[2][4] Kitarō, which is his boyhood name meaning "man of love and joy", a practicing Buddhist himself, was born in a family of Shinto-Buddhist farmers.

[1][7][8] After graduating, and learning to play drums and bass,[6] Kitaro moved to Tokyo to experience and become a part of the music scene, and it was there that he discovered the synthesizer.

The Silk Road: The Rise And Fall Of Civilizations is an NHK Tokushu documentary series that first aired on 7 April 1980, with sequels being broadcast over a 10-year period.

The documentary was narrated by Ishizaka Koji with music composed by Kitaro, who insisted that the show be broadcast in stereo.

[4][3][6] In 2007, Kitaro composed the music for Impression West Lake, a large-scale opera, directed by the renowned Chinese film director Zhang Yimou.

[6] Using modern technology, the stage is 75 centimeters below the lake’s surface during the day so as not to affect the landscape and boating activities.

In the evening, the stage is a few centimeters below the lake’s surface so actors can walk and perform freely over a surprising water mirror that compose with the lights and colors.

It was recorded live at the Halic Congress Center in Istanbul, Turkey during Kitaro's Symphonic World Tour, balancing the artist's trademark signature sound and expanding it to new heights with the addition of a 38-piece chamber symphony orchestra.

During his visit to Greece, Kitaro met Greek composer Vangelis, and exchanged musical experience and creative ideas.

In 2010, Kitaro performed in Singapore in March, in Mexico for the Zacatecas Cultural Festival in April,[17] in Xi'an, China for the opening event of Daming Palace National Heritage Park in September,[18] in Aichi, Japan, for the Thousand Drums Event at COP10 for the Convention on Biological Diversity in October.

From March to April, 2011, Kitaro was on tour titled The Silk Road – East & West, visiting Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia.

Along with Keiko's son, the couple lived in Ward, Colorado, on a 180-acre (72.85 hectare) spread and composed in his 2500-square-foot (230 m²) home studio "Mochi House" (it is large enough to hold a 70-piece orchestra).

On 24 February 2022, he married Brazil-born, ethnically Japanese artist Franci Shimomaebara[21][22] in a private ceremony attended by friends and relatives.

They had met in 1990, and after becoming friends worked together on The Wind, which was featured on Kitarō's Grammy-nominated 2003 album, Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai, Volume 1.

In 2012 they collaborated on the album Symphony of my Dreams where Franci recorded vocal renditions of some of Kitarō’s famous pieces, including Silk Road.

[25] Kitaro and Randy Miller won a Hong Kong Film Award for Best Original Score for Soong Sisters in 1998.