Japanese musical artist Kitaro's discography consists of 24 studio albums, 8 live albums, 14 soundtrack albums, and 42 compilation albums. Kitaro's latest project, Symphony Live In Istanbul was nominated for the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, and is Kitaro's 16th Grammy nomination to date.
He also appears in five full-length concert videos and has composed scores for numerous films including Oliver Stone's Heaven & Earth, Impressions of the West Lake, and The Soong Sisters. He won Golden Globe Award Best Original Score for Heaven & Earth and won Golden Horse Award and Hong Kong Film Award for The Soong Sisters (1997).
He has collaborated with various artists including Megadeth's Marty Friedman, Mickey Hart, Philip Glass, Dennis Banks, Jon Anderson of Yes and Jane Zhang, as well as appearing on four Far East Family Band albums.
Studio albums 15 of these studio albums were nominated for a Grammy Award. Thinking of You won a Grammy Award for Best New Age Album in 2000.
Title Year Label Tenkai (a.k.a. Astral Voyage) 1978 Zen/Invitation Daichi (a.k.a. Full Moon Story) 1979 Zen/Invitation Oasis 1979 Pony Canyon, Domo Records Ki 1981 Pony Canyon, Domo Records Silver Cloud (a.k.a. Cloud) 1983 Polydor/Sound Design Records, Geffen Records Toward the West (a.k.a. Endless Journey) 1985 Polydor/Sound Design Records, Geffen Records Tenku 1986 Geffen Records, Domo Records The Light of the Spirit (with Mickey Hart) 1987 Geffen Records, Domo Records Kojiki 1990 Geffen Records, Domo Records Dream (with Jon Anderson) 1992 Geffen Records, Domo Records Mandala 1994 Domo Records Peace on Earth (Christmas album) 1996 Domo Records Cirque Ingenieux 1997 Domo Records Gaia-Onbashira 1998 Domo Records Thinking of You 1999 Domo Records Ancient 2001 Domo Records An Ancient Journey 2002 Domo Records Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Vol. 1 2003 Domo Records Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Vol. 2 2005 Domo Records Spiritual Garden 2006 Domo Records Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Vol. 3 2007 Domo Records Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Vol. 4 2010 Domo Records Final Call 2013 Domo Records Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Vol. 5 2017 Domo Records
Soundtracks Impressions of the West Lake is one of the Grammy nominated albums.
Title Year Label Silk Road, Volume 1 1980 Pony Canyon, Domo Records Silk Road, Volume 2 1980 Pony Canyon, Domo Records Tonko (a.k.a. Tunhuang, Dunhuang, or Silk Road III) 1981 Pony Canyon, Domo Records Queen of Millennia (a.k.a. Millennia) 1982 Pony Canyon, Geffen Records Tenjiku (a.k.a. India or Silk Road IV) 1983 Polydor/Sound Design Records, Geffen Records Si Shui Liu Nian 1984 – Manhunter 1986 – Heaven & Earth (a.k.a. Ten to Chi) 1993 Geffen Records The Soong Sisters (film) 1998 Domo Records Ninja Scroll 2003 Domo Records Toyo's Camera (soundtrack) 2009 Domo Records Impressions of the West Lake 2009 Domo Records 442 – Live with Honor, Die with Dignity 2010 Domo Records MIS 2012 Domo Records
Live albums
Title Year Label In Person/In Person Digital 1980 Pony Canyon, Domo Records Live at Budokan 1982 – Live in Asia (a.k.a. Asia) 1984 Polydor/Sound Design Records, Westwood Records (Geffen Records) Live in America 1991 Geffen Records, Domo Records An Enchanted Evening 1995 Domo Records Daylight, Moonlight: Kitaro Live in Yakushiji 2002 Domo RecordsTamayura2013 Domo RecordsSymphony Live in Istanbul2014 Domo RecordsZen: Live In Katsuyama2024 Domo RecordsKukai 1250: Live In Zentsuji2024 Domo Records
Compilation albums
