Akira Ifukube (伊福部 昭 Ifukube Akira, 31 May 1914 – 8 February 2006) was a Japanese composer, best known for his works on the film scores of the Godzilla movies since 1954. Akira Ifukube was born on 31 May 1914 in Kushiro, Japan as the third son of a police officer Toshimitsu Ifukube, also the origins of this family can be traced back to at least the 7th century with the birth of Ifukibe-no-Tokotarihime. He was strongly influenced by the Ainu music as he spent his childhood (from age of 9 to 12) in Otofuke near Obihiro, where was with a mixed population of Ainu and Japanese. His first encounter with classical music occurred when attending secondary school in Sapporo city. Ifukube decided to become a composer at the age of 14 after hearing a radio performance of Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, also cited the music of Manuel de Falla as a major influence.
Ifukube studied forestry at Hokkaido Imperial University in Sapporo and composed in his spare time, which prefigured a line of self-taught Japanese composers.
He taught at the Tokyo University of the Arts (formerly Tokyo Music School), during which period he composed his first film score for The End of the Silver Mountains, released in 1947. Over the next fifty years, he would compose more than 250 film scores, the high point of which was his 1954 music for Ishirō Honda's Toho movie, Godzilla.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Akira Ifukube , licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For
Godzilla Minus One
(2023)
Music
Shin Godzilla
(2016)
Music
Godzilla
(1954)
Original Music Composer
King Kong vs. Godzilla
(1962)
Original Music Composer
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
(1995)
Original Music Composer
Invasion of Astro-Monster
(1965)
Original Music Composer
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
(1991)
Original Music Composer
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
(1993)
Original Music Composer
Godzilla, King of the Monsters!
(1956)
Music
Destroy All Monsters
(1968)
Original Music Composer
Mothra vs. Godzilla
(1964)
Original Music Composer
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
(1964)
Original Music Composer
Godzilla vs. Mothra
(1992)
Original Music Composer
Godzilla vs. Gigan
(1972)
Original Music Composer
Battle in Outer Space
(1959)
Original Music Composer
King Kong Escapes
(1967)
Original Music Composer
Full Filmography
Sound
Snow Trail
(1947)
Original Music Composer
Invitation to Happiness
(1947)
Music
A Woman in the Typhoon Area
(1948)
Original Music Composer
A Second Life
(1948)
Original Music Composer
Kuro-uma no danshichi
(1948)
Music
Shachō to onna tenin
(1948)
Music
The Quiet Duel
(1949)
Original Music Composer
Late Night Confession
(1949)
Original Music Composer
The Rainbow Man
(1949)
Original Music Composer
Jakoman and Tetsu
(1949)
Music
Kirare no Senta
(1949)
Original Music Composer
White Beast
(1950)
Original Music Composer
Listen to the Voices of the Sea
(1950)
Original Music Composer
The Rainbow-Colored Flower
(1950)
Original Music Composer
Senka o koete
(1950)
Original Music Composer
Crazy Uproar
(1950)
Music
The Motherland Far Far Away
(1950)
Original Music Composer
Devil's Gold
(1950)
Original Music Composer
Les Miserables II: Banner of Love and Freedom
(1950)
Music
Les Miserables I: God and the Devil
(1950)
Music
Heat and Mud
(1950)
Music
Ore wa yōjimbō
(1950)
Music
The Tale of Genji
(1951)
Original Music Composer
Who Will Judge Me?
