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Songs of Studio Ghibli: List of Theme Songs, Insert Songs, and BGM from Ghibli Music

DancerFukkun:)Tatsuki Fukuda
Primarily active in Tokyo, I have experience as a backup dancer for artists, a music video dancer, and a commercial dancer. I continue to work as a dancer while also engaging in article production. After discovering Michael Jackson in junior high school, I began dancing in my second year of high school. Since starting dance, in addition to the J-Pop and Japanese rock I had been listening to, I began exploring Western R&B, rap, alternative music, and other tracks commonly used for dance. In elementary school, I spent three years in a choir, and because I love singing, I often go to karaoke for fun. These days, I enjoy a wide range of music, from Japanese rock and rap to K-pop.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

Studio Ghibli films, enjoyed by both adults and children, are also famous for their wonderful music.

Every work features songs that perfectly fit the story and leave an unforgettable impression after just one listen.

We’ve gathered not only the popular theme songs and insert songs from Studio Ghibli works, but also image songs that bring back memories of famous scenes and evocative moments.

If you want to listen to Ghibli’s masterpieces or hear again the song that played in that one scene, be sure to check these out!

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (1–10)

nursery rhymeTakahata Isao

Solo Chorus Club: Children's Song [meru@smule]

nursery rhymeTakahata Isao

This song, which appears many times throughout the film, was composed by the director, Isao Takahata himself, with the lyrics co-written with screenwriter Riko Sakaguchi.

The words evoke scenes of mountains, rivers, skies, and rice fields.

Even though you shouldn’t have heard it before, it somehow feels nostalgic.

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parting (farewell)Hisaishi Joe

Parting ~Wakare~ — from the film “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”

parting (farewell)Hisaishi Joe

In the story, there are various farewells: parting from a beloved friend you spent your childhood with, and from the person who raised you.

This is a perfect song for those aching, sorrowful moments.

The melody itself is the same as “Nayotake,” but the addition of very quiet, spacious strings makes the sense of being lost in grief palpable.

Please enjoy how the arrangement completely transforms the impression of the same melody.

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Music of the CelestialsHisaishi Joe

The Procession of Celestial Beings [HD] – The Tale of the Princess Kaguya OST

Music of the CelestialsHisaishi Joe

This is the ‘Music of the Celestials’ from the soundtrack, which secretly became a hot topic as ‘scary!’ In the film, it’s used when the Celestials appear.

The music is very beautiful, but don’t you feel a somewhat inorganic brightness to it? From a human perspective, Celestials are ultimately unknowable beings, so perhaps this piece, which symbolizes them, ends up feeling kind of frightening.

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Memory of LifeNikaidou Kazumi

Memory of Life - The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Memory of LifeNikaidou Kazumi

The theme song of director Isao Takahata’s film “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.” The song by Kazumi Nikaido—who has the unusual profile of living in Hiroshima Prefecture and being an active Buddhist monk—was selected as the theme.

With a gentle atmosphere that also conveys a certain strength, it adds color to the film’s story.

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Song of the Celestial MaidenTakahata Isao

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya: Song of the Celestial Maiden

Song of the Celestial MaidenTakahata Isao

Like the nursery song that appears repeatedly in the film The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, this piece was also created by director Isao Takahata and screenwriter Riko Sakaguchi.

It may sound a bit cheerful, but it’s the music that plays in the background during the climax.

If you listen while watching the visuals, you’ll surely feel something different.

If you haven’t seen it yet, please do.

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Spring WaltzHisaishi Joe

Spring Waltz (Piano) — from the film “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”

Spring WaltzHisaishi Joe

The combination of warm, balmy weather and a waltz is a perfect match! It’s a track that will make you want to start dancing.

The piano’s lively melody is sure to get your feet moving, and be sure to catch the section where it switches to triple meter partway through.

Doesn’t it feel like a refreshing spring breeze is blowing in? Also, keep an eye out for where it’s used in the show.

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BeginningHisaishi Joe

I tried transcribing by ear the beginning of The Tale of the Princess Kaguya!!

BeginningHisaishi Joe

As you all know, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter begins with a girl being born from a bamboo stalk.

This is the piece that plays at that moment.

Doesn’t it feel like the story is slowly about to begin? The divinely beautiful strings, like light welling up from the bamboo, are a must-hear.

Also pay attention to how the sound gradually adds more layers and builds toward the latter half of the track.

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