Naoki Sato

Born on May 2, 1970, in Chiba, Japan, Naoki Satō is a Japanese composer who graduated from the Tokyo College of Music in 1993. During his junior high school years, Satō's interest in composing sparked under the influence of his piano teacher, a fascination that led him to delve into music theory, exploring aspects like harmony and counterposition during high school. With a goal to attend music college, Satō enrolled in the film and broadcast music course of the composition department at the Tokyo College of Music on the advice of his teacher, where he broadened his musical knowledge across various genres. Initially composing for television and anime soundtracks, including Machine Robo Rescue (2003) and the Pretty Cure series (2004-2009) as well as Water Boys and Orange Days, it wasn't long before Satō's work had reached the big screen, receiving the Best Music award for his contribution to the film Always Sanchōme no Yūhi (Always Sunset on Third Street) at the 29th Japan Academy Prize in 2006. Further notable soundtracks include the Space Battleship Yamato, as well as the live-action film series’ Rurouni Kenshin and Parasyte, and in 2020 Satō was invited to compose music for the victory ceremonies at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Celebrating 20 years in the film and television industry in 2023, his soundtrack for Godzilla Minus One was released in 2023 to critical and commercial acclaim, reaching number 30 on the Billboard Top 100 Japan Albums chart.