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The Japanese Film Festival Special Series returns to QAGOMA in 2026 with a retrospective marking 30 years since the passing off Tōru Takemitsu (1930–1996), one of the twentieth century's most influential composers.

Best known internationally for his traditional composition 'November Steps' (1967), Takemitsu also created the musical and sonic worlds for more than one hundred films, forging lasting collaborations with some of Japan's most visionary filmmakers. Through these partnerships, he transformed the role of scores in cinema, crafting soundscapes in which music and sound design became an essential part of storytelling rather than a mere accompaniment to the image.

Emerging in post-war Japan, Takemitsu developed a distinctive musical and sound language that drew upon both Western avant-garde composition and Japanese artistic thought. Largely self-taught, he bridged traditions with remarkable originality, balancing innovative musical expression with a profound sensitivity to timbre, atmosphere and space.

Central to Takemitsu's work is the Japanese concept of ma—the expressive interval between things, where absence is imbued with meaning. Rather than treating silence as a break between musical ideas, he regarded it as an active presence capable of shaping tension, reflection and beauty. He believed that sound should exist alongside the image instead of simply reinforcing it, allowing texture, rhythm and environmental sound to evoke mood while preserving ambiguity and openness.

Across four decades, Takemitsu collaborated with directors including Masahiro Shinoda, Hiroshi Teshigahara, Masaki Kobayashi, Nagisa Oshima and Akira Kurosawa, helping define the sonic identity of many of Japanese cinema's most celebrated works. His close involvement in the filmmaking process allowed sound itself to become another narrative voice, one that could deepen, challenge or even counterpoint the drama unfolding on screen.

This retrospective celebrates the remarkable breadth of Takemitsu's contribution to film, bringing together works that demonstrate the enduring influence of his musical and sonic vision. Featuring collaborations with some of Japan's greatest directors, this program offers a rare opportunity to experience these landmark films on 16mm and 35mm archival prints alongside 4K digitally restored masterpieces. Never confined to the background, Takemitsu's approach to sound continues to reshape the cinematic experience, inviting audiences to listen as intently as they watch.

This free Special Series program is part of the Japanese Film Festival 2025, presented by The Japan Foundation, Sydney and made possible by The Japan Foundation Film Library.