Title Year Label Best of Kitaro, Volume 1 1981 Pony Canyon, Domo Records My Best 1986 Pony Canyon, Domo Records The Best of Ten Years (1976–1986) 1988 Geffen Records, Domo Records Best Collection 1990 Pony Canyon Tokusen II (CD 1 Best Of, CD 2 Live in Osaka) 1994 – The Best of Kitaro 1995 Geffen Records Romantic Ballads 1998 – Music for the Spirit, Volume 1 1998 Domo Records Six Musical Portraits (Best Of) 1998 Domo Records Noah's Ark (Japan only) 1998 Westwood Records Music for the Spirit, Volume 2 1999 Domo Records Best of Kitaro, Volume 2 1999 Domo Records The Essential Collection (Japan only) 2000 – Music for the Spirit, Volume 3 2001 Domo Records Endless Journey (Best Of) 2001 Sony Healing Forest (Best Of) 2001 3D Music for the Spirit, Volume 4 2002 Domo Records Journey to the Heart, Volume 1 2002 Domo Records Journey to the Heart, Volume 2 2002 Domo Records Journey to the Heart, Volume 3 2002 Domo Records Journey to the Heart, Volume 4 2002 Domo Records Asian Café / Ashu Chakan (Best Of) 2002 Sony/Columbia Mizu ni Inorite 2002 Domo Records Best of Silk Road 2003 Domo Records Sleep, Volume 1 2004 Domo Records Shikoku 88 Places 2004 Columbia Japan The Most Relaxing New Age Music in the Universe 2005 Kin-Kou The Essential Kitaro 2006 Domo Records Music for Yoga 2007 Domo Records The Definitive Collection 2008 Domo Records Sleep, Volume 2 2009 Domo Records Kitaro: Digital Box Set 2009 Domo Records Grammy Nominated 2010 Domo Records Celestial Scenery: Silk Road Legend, Volume 1 2011 Domo Records Celestial Scenery: Silent Praying, Volume 2 2011 Domo Records Celestial Scenery: Faraway Land, Volume 3 2011 Domo Records Celestial Scenery: Eternal Trip, Volume 4 2011 Domo Records Celestial Scenery: Holy Vibration, Volume 5 2011 Domo Records Celestial Scenery: Breezing Universe, Volume 6 2011 Domo Records Celestial Scenery: Fairy Stories, Volume 7 2011 Domo Records Celestial Scenery: Divine Spirit, Volume 8 2011 Domo Records Celestial Scenery: Galactic Flight, Volume 9 2011 Domo Records Celestial Scenery: Heart Beat, Volume 10 2011 Domo Records The Ultimate Kitaro Collection: Silk Road Journey 2012 Domo Records The Kitaro Quintessential 2013 Domo Records Asian Café 2016 Domo Records
Singles
Title Year Label "Utopia" (a.k.a. "Radio House Ginga") 1981 – "Angel Queen" (from Queen Millennia, vocals by Dara Sedaka) 1982 Geffen Records "Portopia '81/Portpier Matsushita Kan" (included in Noah's Ark) 1983 – "Aura no Saiten" 1983 – Four Seasons of Quality (EP) 1984 – "Caravan" (vocals by Pages) 1984 Polydor "Lady of Dreams" (from Dream, vocals by Jon Anderson) 1992 Geffen Records, Domo Records "Nile (from Ancient) 2000 Domo Records
Music videos
Title Year Label Kojiki: A Story in Concert 1987 Geffen Records, Domo Records The Light of the Spirit 1987 Geffen Records, Domo Records Live in America 1991 Geffen Records, Domo Records An Enchanted Evening 1995 Domo Records Tamayura 2000 Domo Records Thinking of You 2001 Domo Records Peace on Earth 2001 Domo Records The Best of Kitaro 2001 Domo Records Daylight Moonlight: Live in Yakushiji 2003 Domo Records
Far East Family Band
Title Year Label The Cave Down to the Earth 1975 Phoenix Records Nipponjin 1975 Phoenix Records Parallel World 1976 Phoenix Records
Collaborations
Title Year Label Hako Yamasaki – "Akane" (released as a single) – – Motoyoshi Iwasaki – "Aoi Kaze" (released as a single) – – Silk Road Suite (conducted by Paul Buckmaster with the London Symphony Orchestra) 1980 Pony Canyon, Domo Records World of Kitaro (conducted by Jeremy Lubbock with London National Philharmonic Orchestra) 1982 Pony Canyon, Domo Records Gyuto Monks – Freedom Chants from the Roof of the World (with Philip Glass & Mickey Hart) 1988 – Marty Friedman – Scenes, produced by Kitaro 1992 Shrapnel Records Nawang Khechog – Karuna, produced by Kitaro 1995 Domo Records Kitaro's World of Music featuring Yu-Xiao Guang 1996 Domo Records Peter McEvilley & Rachel Leslie – Ninja Scroll (soundtrack) 2003 Domo Records Ryuta Yoshimura – Hayazaki no Hana (soundtrack) 2006 – Let Mother Earth Speak (with Dennis Banks) 2012 Domo Records
Reissues
Title Year Label Daylight, Moonlight: Live in Yakushiji (SACD) 2003 Domo Records Kojiki (SACD) 2003 Domo Records Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Vol. 1 (SACD) 2003 Domo Records The Light of the Spirit (Reissue) 2012 Domo Records Thinking Of You (Remastered) 2014 Domo Records Kojiki (Remastered) 2015 Domo Records Tenku (Remastered) 2016 Domo Records
References
External links Kitaro Official site (English) Kitaro Official site (Japanese) Kitaro TV – Kitaro's official YouTube page Kitaro House - Website with full discography