Composer for My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away broke two records on his trip to the U.S.

By just about any measure, Joe Hisaishi has an enviable resume. The go-to composer for the soundtracks of Studio Ghibli’s anime films, especially those directed by studio co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, Hisaishi has also collaborated multiple times with live-action film director Takeshi Kitano/Beat Takeshi. But even after decades of success and critical acclaim, Hisaishi is still achieving new career milestones, as this summer he’s been certified as having set three Guinness Records.

The first record recognizes Hisaishi for most tickets sold by a classical composer at Tokyo Dome, based on the 133,453 people who came out to see the Studio Ghibli Film Concert Tour performances at the stadium on July 16 and 17 of last year.

Last month, Hisaishi also set the record for the most tickets sold for a classical concert run at the Hollywood Bowl. The Los Angeles venue hosted Joe Hisaishi Film Music Concert Featuring Studio Ghibli & More between July 21 and 23, with a total of 45,538 tickets.

▼ Hisaishi taking the stage at the Hollywood Bowl, where he conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra and California State University’s Fullerton University Singers

▼ Hisaishi’s view of the Bowl crowd

Finally, this week Hisaishi was certified as the record-holder for the longest single-run residency by a classical composer at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, where he conducted MasterVoices and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, as well as personally played the piano, every night from August 11 to 17.

▼ Hisaishi, who now has so many Guinness Records that he can’t hold them all at the same time

“I am overjoyed at the honor of receiving these Guinness Records,” said Hisaishi after they were made official. “At all of the performances, the support from the audiences was incredible. I will continue working hard so that many people can enjoy coming to my concerts.”

Despite their venue-specific nature, the three achievements are still officially classified by Guinness as “World Records,” and one could make the argument that, as modern compositions, Hisaishi’s music would be more accurately described as “symphonic” or “orchestral” than “classical.” Linguistic quibbles aside, though, these are all still achievements to be proud of, and another example of how anime entertainment can help lead to broader interests in culture and the arts around the world.

Source: Universal Music Japan, Guinness World Records (1, 2, 3), Hollywood Bowl, MSG Entertainment
Top image: Studio Ghibli
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