Whimsy and Fantasy: Joe Hisaishi’s ‘The Tale of the Princess Kaguya’

We travel across the Pacific Ocean to the island of Japan to explore the incredible music of Isao Takahata’s final film, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, released in 2013. Join me as I discuss Joe Hisaishi’s continued association with Studio Ghibli, the famous Japanese animation production studio, in providing music for yet another masterpiece. Drawing upon the musical tradition of his home country, and the use of the pentatonic scale, Hisaishi crafted seven original themes and motifs to shape the great emotional range of the film. From the joyous “Happiness Theme” to the peaceful “Memories Theme”, Hisaishi created a bed of simple yet poignant music for this folk tale.