(1951)
Music
Clothes of Deception
(1951)
Original Music Composer
The Man Without a Nationality
(1951)
Music
Stolen Love
(1951)
Music
Judge of the Ashuras
(1951)
Original Music Composer
Beyond Love and Hate
(1951)
Original Music Composer
Freedom School
(1951)
Original Music Composer
限りなき情熱
(1951)
Music
Children of Hiroshima
(1952)
Original Music Composer
Sisters of Nishijin
(1952)
Original Music Composer
Shi no machi wo nogarete
(1952)
Original Music Composer
Swift Current
(1952)
Original Music Composer
Anatahan
(1953)
Original Music Composer
The Cannery Boat
(1953)
Original Music Composer
Before Dawn
(1953)
Original Music Composer
Reminiscence
(1953)
Original Music Composer
Hiroshima
(1953)
Original Music Composer
Miniature
(1953)
Original Music Composer
Onna no issho
(1953)
Music
Aijô ni tsuite
(1953)
Music
White Fish
(1953)
Music
Yokubo
(1953)
Music
Murahachibu
(1953)
Original Music Composer
生れかわる客車
(1953)
Music
Godzilla
(1954)
Original Music Composer
Cape Ashizuri
(1954)
Original Music Composer
The Ditch
(1954)
Original Music Composer
A Samurai's Love
(1954)
Original Music Composer
Dorodarake no seishun
(1954)
Music
Jinsei Gekijo Yokubo hen: sanshu kirako
(1954)
Music
Life of Geisha
(1955)
Original Music Composer
The Wolves
(1955)
Original Music Composer
The Maid's Kid
(1955)
Original Music Composer
Policeman's Diary, Part 2
(1955)
Music
Three Faces
(1955)
Music
Brooba
(1955)
Original Music Composer
The Beauty and the Dragon
(1955)
Music
Women of Ginza
(1955)
Music
Typhoon's Eye
(1955)
Original Music Composer
The Burmese Harp
(1956)
Original Music Composer
Darkness at Noon
(1956)
Original Music Composer
Love is Lost
(1956)
Original Music Composer
Godzilla, King of the Monsters!
(1956)
Music
Sound in the Mist
(1956)
Music
Rodan
(1956)
Music
Rainy Night Duel
(1956)
Music
Actress
(1956)
Music
Ryûri no kishi
(1956)
Music
Will-o'-the-Wisp
(1956)
Music
The Mysterians
(1957)
Original Music Composer
Harbor Rats
(1957)
Original Music Composer
Yagyu Secret Scrolls
(1957)
Music
Down Town
(1957)
Original Music Composer
An Osaka Story
(1957)
Original Music Composer
On This Earth
(1957)
Music
Who's The Real Killer
(1957)
Music
Roar and Earth
(1957)
Music
Jigoku bana
(1957)
Music
Godzilla, the Monster of the Pacific Ocean
(1957)
Music
Rodan! The Flying Monster!
(1957)
Original Music Composer
Night Drum
(1958)
Music Director
Varan
(1958)
Original Music Composer
Beyond the Seasonal Wind
(1958)
Original Music Composer
Futari dake no hashi
(1958)
Original Music Composer
Yagyu Secret Scrolls: Ninjitsu - Part II
(1958)
Music
The Precipice
(1958)
Music
Battle in Outer Space
(1959)
Original Music Composer
Samurai Saga
(1959)
Original Music Composer
A Whistle in My Heart
(1959)
Original Music Composer
The Big Boss
(1959)
Original Music Composer
The Three Treasures
(1959)
Music
Break Down that Wall
(1959)
Original Music Composer
女と海賊
(1959)
Music
Castle of Flames
(1960)
Original Music Composer
Scars of Honor
(1960)
Original Music Composer
Lord Tadanao
(1960)
Music
Shinran
(1960)
Music
Shinran, Part II
(1960)
Music
Buddha
(1961)
Original Music Composer
The Conspirator
(1961)
Original Music Composer
Miyamoto Musashi
(1961)
Original Music Composer
Daredevil in the Castle
(1961)
Original Music Composer
Different Sons
(1961)
Music
King Kong vs. Godzilla
(1962)
Original Music Composer
The Tale of Zatoichi
(1962)
Original Music Composer
The Great Wall
(1962)
Original Music Composer
47 Ronin
(1962)
Original Music Composer
The Whale God
(1962)
Original Music Composer
A Carpenter and Children
(1962)
Original Music Composer
Her Hidden Past
(1962)
Music
Varan the Unbelievable
(1962)
Original Music Composer
The King
(1962)
Music
The Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon
(1963)
Original Music Composer
