--- name: "Kenji Kawai" canonical: "https://film.one/person/kenji-kawai" fi1m_id: "kenji-kawai" imdb_id: "nm0442766" tmdb_id: 57304 wikidata_id: "Q443712" roles: ["Composer"] born: "23 April 1957" reviewed_on_fi1m: 3 average_fi1m_score: 78 average_over: 3 updated: "2026-10-05T15:41:03.784524+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Kenji Kawai ## Identity Kenji Kawai - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/kenji-kawai - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** kenji-kawai - **IMDb ID:** nm0442766 - **TMDB ID:** 57304 - **Wikidata ID:** Q443712 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenji_Kawai, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q443712, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0442766/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/57304 Composer. Born 23 April 1957 in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. ## Details - **Work:** Composer - **Born:** 23 April 1957, Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan - **Active:** 1995–present - **Also known as:** 川井 憲次, かわい けんじ, かーい, かーいさん, Kawai Kenji, Kaai - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 84 (2), 2020s 66 (1) - **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Genres:** Action 2, Thriller 2, Animation 1, Crime 1, Drama 1, Horror 1 - **Screen time:** 5 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $29m across 2 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenji_Kawai, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q443712, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0442766/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/57304 ## Coming up - *Armored Trooper VOTOMS: Die Graue Hexe - Part 1* (2026-11-20), Original Music Composer - *Patlabor EZY File 3* (2027-03-05), Original Music Composer ## Streaming the US now - **The Roku Channel:** [*Ring*](https://film.one/film/ring.md) (84) - **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Ghost in the Shell*](https://film.one/film/ghost-in-the-shell.md) (83) - **Tubi:** [*Limbo*](https://film.one/film/limbo.md) (66) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Biography Kenji Kawai is a Japanese composer and arranger. Born on 23 April 1957 in Shinagawa, Tokyo, he initially studied nuclear engineering at Tokai University before dropping out to pursue music at Shobi Music Academy, which he also left after a short time. He played in the fusion band Muse before turning to commercial work and then film and anime scoring. Kawai is credited with the music for *Ghost in the Shell* (1995) and *Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence* (2004), both directed by Mamoru Oshii, with whom he has collaborated on multiple projects. Other notable scores include the *Ip Man* series (2008–2019), *Ring* (1998) and works for Hideo Nakata. He has received nominations and awards including an Annie Award nomination and Hong Kong Film Award nominations. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, en.antelopeaudio.com, wikiwand.com.* ## On Fi1m (3) - *Limbo* (2021), Fi1m 66, Music, Original Music Composer — [page](https://film.one/film/limbo.md) - *Ring* (1998), Fi1m 84, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/ring.md) - *Ghost in the Shell* (1995), Fi1m 83, Music, Original Music Composer — [page](https://film.one/film/ghost-in-the-shell.md) ## Complete filmography (235) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Patlabor EZY File 3* (2027), Original Music Composer - *Armored Trooper VOTOMS: Die Graue Hexe - Part 1* (2026), Original Music Composer - *Patlabor EZY File 2* (2026), Original Music Composer - *The Criminal* (2026), series, Original Music Composer - *Ultraman Teo* (2026), series, Music - *Patlabor EZY File 1* (2026), Original Music Composer - *科捜研の女 ファイナル* (2026), Original Music Composer - *うちの弁護士はまたしても手がかかる* (2026), Original Music