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.
