One Summer's Day (Joe Hisaishi song)
 | It has been suggested that this article be merged into Music of Spirited Away. (Discuss) Proposed since March 2025. |
| "One Summer's Day" | |
|---|---|
| Composition by Joe Hisaishi | |
| from the album Spirited Away Soundtrack | |
| Released | July 18, 2001 |
| Length | 3:09 |
| Label | Studio Ghibli |
| Songwriter(s) | Joe Hisaishi |
"One Summer's Day" (あの夏へ, Ano natsu e) is an opening theme composed by Joe Hisaishi for the 2001 Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away directed by Hayao Miyazaki.[1]
Versions
[edit]Originally a instrumental piece, "One Summer's Day" is occasionally performed live with additional lyrics sung by a vocalist such as Hisaishi's daughter Mai Fujisawa, Japanese pop singer Ayaka Hirahara, or frequent Studio Ghibli collaborator Youmi Kimura.[2][3] Versions of "One Summer's Day" with vocals are sometimes referred to instead as "The Name of Life" (命の名前, Inochi no namae).[4]
In addition to its listing on the Spirited Away soundtrack, different arrangements of "One Summer's Day" are listed on Hisaishi's anthology album, Dream Songs: The Essential Joe Hisaishi, which was released on February 21, 2020, as well as Hisaishi and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's album, A Symphonic Celebration – Music from the Studio Ghibli Films of Hayao Miyazaki, which was released on June 30, 2023.[5] Fujisawa's vocals appear on the latter album.[6]
Composition and reception
[edit]Karen Han of Polygon considered the song "wistful, with intentionally discordant notes scattered throughout and a melody that ventures in and out of minor-key territory." She also observed the song's "eerie synthesizer sounds and strings" and "warm and shimmering" chords and concluded that it was "crucial to setting the tone for Spirited Away, which captures the bittersweetness in growing up and growing out of things, as well as establishing the thoughts of Chihiro herself."[7]
Similarly, Clara V. Nguyen, writing for The Harvard Crimson, observed the song's relationship between its grounded piano melody and its synthetic and string elements, ultimately calling it a composition "which conveys the unpredictable turmoil of growing up" and "establishes Hisaishi's score as essential to the development of Miyazaki's themes."[8]
In Dazed, Thomas Hobbs considered "One Summer's Day" his personal favorite Hisaishi composition, stating that "a meandering piano melody makes it feel like you're flipping through a book of historic family photos on a reflective and sunny Sunday afternoon in a garden awash with purple tulips." He considered the opening theme to precisely match the film's ideas regarding freedom, hope, and death.[9]
In a ranking of the ten best compositions by Hisaishi, Classic FM ranked "One Summer's Day" in seventh place: "A simple, melancholy piano melody on a bed of soft string chords reflects Chihiro's reluctance to leave her home and friends behind. The music builds to a richer texture with full, jazz-inflected piano chords, more orchestration, and a more optimistic mood as Chihiro's mother encourages her to view the move as an adventure."[10]
Screen Rant, in a ranking of the best Studio Ghibli soundtracks, placed Spirited Away at ninth place and considered "One Summer's Day" to be "one of the highlight songs of the film."[11]
Music video
[edit]In anticipation of the 2020 album Dream Songs: The Essential Joe Hisaishi, Hisaishi released a black-and-white video of himself performing "One Summer's Day" on a piano in December of 2019.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ "Miyazaki's Ma in Sound". www.34st.com. Retrieved 2025-03-18.
- ^ "Joe Hisaishi brings Studio Ghibli magic to San Francisco". 2024-09-26. Retrieved 2025-03-18.
- ^ Meline, Gabe (2024-09-06). "Review: Joe Hisaishi's Studio Ghibli Music Soars at the San Francisco Symphony | KQED". www.kqed.org. Retrieved 2025-03-18.
- ^ "晩夏(ひとりの季節)/いのちの名前 (The name of life/late summer)". Ayaka Hirahara. Archived from the original on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
- ^ "Joe Hisaishi Announces Dream Songs: The Essential Joe Hisaishi (Feb 21, Decca Gold)". Shore Fire Media. Retrieved 2025-03-18.
- ^ "Joe Hisaishi Achieves a Milestone for Japanese Classical Artists on the US Billboard 200 | NiEW". NiEW - The media for the culture of asia and Japan such as music, film, art, fashion and more. Retrieved 2025-03-18.
- ^ Han, Karen (2020-05-27). "The perfection of Joe Hisaishi's Spirited Away theme 'One Summer's Day'". Polygon. Retrieved 2025-03-18.
- ^ "The 'Spirited Away' Soundtrack at 20: Rediscovering the Name of Life | Arts | The Harvard Crimson". Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 2025-03-18.
- ^ Hobbs, Thomas (2023-12-22). "Inside the mind of Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi". Dazed. Retrieved 2025-03-18.
- ^ "10 greatest pieces of music by Joe Hisaishi, ranked". Classic FM. Retrieved 2025-03-18.
- ^ Tran, Dylan (2024-02-06). "10 Best Studio Ghibli Soundtracks By Joe Hisaishi". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2025-03-18.
- ^ Fujio, Tim (2019-12-06). "Composer Joe Hisaishi Has Released a Black and White Music Video for the Song 'One Summer's Day'". Setting Mind. Retrieved 2025-03-18.