Who composed the music for the film Spirited Away?

Joe Hisaishi composed the music for the film Spirited Away. He also conducted the score, which was performed by the New Japan Philharmonic.

Hisaishi was already Hayao Miyazaki’s regular musical collaborator when Spirited Away was made. His score combines piano-led melodies, orchestral writing, and quiet atmospheric passages to follow Chihiro’s movement from fear and uncertainty toward courage and self-reliance. The opening piece, “One Summer’s Day,” is among the film’s best-known themes.

The closing song, “Always With Me,” is a frequent source of confusion. It was written and performed by Youmi Kimura, while Hisaishi composed the instrumental film score. That distinction does not change the answer to the quiz question: Hisaishi is the composer credited for Spirited Away’s score. The soundtrack earned major Japanese awards, including Best Music at the Mainichi Film Competition and the Tokyo International Anime Fair.