The second album of Black Mages is currently in the process of recording and the basic tracks have already been completed. Hopefully sometime in the future we will be able to have a concert.

However now we can create a sound that can truly startle someone and in terms of sound effects I think the environment that we are in now has improved dramatically.

There’s some familiarity in Celtic music, even if you’ve never heard that piece of music before.

After the fantastic support received at the first concert in Los Angeles, I am thrilled and honored to extend the experience to Chicago. I’m looking forward to sharing the moments with those who love the...

However, very recently I have come to an understanding that complex music is not necessarily pleasant.

We hope that eventually there would be an occasion which I can personally prove that game music can in fact impress many different people and move them.

We finished mixing the theme song about one or two weeks ago. It’s one of my favorites so far. I’ve been playing it over and over while driving in my car.

I always begin to compose the melody first.

Well my own impression of my musical pieces is that no matter how long I’ve been at it, there’s not much improvement. So that’s kind of regrettable.

[Company spokespersons attempted to satiate the wounded masses by unveiling FFXII ‘s official theme song, titled] Kiss Me Good-bye. … We finished mixing the theme song about one or two weeks ago. It’s one of...

I believe that there are many interesting projects that are potentially possible for me other than game music, and therefore in my mind there are several things that are being contemplated.

Well, rather than to give you my impression on Los Angeles, per se, my older sister’s husband is and American, therefore I have a pretty good idea of the, perhaps the characteristics of Americans in...

And as far as the Disney Concert hall is concerned, it is a wonderful modern structure and I am extremely honored that I had this opportunity to have a concert here.

I believe that there are still people who believe that game music is something equal to just an effect incorporated into the game, something like a BGM. And therefore this is something that I would...

When you talk about the Final Fantasy series, the series started selling better after 7, and that was the base idea for the center of the set list for the LA concert.

And it’s very strange, but I think there is something very common – not only in Celtic music – but there is a factor or element in Celtic music that is similar in music that...

I don’t know anyone who would be exclusively working on game music, per se.

Last year in Germany at a town hall in Leipzig there was a game music concert played by the orchestra and some of the Final Fantasy scores were played. This year there is another concert...

As you may know my use of Celtic music is extremely simple and short. However there is something about it that will remain in your mind for a long, long time.

I guess many game music fans prefer original soundtrack albums.

I just initiated the project where I write music for somebody else to write the lyrics and also for the orchestra to perform. I’ve just initiated the project. That leads the project into creating an...

Basically I’m not a feature film composer and therefore I would probably not be able to provide scores at the level of professionalism in that field.

I have been interested in Irish traditional music for the past few years.

Certainly my only interest is not in Celtic music.

I think that American people really know how to pursue fun, they really know how to have a good time. Japanese are somewhat more reserved than Americans, so I’m jealous.

For over ten years or so game music has developed into a very large market.

So I don’t really have a clear plan, in terms of music, as to where I want to head in the future.

However in countries outside of Japan I think game music is still a potential growth market that has not yet developed to the extent that we are seeing in Japan.