"In 1995, young Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, through a recommendation from director Hou Hsiao-hsien, hoped I could compose the score for his film *Maboroshi no Hikari* (Maboroshi no Hikari). That's how I received the raw footage from Japan. It was a pale blue, set in a small fishing village by the sea, depicting the inner story of the female protagonist who remarries after her husband's death.

"Because it was a quiet little fishing village, I composed the "Quiet Theme" on the piano, as time slowly passed by."