Composer - *Peleliu: Guernica of Paradise* (2025), Original Music Composer - *Candlestick* (2025), Original Music Composer - *Umamusume: Cinderella Gray* (2025), series, Original Music Composer - *Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture* (2024), series, Music - *Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture - Act 2* (2024), Music - *Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture - Act 1* (2024), Original Music Composer - *Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In* (2024), Original Music Composer - *The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe* (2023), Original Music Composer - *Ōoku: The Inner Chambers* (2023), series, Original Music Composer - *Baian the Assassin, M.D.: Part 2* (2023), Music - *My Home Hero* (2023), series, Original Music Composer - *Baian the Assassin, M.D.: Part 1* (2023), Music - *The Fire Hunter* (2023), series, Original Music Composer - *Toku: Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru ~Setsugetsuka~ Yuki no Maki* (2022), Original Music Composer - *Blood Friends* (2022), Original Music Composer - *Limbo* (2021), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/limbo.md) - *Apocalypse: Hitler Takes on the East* (2021), series, Music - *Apocalypse: Hitler Takes on the West* (2021), series, Original Music Composer - *Vlad Love* (2021), series, Original Music Composer - *The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity* (2020), Original Music Composer - *Higurashi: When They Cry - NEW* (2020), series, Original Music Composer - *Remotely Killed* (2020), Original Music Composer - *Ip Man 4: The Finale* (2019), Original Music Composer - *Shishigari* (2019), Original Music Composer - *No Guns Life* (2019), series, Original Music Composer - *Kamen Rider Build NEW WORLD: Kamen Rider Grease* (2019), Original Music Composer - *Kamen Rider Build NEW WORLD: Kamen Rider Cross-Z* (2019), Original Music Composer - *Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Forever* (2018), Original Music Composer - *Kamen Rider Build: Be The One* (2018), Original Music Composer - *Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings* (2018), Original Music Composer - *Servamp Movie: Alice in the Garden* (2018), Music - *Ultraman Geed the Movie: Connect! The Wishes!!* (2018), Original Music Composer - *Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms* (2018), Original Music Composer, Mixing Engineer - *The Ryuo's Work is Never Done!* (2018), series, Original Music Composer - *Kamen Rider Heisei Generations FINAL: Build & Ex-Aid with Legend Riders* (2017), Original Music Composer - *BORDER Redemption* (2017), Original Music Composer - *BORDER The Urge Medical Examiner Mika HIGA* (2017), series, Original Music Composer - *Brotherhood of Blades II: The Infernal Battlefield* (2017), Original Music Composer - *Resident Evil: Vendetta* (2017), Original Music Composer - *Sand Whale and Me* (2017), series, Music, Mixing Engineer - *Dawn of the Nazis* (2017), Original Music Composer - *石川五右衛門* (2016), series, Original Music Composer - *Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru* (2016), series, Original Music Composer - *RE:BORN* (2016), Original Music Composer - *Mob Psycho 100* (2016), series, Original Music Composer - *Servamp* (2016), series, Original Music Composer - *G2.5* (2016), Music - *JOKER GAME* (2016), series, Original Music Composer - *Ip Man 3* (2015), Original Music Composer - *Ghost Theater* (2015), Original Music Composer - *Apocalypse: Stalin* (2015), series, Original Music Composer - *The Perfect Insider* (2015), series, Original Music Composer - *Gamera* (2015), Original Music Composer - *The Next Generation Patlabor: Tokyo War* (2015), Original Music Composer - *THE NEXT GENERATION Patlabor: Chapter 7* (2015), Music - *Burning Flower* (2015), series, Original Music Composer - *Ghost Theater* (2015), series, Original