



Chapter I - Family Origins
and Childhood

Chapter I - Family Origins
and Childhood

Chapter I - Family Origins
and Childhood

Chapter I - Family Origins
and Childhood

Chapter I - Family Origins
and Childhood

Chapter I - Family Origins
and Childhood

Chapter I - Family Origins
and Childhood

Chapter I - Family Origins
and Childhood












The AKIRAIFUKUBE.ORG Biography is currently divided into eleven sections. Parts I through XII deal with Ifukube's life since his birth until the late 1970s. There is also a Brief Biography that quickly covers the most notable aspects of his life and career.
Please note that the Main Biography is a work in progress; as new parts are written, they will be added to the site over time.
Chapter I - Family Origins and Childhood
Chapter II - The University Years
Chapter III - The Music of the Forest

Chapter IV - The War Years

Chapter V - The Birth of a Film Composer

Chapter VI - Ballets and Bombs

Chapter VII - Godzilla

Chapter VIII - Excellent Music is Always Simple

Chapter IX - Myths, Monsters, and Laments

Chapter X - To Conquer and Slay the Cause of Opposition

Chapter XI - Film Composer Triumphant

Chapter XII - A New Direction

Brief Biography
The biography text is by Erik C. Homenick, the webmaster of AKIRAIFUKUBE.ORG. Information has been researched and gathered from several sources and those sources are credited at the bottom of each section of the Main Biography. Very special thanks are due to Junko Johnson, Hiroshi Kawakami, Motoji Yssimal, Reiko Yamada, Satoshi Imai, Hirohiko Nagase, Kaoru Wada and Shogo Yamaguchi for providing translations and historical information. My gratitude to John DeSentis for his help analysing various musical materials. Merci beaucoup to Lorena Bowser for her help in proofreading and giving constructive criticism to the ever-expanding biography text. Much appreciation to Jim Figurski and Tyler Martin for providing valuable feedback. Thanks also to Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski for allowing me to reference their superlative writings throughout the biography. Many, many thanks to Deborah Minkin for her willingness to speak with me and to provide valuable information on her time living and working in Japan. A big arigato is due to Atsushi, Kiwami and Tohru Ifukube for furnishing historical information and photographs.
© Erik Homenick. All rights reserved.