The original soundtrack for Kūkai (1984) was produced by the internationally acclaimed musician Stomu Yamashita, who handled percussion, synthesizers, composition, and arrangement. Centering on the spiritual world of Kūkai, the score constructs a contemplative sonic environment. Traditional Japanese instruments such as shakuhachi and shō are employed, allowing the music to evoke the quiet of ritual and the afterglow of meditation — an aesthetic that bridges ancient and modern sensibilities.

Sound artist Takashi Kokubo also contributed to the work, supporting the spatial design with transparent synthesizer timbres. The fusion of Yamashita’s highly spiritual musical language and Kokubo’s delicate electronic sonics creates a majestic yet enveloping mandala of sound.

The soundtrack to Kūkai guides the listener toward silence and introspection and continues to be regarded not only as film music but as an independent artistic work. It remains a rare example in which religion, history, philosophy, and music intersect in a single sonic work.

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SIDE A

1.O-N

2.GAH…

3.AND

SIDE B

1.TOUCHED

2.AH…

3.KU-UH

4.TO SEE

5.IROHA