Music Composer - *Tomcat's Big Adventure* (2014), Music - *THE NEXT GENERATION Patlabor: Chapter 6* (2014), Music - *Garm Wars: The Last Druid* (2014), Music - *The Perfect Insider* (2014), series, Music - *THE NEXT GENERATION Patlabor: Chapter 5* (2014), Music - *Girl Friend BETA* (2014), series, Original Music Composer - *World Trigger* (2014), series, Music - *THE NEXT GENERATION Patlabor: Chapter 4* (2014), Music - *THE NEXT GENERATION Patlabor: Chapter 3* (2014), Music - *Barakamon* (2014), series, Original Music Composer - *THE NEXT GENERATION Patlabor: Chapter 2* (2014), Music - *Monsterz* (2014), Original Music Composer - *Border* (2014), series, Music - *THE NEXT GENERATION Patlabor: Chapter 1* (2014), Music - *Hakuouki: Warrior Spirit of the Blue Sky* (2014), Original Music Composer - *The Next Generation: Patlabor* (2014), series, Original Music Composer - *Shitamachi Bobsleigh* (2014), series, Original Music Composer - *Genome Hazard* (2014), Music - *Nezumi-Kozo, Running Around Edo* (2014), series, Original Music Composer - *Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon* (2013), Original Music Composer - *Tales from the Dark 2* (2013), Original Music Composer - *Sadako 3D 2* (2013), Original Music Composer - *Hakuouki: Wild Dance of Kyoto* (2013), Original Music Composer - *Higurashi: When They Cry - Outbreak* (2013), Music - *Tales from the Dark 1* (2013), Original Music Composer - *The Complex* (2013), Original Music Composer - *The Complex: Prologue* (2013), series, Original Music Composer - *NEXT A-Class* (2012), Music - *009 Re:Cyborg* (2012), Original Music Composer - *Sadako 3D* (2012), Original Music Composer - *Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger* (2012), series, Music - *Umechan Sensei* (2012), series, Music - *Wild 7* (2011), Original Music Composer - *Tsukahara Bokuden* (2011), series, Music - *Apocalypse: The Rise of Hitler* (2011), series, Original Music Composer - *Towa no Quon 6: Eternal Quon* (2011), Original Music Composer - *Towa no Quon 5: The Return of the Invincible* (2011), Original Music Composer - *Towa no Quon 4: The Roaring Anxiety* (2011), Original Music Composer - *Rabbit Horror* (2011), Original Music Composer - *Towa no Quon 3: The Complicity of Dreams* (2011), Original Music Composer - *NHK Special: Unsolved Cases* (2011), series, Music - *Towa no Quon 2: Dancing Orchid in Chaos* (2011), Original Music Composer - *Towa no Quon 1: The Ephemeral Petals* (2011), Original Music Composer - *Gantz: Perfect Answer* (2011), Original Music Composer - *Xi AVANT* (2011), Music - *Ultraman Zero: The Revenge of Belial* (2010), Original Music Composer - *Gantz* (2010), Original Music Composer - *The Incite Mill* (2010), Original Music Composer - *009: The Reopening* (2010), Music - *Mobile Suit Gundam 00 The Movie: -A Wakening of the Trailblazer-* (2010), Original Music Composer - *Chatroom* (2010), Original Music Composer - *28½* (2010), Original Music Composer - *Steel Frame* (2010), series, Original Music Composer - *ランデブー！* (2010), Original Music Composer - *Ip Man 2* (2010), Original Music Composer - *Shoka* (2010), Original Music Composer - *Eden of the East Movie II: Paradise Lost* (2010), Original Music Composer - *Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works* (2010), Original Music Composer - *Assault Girls* (2009), Original Music Composer - *Eden of the East Movie I: The King of Eden* (2009), Original Music Composer - *The Hovering Blade* (2009), Original Music Composer - *Eden of The East Compilation: Air Communication* (2009), Music - *Apocalypse: The Second World War* (2009), series, Music - *Shrill Cries: Reshuffle* (2009), Music - *Eden of the East* (2009), series, Original Music Composer - *Ip Man* (2008), Original Music Composer - *The Cherry Orchard: Blossoming* (2008), Original Music Composer - *Film director Mamoru Oshii: