Artist Profile: Joe Hisaishi, the Composer Who Brings Studio Ghibli’s Films to Life
July 25, 2024
By Emma Huff
Composer, conductor, and pianist Joe Hisaishi first developed an interest in minimal music while studying at the Kunitachi College of Music in Japan. In music, minimalism is defined by the use of limited musical materials and often involves the repetition of phrases and patterns. Though his compositions span many styles and forms, Hisaishi’s early exploration of minimalism has made a clear impact on his work in the genre he is best known for today: film music.
When composing for a film, Hisaishi typically starts with a central melody or motif, then reuses it in inventive ways throughout the rest of the score, allowing him to maintain a central thread without redundancy or clutter. Having composed more than 80 film scores during his career, some of his most notable work comes from his partnership with Hayao Miyazaki—animator and founder of Studio Ghibli, a Japanese animation studio—which began in 1984 with Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Joe Hisaishi’s film scores set the mood of the fantastical worlds Miyaki creates, complementing the imagery to create truly amazing worlds of art.
One of the most notable things about Hisaishi and Miyazaki’s 40-year long partnership is that, unlike similar pairings, the two consider their collaborations strictly professional and do not maintain a friendship outside of filmmaking. When he first met Miyazaki, Hisaishi was fascinated by the man’s passion for his animations. Their collaboration is founded on a mutual respect for each other’s form of art and, in an interview about his score for The Boy and the Heron (2023), Hisaishi states that they are simply coming together to do what they each love most in the world and this is likely the reason why they have worked together for so long.
When composing for Miyazaki’s films, Hisaishi typically works with him during the storyboarding process; creating the score at the same time the film is being made. He receives little direction from Miyazaki and, because each score is built around the individual universe that is being created, they vary greatly from film to film. Hisaishi’s compositions for Studio Ghibli range from electronic music (Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, 1984) to majestic waltzes (Howl’s Moving Castle, 2012). With the exception of the studio’s most recent film, The Boy and the Heron, every score Hisaishi composes begins with the creation of a strong central melody, calling back to his minimalist roots. He then creates the rest of the soundtrack, often making use of a full orchestra and, in the case of films such as Princess Mononoke (1997) and Ponyo (2009), a choir.
While the animations in Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli films are stunning, Hisaishi’s scores are what truly bring them to life, transporting viewers to each magical world through meticulously composed soundscapes. Despite the wide range of themes and tones in each of Miyazaki’s films, Hisaishi’s compositions seamlessly intertwine with the visuals and storylines, proving just how well he understands both his own art form, as well as Miyazaki’s, time and time again.
Listen to a curated list of works on our Joe Hisaishi Spotify playlist.
- “A Night of Shooting Stars” – Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea Soundtrack
- “The Girl Who Fell From the Sky” – Laputa: Castle in the Sky Soundtrack
- “Merry-Go-Round of Life – from ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’” – Freedom Piano Stories 4
- “The Toy Boat” – Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea Soundtrack
- “A Town with an Ocean View” – Kiki’s Delivery Service Soundtrack Music Collection
- “On a Clear Day” – Kiki’s Delivery Service Soundtrack Music Collection
- “‘My Neighbor Totoro Symphony’ the Path of the Wind” – Orchestra Stories – My Neighbor Totoro
- “A Trap” – The Boy and the Heron Original Soundtrack
- “Ponyo’s Sisters Lend a Hand” – Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea Soundtrack
- “Ashitaka and San” – Princess Mononoke Soundtrack
- “The Corridor Door” – The Boy and the Heron Original Soundtrack
- “One Summer Day” – Spirited Away Soundtrack
- “Cat Bus” – My Neighbor Totoro Soundtrack Collection
- “Princess Mononoke Theme Song (Vocal)” – Princess Mononoke Soundtrack
- “Reprise” – Spirited Away Soundtrack
- “Yubaba” – Spirited Away Soundtrack
- “A Walk in the Skies” – Howl’s Moving Castle Soundtrack
- “A Journey (A Dream of Flight)” – The Wind Rises Soundtrack
- “A Haunted House!” – My Neighbor Totoro Soundtrack Collection
- “Castle in the Sky” – Laputa: Castle in the Sky Soundtrack
Emma Huff is a Communication Studies student at Davidson College and WDAV Summer Intern who has helped with marketing and graphic design for the Youtube Channel, Musical Mind Games, and more!