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Born under name Mamoru Fujisawa
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Joe Hisashi attended the Kunitachi College of Music in 1969
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Adopts stage name Joe Hisaishi based off of American Musician Quincy Jones
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Hisaishi wrote music for the anime series Gyatoruzu, Sasuga no Sarutobi (Academy of Ninja) and Futari Daka (A Full Throttle).
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Another album, Information was released along with his first major anime scores, Hajime Ningen Gyatoruz and Robokko Beeton
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First public performance
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His first album, MKWAJU was released
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In 1983, Hisaishi was recommended by Tokuma, who had published Information to create album for Nasuicaa Valley of the Wind.
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Founded his own recording studio, Wonder Station.
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Started working with Hayao Miyazaki to produce soundtracks for his newly founded Studio Ghibli
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Hisaishi produced music for another Kitano film, Brother, and Hayao Miyazaki's animated film Spirited Away. On October 6, 2001, he debuted as a film director in Quartet, having also written its music and script
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Composes soundtrack to 1998 Winter Paralympics in Japan
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Hisaishi embarked on his "Joe Hisaishi Freedom – Piano Stories 2004" tour with Canadian musicians.
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Miyazaki film Howl's Moving Castle was released on November 20, 2004, in Japan. Its main theme, Merry-Go-Round of Life, became Hisaishi's most commercially successful movie score. (Has been streamed 128,961,099 times, May 2025)
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He composed the soundtrack for the Korean film Welcome to Dongmakgol and participated in Korea's MBC drama series The Legend
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He released many songs and albums, most notably releasing his studio album Asian X.T.C., and he composed the score for the NHK wildlife documentary Legends of the Deep: Giant Squid.
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Joe Hisaishi was among those invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which recognizes people "who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures."
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Hisaishi was appointed art director of the Nagano City Art Museum.
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Joe Hisaishi gave three concerts in Paris, similar to his 25-year Ghibli collaboration anniversary concert, which was performed in the Palais des Congrès de Paris.
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Most notably, Hisaishi worked on the Royal Shakespeare Company theatre production of My Neighbour Totoro during this timespan. He also composed the soundtrack for the film Silent Love, and signed an exclusive recording agreement with Deutsche Grammophon