Turning fantasies into reality* (2008), Actor - *Nanase Once More* (2008), series, Music - *Orochi - Blood* (2008), Music - *The Sky Crawlers* (2008), Original Music Composer - *Ghost in the Shell 2.0* (2008), Original Music Composer - *ＮＨＫスペシャル 沸騰都市* (2008), series, Musician - *Shrill Cries of Summer* (2008), Original Music Composer - *Kenji Kawai - Cinema Symphony* (2008), Composer, Music, Writer - *Death Note: L Change the WorLd* (2008), Original Music Composer - *The Women of Fast Food* (2007), Music - *Kaidan* (2007), Original Music Composer - *Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit* (2007), series, Music - *Battle of the Warriors* (2006), Original Music Composer - *Death Note: The Last Name* (2006), Original Music Composer - *Trapped Ashes* (2006), Original Music Composer - *Dragon Tiger Gate* (2006), Original Music Composer - *Death Note* (2006), Original Music Composer - *Tachigui: The Amazing Lives of the Fast Food Grifters* (2006), as Hamburger Tetsu (voice) · Original Music Composer - *Higurashi: When They Cry* (2006), series, Original Music Composer - *The Prince of Tennis: The National Tournament* (2006), series, as Art Direction - *Running Wild* (2006), Original Music Composer - *Fate/stay night* (2006), series, Original Music Composer - *Inferno* (2005), Original Music Composer - *Reincarnation* (2005), Original Music Composer - *Seven Swords* (2005), Original Music Composer - *Open Your Mind* (2005), Music, Writer - *Antarctic Journal* (2005), Original Music Composer - *Starship Operators* (2005), series, Music - *Premonition* (2004), Music - *Ultraman Nexus* (2004), series, Music - *Windy Tales* (2004), series, Music - *Kibakichi 2* (2004), Original Music Composer - *Otogi Zoshi: The Legend of Magatama* (2004), series, Music - *Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence* (2004), Original Music Composer, Music - *Kibakichi* (2004), Original Music Composer - *Tokyo Vein* (2003), Music - *Bloody Mallory* (2002), Original Music Composer - *Samouraïs* (2002), Original Music Composer, Music - *Patlabor WXIII the Movie* (2002), Music - *MiniPato* (2002), series, Music - *Dark Water* (2002), Original Music Composer - *The Princess Blade* (2001), Original Music Composer - *Unloved* (2001), Original Music Composer - *G.R.M.: The Record Of Garm War* (2001), Music - *Sadistic and Masochistic* (2001), Music - *Avalon* (2001), Original Music Composer - *Chaos* (2000), Original Music Composer - *Ghiblies* (2000), Music - *Sleeping Bride* (2000), Original Music Composer - *The Woman of S.R.I.* (1999), series, Original Music Composer - *Dai-Guard: Terrestrial Defense Corp.* (1999), series, Music - *You're Under Arrest: The Motion Picture* (1999), Music - *Ring 2* (1999), Original Music Composer - *Ring* (1998), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/ring.md) - *Vampire Princess Miyu* (1997), series, Original Music Composer - *Hyper Police* (1997), series, Music - *Yat, The Space Patrol* (1996), series, Original Music Composer - *Blue Seed Beyond* (1996), series, Music - *Hime-chan's Ribbon* (1996), series, Original Music Composer - *Ghost in the Shell* (1995), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/ghost-in-the-shell.md) - *Sorcerer Hunters* (1995), series, Original Music Composer - *Wild Knights Gulkeeva* (1995), series, Original Music Composer - *Mighty Space Miners* (1994), series, Original Music Composer - *Blue Seed* (1994), series, Original Music Composer - *The Irresponsible Captain Tylor OVA* (1994), series, Music, Songs - *The Irresponsible Captain Tylor: Tylor's War* (1994), Music - *Patlabor 2: The Movie* (1993), Original Music Composer - *Wolf Guy* (1992), series, Original Music Composer - *Talking Head* (1992), Original Music Composer - *Patlabor: One Day of Noa* (1992), Original Music Composer - *Ranma 1/2 the Movie: Big Trouble in Nekonron, China* (1991), Original