 The soundtrack to Departures was by Joe Hisaishi , a composer who had gained international recognition for his work with Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli . Before shooting began , Takita asked him to prepare a soundtrack which would represent the separation between Daigo and his father , as well as the mortician 's love for his wife . Owing to the importance of cellos and cello music in the narrative , Hisaishi emphasized the instrument in his soundtrack ; he described the challenge of centring a score around the cello as one of the most difficult things he had ever done . This score was played during shooting , which according to Takita " allowed [ the crew ] to visualize many of the emotions in the film " and thus contributed to the quality of the finished work . 
