Nobuo Uematsu: On The Record — New Biography by James Mielke Charts 40-Year Career

Nobuo Uematsu is one of the most influential composers in video games, and his life and work are the subject of a new full-length biography, Nobuo Uematsu: On The Record, written by veteran games journalist James Mielke and published by VIZ Media. The 286-page volume traces Uematsu’s roughly 40-year career, from his early in-house role at Square (now Square Enix) through his 2004 departure and the founding of his own production company and label, Dog Ear Records. Mielke spent two years conducting interviews for the book, speaking directly with Uematsu as well as with family and key industry figures. The biography includes contributions from Uematsu’s wife, Reiko Uematsu; Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi; members of the original Final Fantasy programming team; Minecraft composer Daniel Rosenfeld (known as c418); and veteran composer Yoko Shimamura, among others. Mielke also secured an interview with former Square Enix CEO Yoichi Wada to explore pivotal moments in Uematsu’s relationship with the company. In journalistic terms, Mielke describes the book as a definitive account of Uematsu’s professional and personal life. The biography covers a wide range of projects for which Uematsu composed, from the Final Fantasy series and Chrono Trigger to titles such as The Last Story, Lost Odyssey, Blue Dragon, Granblue Fantasy, and numerous other projects spanning multiple platforms and publishers. Mielke’s reporting addresses concrete turning points in Uematsu’s career. For instance, he documents the episode in which Yoichi Wada reportedly declined a proposed concert series; that executive decision is presented in the book as a controversial moment that contributed, to some degree, to Uematsu’s eventual departure from Square Enix. The book features an introduction by Hironobu Sakaguchi and a cover portrait by longtime collaborator Yoshitaka Amano. Nobuo Uematsu: On The Record is available now from major booksellers and directly from VIZ Media and distributor Simon & Schuster. VIZ Media also offers a free preview of the book for readers who want to sample the material before purchase. For game music fans and industry observers, Mielke’s biography collects firsthand testimony and archival detail, consolidating decades of Uematsu’s creative achievements into a single, sourced volume.