.

Bringing the Music Home: Ghibli Music Boxes

For those who want to carry Hisaishi's melodies into their everyday life, our Ghibli music box collection offers officially licensed music boxes playing his most beloved themes. A music box playing the Totoro main theme or Spirited Away's Spirit World theme creates an atmosphere that transports you back to the films in seconds.

Also read our Ghibli music box guide, our My Neighbor Totoro guide and our Hayao Miyazaki biography.