Akira Kurosawa was the most renowned Japanese film director ever. When I grew up and got interested in films, he was already old man. My first encounter with Akira Kurosawa was Rashomon, but the time I saw Rashomon, the new film, Dream, was about to be released in the theaters of Japan.

In that sense, Kurosawa movies were appearing all together to me at a time.

That was too shocking event. His movies are not just Japanese taste, but they reach to substantial human mind. I could not tell his movies were Japanese movies, I thought his ones were human’s movies.

Since then, my respect to Kurosawa has never faded. Somethimes I still want to see his old movies because they are human art. Often, they are more important than seeing new movies. And this consciousness is really rare in my life. I met some wonderful work of art, but they are not many. One of the most precious experience of cultural encounter was certainly the Kurosawa movies.

I miss him. The same guy is no more here. I know it, but some day I want to experience the big excitement of my mind again just like when I first met with an Akira Kurosawa movie.

He was Japanese, but for me, his nationality is not that important. The most important thing for me is that I could live in the same time with the artist. Certainly it’s nice to have the same ethnic blood with him. But I don’t like nationalism before the art or human talent because they are the treassure for all of human.

Joe Hisaishi is getting famous in the world. He is already a kind of national treasure of Japan. Many of us are raised by his music through the movies of Hayao Miyazaki and Takeshi Kitano. I aslo love his music. It’s a godsent talent.

This video is a concert held in Japan some years ago. He plays Howl’s Moving Castle Theme song here. Not only this one but also many others have really touching melody and harmony. If you have never listened to his music, please try. I don’t think you would regret it.

Well, this movie by Hayao Miyazaki is my best fav among the master film maker, Hayao Miyazaki works. He became famous in the USA when Spirited away was released because it took Academy award then. Indeed that’s a real masterpiece and I can’t deny that quality and story line. That’s really beautiful story and wonderous experience in the movie is guaranteed.

However, for me, the best one among Hayao Miyazaki is still Laputa ( Castle in the sky ). Probably this would be the most popular movie for Japanese Miyazaki fans. That was a too pleasant surprise for us to see this film for the first time. We loved the characters in the film, we were simply moved by the pure story of joy and braveness of human. This was directed in 1980′s but not old at all now.

Reasons for this film’s supriority can’t be said enough here. But one reason for that is Joe Hisaishi contributed to the great work through his amazing talent. He composed again the amazingly wonderful songs for this film. Especially the theme song became Japanese national song. It was not single cut record at the movie releasing time. So usually that king of song never become a big hit without being known by people behind the movie. Against that expectation, this song never faded away. Gradually, year by year, people noticed the supre beautiful song in this movie, and finally this song was selected as a song for elementaly school music textbook.

Now by above reason, this song is a kind of national song for Japanese students. Years later, when all these students grow big, this song would become a national song of Japan ?!

Anyway, this song is extremely beautiful and nostalgic. In the movie, when this song is played, we somewhat feel like we don’t want to leave the screen, and we still want to live in the magical world of Miyazaki Film. The Film is really great. Miyzaki is a genius, we think. At the same time, Joe Hisaishi is also a fantastic composer.

It might be a n encounter decided by god for two of them. Miyazaki needed Joe’s talent, and of course, Joe Hisaishi’s music lived in the best form when Joe creates music for Miyazaki films.

When I first listened to this song at the end of the fantastic movie by Hayao Miyazaki, Spirited Away, I felt like I was melting into the memory of my childhood.

Spirited Away is an Academy Award wining movie, that’s why this became the most famous anime movie in the USA.  Some American firends asked me about this song.  They say this song lingers on their ears long after seeing the movie.

It’s true for us, too.  This song makes us remember that we certainly enjoyed the movie and we can’t leave the world of Spirited Away for a long time because of this song’s melody in our mind.

Indeed, this is one of the most beautiful songs in Miyazaki movies.