Music Composer - *Licca: Mysterious Magical Ring* (1991), Music - *Mermaid Forest* (1991), Music - *Mikadroid* (1991), Original Music Composer - *Stray Dog: Kerberos Panzer Cops* (1991), Music - *Kekko Kamen* (1991), Original Music Composer - *Burn Up* (1991), Music - *Luna Varga* (1991), series, Music - *DRAGON FIST* (1991), Music - *Go Nagai World* (1991), series, Music - *Patlabor: The New Files* (1990), series, Music - *Mobile Suit SD Gundam Mk V* (1990), Music - *Project A-Ko Versus Battle 1: Grey Side* (1990), Music - *Mobile Suit SD Gundam Mk III* (1990), Music - *Hana no Asuka-gumi! 2: Lonely Cats Battle Royale* (1990), Original Music Composer - *MAROKO* (1990), Original Music Composer - *Devilman - Volume 2: Demon Bird* (1990), Music - *Samurai Pizza Cats* (1990), series, Music - *Patlabor: The TV Series* (1989), series, Music - *Patlabor: The Movie* (1989), Original Music Composer - *Mobile Suit SD Gundam Mk II* (1989), Music - *All That Gundam* (1989), Music - *One Pound Gospel* (1988), Original Music Composer - *Vampire Princess Miyu* (1988), Music Editor - *Vampire Princess Miyu* (1988), series, Music - *Star Virgin* (1988), Original Music Composer - *Patlabor: Early Days* (1988), series, Original Music Composer - *Devilman - Volume 1: The Birth* (1987), Music - *Twilight Q* (1987), Music - *Twilight Q* (1987), series, Music - *The Red Spectacles* (1987), Original Music Composer - *Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future: Bio Dread Strike Mission* (1987), Music - *Kamen Rider* (1971), series, Music ## Gallery - ![Kenji Kawai](https://film.one/media/person/86467/gallery-4d671cdaebad.jpg) Kenji Kawai — Georges Seguin (Okki), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/71/Kenji_Kawai_20071028_Manga_Expo_06.jpg/1280px-Kenji_Kawai_20071028_Manga_Expo_06.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Conference with Kenji Kawai at Manga Expo 2007 (Paris, France).](https://film.one/media/person/86467/gallery-53938484c19a.jpg) Conference with Kenji Kawai at Manga Expo 2007 (Paris, France). — Georges Seguin (Okki), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Kenji_Kawai_20071028_Manga_Expo_01.jpg/1280px-Kenji_Kawai_20071028_Manga_Expo_01.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Conference with Kenji Kawai at Manga Expo 2007 (Paris, France).](https://film.one/media/person/86467/gallery-ab10a5099f61.jpg) Conference with Kenji Kawai at Manga Expo 2007 (Paris, France). — Georges Seguin (Okki), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Kenji_Kawai_20071028_Manga_Expo_02.jpg/1280px-Kenji_Kawai_20071028_Manga_Expo_02.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Conference with Kenji Kawai at Manga Expo 2007 (Paris, France).](https://film.one/media/person/86467/gallery-abbb3a886974.jpg) Conference with Kenji Kawai at Manga Expo 2007 (Paris, France). — Georges Seguin (Okki), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/Kenji_Kawai_20071028_Manga_Expo_03.jpg/1280px-Kenji_Kawai_20071028_Manga_Expo_03.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Conference with Kenji Kawai at Manga Expo 2007 (Paris, France).](https://film.one/media/person/86467/gallery-3fa23a8df53c.jpg) Conference with Kenji Kawai at Manga Expo 2007 (Paris, France). — Georges Seguin (Okki), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Kenji_Kawai_20071028_Manga_Expo_04.jpg/1280px-Kenji_Kawai_20071028_Manga_Expo_04.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Conference with Kenji Kawai at Manga Expo 2007 (Paris, France).](https://film.one/media/person/86467/gallery-e120da315f03.jpg) Conference with Kenji Kawai at Manga Expo 2007 (Paris, France). — Georges Seguin (Okki), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Kenji_Kawai_20071028_Manga_Expo_05.jpg/1280px-Kenji_Kawai_20071028_Manga_Expo_05.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/kenji-kawai