“The Battlefield Called Composition,” an essay that candidly chronicles composer Takamitsu Ono’s composing techniques, work philosophy, and the life that led up to them, will be released on November 6th! Gentosha Co., Ltd. Press Release: October 10, 2025 Composer Takamitsu Ono’s essay “The Battlefield Called Composition,” which candidly chronicles his composition techniques, work philosophy, and the life that led up to it, will be released on November 6th! Everyone except the first place winner is a loser – the world’s toughest profession: composer.
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Takamitsu Ono’s “Battlefield Called Composition” will be released by Gentosha on November 6th! (Illustration: Sakutsuki Yakumo) The shocking inside story of a composer, from their daily life to their income Publisher Gentosha will release “The Battlefield Called Composition,” an essay by renowned hit-maker composer Takamitsu Ono, on Thursday, November 6th. This book is packed with shocking facts, revealing everything about the inner workings of the composer profession, his income, Ono’s composition techniques, his work philosophy, and the half of his life he spent pursuing his dream of becoming a composer. – There are no production orders for songs with a predetermined release date; requests come in via invitations to participate in music competitions. – Most of a composer’s job is to write songs to enter in the competition, and even if they write a song, they don’t get paid if it’s not accepted. – How unprofitable being a composer is, but also how it’s a job worth risking your life for. – The countless setbacks he experienced before turning 30, and the years of hard work when he was broke and hungry. – Takamitsu Ono’s thoughts on “What makes a good song?” and “What makes a good melody?” ・Takamitsu Ono’s style of composition and melodies created by AI. …and other surprising details about the profession of composer that no one knew about. Dreaming of becoming a composer, he moved to Tokyo alone from Akita City at the age of 16. Takamitsu Ono is a composer, arranger, and music producer born in Miyagi Prefecture in 1971 and raised in Akita City, Akita Prefecture. When he was in his first year of junior high school, he heard Tetsuya Komuro’s music and discovered the existence of the composer profession. Since then, he has consistently worked toward his dream. At the age of 16, he voluntarily dropped out of high school and moved to Tokyo alone. After walking a thorny path, facing many twists and turns, and spending over 10 years as a company employee, I finally became independent as a composer at the age of 30. I founded Time Flies, Inc., a music production company. Though things weren’t always smooth sailing after that, I devoted myself to composing and sales with my characteristic focus and steely mentality, and gradually increased my work. Today, they continue to provide unique music in a wide variety of genres, including for AKB48, STU48, Naniwa Danshi, Hinatazaka46, ClariS, voice actors Aya Uchida, Yuma Uchida, Yui Ogura, Akari Kito, and Shoya Chiba, anime series such as “The Prince of Tennis” and “Aikatsu!”, and games such as “THE IDOLM@STER” and “Touken Ranbu ONLINE.” His clear, dramatically unfolding melodies have captivated many fans. To date, he has provided approximately 750 songs (610 of which are registered with JASRAC and NexTone), many of which have reached the top of the Oricon charts, and he has achieved success in a wide range of fields. A mysterious composer who refused to appear in the spotlight On the other hand, Ono, unusually for this era, did not have any social media accounts, did not give interviews, and refused to appear in the public eye at all. As a result, despite his numerous hit songs, he was a composer whose appearance, identity, and even existence were shrouded in mystery. Photos of a completely different person have been introduced as being of Takamitsu Ono, and the large number of songs he has released has even led to speculation that “Takamitsu Ono” is the name of a group of multiple composers. The release of this book prompted her to decide to reveal her face, and she has now had a conversation with Tetsuya Komuro, the man who inspired her to become a composer and whom she has admired for the past 40 years. The conversation will be featured in the December issue of “GOETHE” magazine (on sale October 24, 2025). Of course, it will be accompanied by a photo, making this Takamitsu Ono’s first public appearance. Comment from Takamitsu Ono On the occasion of the release of this book, author Takamitsu Ono said the following: “I wrote this book hoping to give people a glimpse into the reality of what goes on behind the scenes when music is created. I would be happy if many people would read it, including not only those who listen to my music, but also those aspiring to become composers or work in other creative professions, and those currently struggling with work-related issues.” Recommended by two popular voice actors!! Two popular voice actors who sing songs written by Ono have written testimonials for this book. “This book traces the life of a
comrade-in-arms. I recommend it to anyone who wants to know what composers are up to now!” – Yuuma Uchida (Voice Actor) “I saw the source of this gentle passion. I want people to know that beyond the music there are composers who poured their souls into it!” Chiba Shoya (Voice Actor) Everyone except the first place winner is a loser. A biography of the composer’s life, full of ups and downs, revealing the shocking daily life and inner workings of a composer, a profession that is incredibly tough, as well as his work philosophy, composition techniques, and the many ups and downs that led him to this position. This is a book that takes a look behind the scenes at composers, something we’ve never seen before. The essays are very interesting and entertaining. I hope you’ll pick up a copy.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/7254/1056/7254-1056-c477955a8ab668a99024a96b62aee40c-1112×1628.jpg “The Battlefield Called Composition” by Takamitsu Ono Title: “The Battlefield Called Composition” Author: Takamitsu Ono Publisher: Gentosha Release Date: November 6, 2025 Paperback (Softcover): 224 pages ISBN-10: 4344045149 ISBN-13: 978-4344045149 Dimensions: 18.8 x 12.8 x 1 cm Bibliographic information URL :
https://www.gentosha.co.jp/book/detail/9784344045149/ 〈Takamitsu Ono〉 Composer, arranger, and music producer. He began his musical career in the early 2000s, working on numerous songs, primarily J-POP, anime songs, and idol songs. His clear melodies and dramatic developments have earned him support from a wide range of artists. To date, over 610 songs have been registered with JASRAC and NexTone (as of September 30, 2025). He has provided music for Nogizaka46,
Hinatazaka46, AKB48 Group, voice actors and artists, anime theme songs, and more. He has sent many of his songs to the top of the Oricon charts, achieving success in a wide range of fields.
