Taro Ishida, a composer based in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture, served as the music supervisor for the "SHOGUN" soundtrack, which has been nominated for the Grammy Award in the category of "Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media." The Grammy Awards ceremony will be held on February 2, 2025 (February 3 JST) at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
The Grammy Awards, which recognize outstanding creators in the music industry, are considered one of the most prestigious events in music, alongside the Oscars, Emmys, and Tonys. This year's nominees for the 67th Grammy Awards, scheduled for February 2025, include the Disney+ series "SHOGUN," which was nominated for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media. Directed by Atticus Ross, Leopold Ross, and Nick Chuba—Academy Award-winning global musicians—the "SHOGUN" soundtrack combines Japan’s traditional music under Ishida’s supervision as a music supervisor.
The soundtrack, as well as the drama, has received high praise, earning nominations for both Theme Music and Score at the Emmys. This historic nomination, featuring Gagaku and Japanese traditional instruments, has created an unprecedented level of international interest.
Recording for SHOGUN: Progressing with the ryuteki recording while conducting remote meetings with the LA composers in real-time.
At the same time, Ryuichi Sakamoto's final concert film "Opus," released last year, has also been nominated for Best New Age/Ambient/Chant Album. When Ishida was still relatively unknown, Sakamoto was the first to encourage him after hearing his Gagaku composition "Kotsuka," saying, "It's good; keep going with Gagaku." Reflecting on this moment, Ishida said, "Ten years later, to be nominated for the Grammy Awards alongside him feels like destiny."
A massive hit series, "SHOGUN" was globally released over ten episodes between February and April 2024. Set in Japan’s Sengoku period, the drama stars Hiroyuki Sanada, who also served as a producer. With meticulous research into samurai culture, costumes, props, and gestures, the production team, supported by Japanese experts, ensured accuracy down to the smallest details. The series received an incredible response, with the first two episodes amassing 9 million views within six days of release. At the 76th Emmy Awards, it won Best Drama Series, Best Actor, Best Actress, and 18 other awards—a historic record, with nine Japanese recipients among the winners.
The pursuit of realism extends to the soundtrack. Global composers Atticus Ross and his team read the script and sought to incorporate authentic Japanese instruments to bring the world of "SHOGUN" to life. Discovering Ishida through his work with Gagaku on Instagram, they reached out for a collaboration. Ishida joined as the music supervisor, contributing arrangements, transcriptions, Japanese instrumentalists’ management, and recordings based on the trio's initial sketches.
Collaborating remotely with Atticus and the team in Los Angeles for about two years, Ishida masterfully blended dynamic epic music with Gagaku instruments like the sho and hichiriki, as well as shakuhachi, kokyu, horagai, and shamisen, creating a majestic, intricate, and mysterious world for "SHOGUN." For example, Ishida proposed using “shomyo” (Buddhist chanting) when Ross’s team expressed a desire to add “Japanese elements” to a beat-heavy musical sketch. Recorded and edited at a Japanese temple, this shomyo sound became a favorite among the composers, resulting in a blend of traditional Japanese resonance with modern beats. The chanting was featured not only in the main theme but also in various scenes, adding depth and a sense of immersion.
The "SHOGUN" soundtrack serves as a testament to the quality and potential of traditional Japanese music, including Gagaku, on a global scale. This groundbreaking fusion of Gagaku with Western music offers unique Japanese tonalities to modern media, paving the way for a brighter future for traditional music. Ishida hopes that the Grammy nomination will inspire people worldwide to rediscover and appreciate Japan’s traditional music.
[Profile]
Born in Boston, USA, in 1979, Ishida is a composer, music producer, and art director. He initially studied Japanese and Chinese literature at Sophia University before teaching himself music and later enrolling in the Faculty of Music at Tokyo University of the Arts, where he studied composition, music theory, and electronic music. He has since composed for films, commercials, games, and planetarium projects and served as music director for museum exhibitions.
[Key Projects]
He has produced exhibition music for the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, and the Power Station of Art in Shanghai, among others. He also served as the music director for the NHK Fukushima Reconstruction Projection Mapping Project "Haruka" (2017) and Hoshino Resorts Aomoriya’s "Michinoku Matsuriya" (2021-22). In 2024, he worked as the music supervisor for the hit U.S. drama "SHOGUN."
[Involvement with Gagaku]
[Message from Taro Ishida]
“When I first saw the completed video with the soundtrack, I was moved to see how Gagaku was integrated into various scenes, enriching the work with layers of meaning beyond dialogue. It was incredibly rewarding to hear Atticus and his team describe the recordings of Gagaku and Japanese instruments as ‘magical’ and ‘amazing.’ I believe the "SHOGUN" soundtrack demonstrates that the quality and potential of Japan’s traditional music is something we can proudly share with the world.
In Japan, traditional music faces numerous challenges, including a lack of interest, funding issues, and a shortage of successors. I hope the positive response to this project will lead to a renewed appreciation of traditional music and encourage future efforts.
I am also working on a world-first Gagaku project that explores the fusion of Western and Gagaku music, aiming to broaden the soundtrack possibilities for films, games, and anime. Through these platforms, I hope to introduce younger generations to Gagaku and Japan’s traditional music in an accessible way, supporting the preservation of Japanese culture.
Finally, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the top performers and everyone involved in traditional Japanese music, and to Atticus Ross and his team for finding me and Gagaku amidst the vast sea of information.”
