[Ghibli] Popular BGM. Enjoy the world of Ghibli through music!
Studio Ghibli has many popular works, such as My Neighbor Totoro, Castle in the Sky, and Spirited Away.
And just as popular as the films themselves is the background music that plays throughout them! Ghibli’s music is famously composed by Joe Hisaishi, and every piece is truly wonderful.
Many of the tracks are so memorable that some people can tell exactly which scene from which film it is just by hearing the BGM.
In this article, we’ll introduce a selection of Ghibli’s most beloved BGMs all at once! Please enjoy the world of Ghibli.
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[Ghibli] Popular BGM: Enjoy the World of Ghibli Through Music! (11–20)
Ask me why (A Mother’s Thoughts)Hisaishi Joe
This is the theme song from Studio Ghibli’s feature-length animated film The Boy and the Heron, which can be called the culmination of director Hayao Miyazaki’s work.
It is performed tenderly on a solo piano only three times during important scenes, from the opening to the late stages of the film, with no arrangements or variations for other instruments, making it clear how deeply composer Joe Hisaishi cherishes this piece.
If you listen closely, one note in the chorus melody differs from Ask Me Why (Mahito’s Resolve).
Just as Mahito returns with the stone and retains his memories of the experience, he has indeed changed from before to now.
It feels like a deliberate, meaningful misalignment.
The characters’ emotions are conveyed through live performance, as if opening the door to the heart.
Dragon BoyHisaishi Joe
From Studio Ghibli’s hugely famous film Spirited Away, this is “The Dragon Boy.” The “dragon” refers to Haku, and the piece is used in the scene where Haku and Chihiro meet and then depart from the bathhouse.
In the film, the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra performs it: a mystical tone born from layered harp and piano leads into flowing horn lines, while the woodwinds stack in perfect fourths to evoke a traditional Japanese atmosphere.
This performance is a longer version than the one in the film, making “The Dragon Boy” even more powerful.
Path of the WindHisaishi Joe
The indispensable classic “The Path of the Wind” from Studio Ghibli’s beloved masterpiece My Neighbor Totoro is presented here in an orchestral performance.
This piece is included in “Orchestra Stories: My Neighbor Totoro,” in which composer Joe Hisaishi restructured music from My Neighbor Totoro so it can be enjoyed with narration.
In the original, Hisaishi—then influenced by minimalism—used an electronic sound, but this version becomes a grand orchestral work that brings out the beauty of acoustic instruments.
The sheet music is also available, so students and members of community orchestras who want to enjoy ensemble playing on real instruments might consider giving it a try.
After the introduction, the violin solo is superb, vividly conjuring up images of Japan’s pastoral landscapes.
To That SummerHisaishi Joe
You can listen to one of Studio Ghibli’s finest masterpieces, “One Summer’s Day” from the film Spirited Away, performed by the composer Joe Hisaishi himself.
The clear tone of the piano and the melody played in a quiet atmosphere instantly draw you into the film’s world.
Although there is no orchestra visible in the footage, the strings and harp gently enter, stirring emotions that overflow with memories of summer in Japan.
Even on the big screen it is a live performance, but when you can see the musicians playing, their expressions and breathing come through even more clearly, and the expression is conveyed all the more.
strollHisaishi Joe
Azumi Inoue’s “Sanpo,” the signature song from Studio Ghibli’s emblematic film My Neighbor Totoro, is performed here with orchestra and chorus.
The footage is from “Joe Hisaishi in Budokan: 25 Years with the Animations of Hayao Miyazaki,” featuring numerous Ghibli masterpieces arranged and conducted by Joe Hisaishi himself.
The live texture of the orchestra is truly wonderful.
This piece was previously arranged for “Orchestra Stories: My Neighbor Totoro,” which includes a narrated performance—highly recommended as well.
Like an instrument introduction, it features sections where only the woodwinds or only the brass play, as well as sections for strings and percussion, plus solo passages, making it an arrangement that showcases the orchestra’s appeal.
It’s also recommended as an introductory piece for those new to orchestral music.
Music of the CelestialsHisaishi Joe
This is “Heavenly Beings’ Music” from The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.
The composer is Joe Hisaishi, well known for his music in Studio Ghibli works.
Hisaishi is one of the representative composers for Studio Ghibli, but interestingly, he usually scores only films directed by Hayao Miyazaki; when other directors are involved, different composers tend to take over.
The director of The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is Isao Takahata, making this a rare case where Hisaishi worked on a non-Miyazaki film.
Since Princess Mononoke, full orchestras have more frequently been used for in-film performances.
As Ghibli and Hisaishi’s popularity has grown, there have been more concerts as well, and it’s said that Hisaishi creates new arrangements for each concert.
It might be fun to compare the soundtrack versions with the concert versions.
[Ghibli] Popular BGM. Enjoy the world of Ghibli through music! (21–30)
Anna (Piano Arrangement)Muramatsu Takatsugu
Hiromasa Yonebayashi of Studio Ghibli adapted Joan G.
Robinson’s children’s novel “When Marnie Was There” into an animated film, and the piece “Anna” that plays in the movie also has a piano version.
It is memorably performed by an orchestra in scenes such as when Anna and Setsu are preparing lunch and when Marnie and Anna say their goodbyes, but as a piano solo it feels delicate and heartrending, conveying Anna’s emotions beautifully.
The sheet music has been published as well, so if you play piano, it might be nice to try performing it while recalling the film’s scenes.