The soundtrack was recorded in a symphony hall by the full orchestra of the New Japan Philharmonic, including the main theme “Itsumo Nando Demo” performed by vocalist Yumi Kimura.
The 2001 Japanese animated film Spirited Away was written and directed by acclaimed Hayao Miyazaki. Spirited Away tells the story of Chihiro Ogino (Hiiragi), a 10-year-old girl who, while moving to a new neighborhood, enters the world of Kami (spirits of Japanese Shinto folklore). After her parents are turned into pigs by the witch Yubaba (Natsuki), Chihiro takes a job working in Yubaba's bathhouse to find a way to free herself and her parents and return to the human world. Spirited Away won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards.
Longtime Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi is one of Japan's most prolific and celebrated composers, creating over 100 film scores and albums to date, including every Hayao Miyazaki animation since they first crossed paths, with the exception of Whisper of the Heart, which Miyazaki didn't direct.