New Tale of Zatoichi
(1963)
Original Music Composer
Zatoichi the Fugitive
(1963)
Original Music Composer
Zatoichi on the Road
(1963)
Original Music Composer
13 Assassins
(1963)
Original Music Composer
A Samurai Never Tells a Lie
(1963)
Original Music Composer
Bronze Magician
(1963)
Original Music Composer
Atragon
(1963)
Original Music Composer
Tragedy of the Coolie Samurai
(1963)
Original Music Composer
Mothra vs. Godzilla
(1964)
Original Music Composer
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
(1964)
Original Music Composer
Whirlwind
(1964)
Original Music Composer
Dogora
(1964)
Original Music Composer
Fight, Zatoichi, Fight
(1964)
Original Music Composer
Shinobi no Mono 4: Siege
(1964)
Original Music Composer
The Long Death
(1964)
Original Music Composer
The Life of a Chivalrous Man in Suruga: Broken Swords
(1964)
Music
Kojiki taishō
(1964)
Music
Frankenstein Conquers the World
(1965)
Original Music Composer
Invasion of Astro-Monster
(1965)
Original Music Composer
Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu
(1965)
Original Music Composer
Zatoichi's Revenge
(1965)
Original Music Composer
Zatoichi and the Chess Expert
(1965)
Original Music Composer
A Chain of Islands
(1965)
Original Music Composer
The War of the Gargantuas
(1966)
Original Music Composer
Daimajin
(1966)
Original Music Composer
Return of Giant Majin
(1966)
Original Music Composer
Wrath of Daimajin
(1966)
Original Music Composer
Adventure in Kigan Castle
(1966)
Original Music Composer
A Thousand Suspects
(1966)
Original Music Composer
Zatoichi's Vengeance
(1966)
Original Music Composer
Sleepy Eyes of Death 7: The Mask of the Princess
(1966)
Original Music Composer
Sleepy Eyes of Death 8: Sword of Villainy
(1966)
Original Music Composer
The Betrayal
(1966)
Original Music Composer
Eleven Samurai
(1967)
Original Music Composer
King Kong Escapes
(1967)
Original Music Composer
Zatoichi Challenged
(1967)
Original Music Composer
Destroy All Monsters
(1968)
Original Music Composer
The Snow Woman
(1968)
Original Music Composer
Young Challengers
(1968)
Original Music Composer
Latitude Zero
(1969)
Original Music Composer
Devil's Temple
(1969)
Original Music Composer
Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo
(1970)
Original Music Composer
Space Amoeba
(1970)
Original Music Composer
Will to Conquer
(1970)
Music
Godzilla vs. Gigan
(1972)
Original Music Composer
Wolfman vs. Baragon
(1972)
Music Director
Zatoichi's Conspiracy
(1973)
Original Music Composer
The Human Revolution
(1973)
Original Music Composer
Sandakan No. 8
(1974)
Original Music Composer
The Last Samurai
(1974)
Original Music Composer
Terror of Mechagodzilla
(1975)
Original Music Composer
Godzilla
(1977)
Original Music Composer
Love and Faith
(1978)
Original Music Composer
Wolfman vs. Godzilla
(1983)
Music Director
Godzilla Fantasia
(1984)
Music
Toho Unused Special Effects Complete Collection
(1986)
Music
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
(1991)
Original Music Composer
Dozoku no ranjo
(1991)
Original Music Composer
Godzilla vs. Mothra
(1992)
Original Music Composer
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
(1993)
Original Music Composer
Monster Planet of Godzilla
(1994)
Music
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
(1995)
Original Music Composer
Always: Sunset on Third Street 2
(2007)
Music
Tetsujin 28: Morning Moon of Midday
(2007)
Original Music Composer
Genius Party Beyond
(2008)
Music
Gala
(2008)
Music
Gehara: The Dark and Long-Haired Monster
(2009)
Music
Shin Godzilla
(2016)
Music
Godzilla Appears at Godzilla Fest
(2020)
Music
Godzilla vs. Hedorah
(2021)
Music
Godzilla vs. Gigan Rex
(2022)
Music
Godzilla Minus One
(2023)
Music
Godzilla: Attack on Tokyo
(2024)
Music
Acting