title: Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai
text: # Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai
  
  Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai is a series of peace-themed albums by new age artist Kitarō, inspired by the classic Buddhist pilgrimage to the 88 sacred temples on Japan's island of Shikoku (see Shikoku Pilgrimage). Each album in the series has been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Age Album.
  
  ## Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Vol. 1 (2003)
  
  All tracks are written by Kitarō.
  
  ## Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Vol. 2 (2005)
  
  All tracks are written by Kitarō.
  
  ### Charts
  
  | Chart (2005) | Peak position |
  | - | - |
  | Billboard Top New Age Albums | 15 |
  
  ## Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Vol. 3 (2007)
  
  All tracks are written by Kitarō.
  
  ## Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Vol. 4 (2010)
  
  All tracks are written by Kitarō.
  
  ## Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Vol. 5 (2017)
  
  All tracks are written by Kitarō.
  
  ## Awards and nominations
  
  | Year | Award | Result |
  | - | - | - |
  | 2004 | Grammy Award for Best New Age Album | Nominated |
  | 2006 | Grammy Award for Best New Age Album | Nominated |
  | 2008 | Grammy Award for Best New Age Album | Nominated |
  | 2011 | Grammy Award for Best New Age Album | Nominated |
  | 2017 | Grammy Award for Best New Age Album | Nominated |
  
  ## Personnel
  
  * Kitaro - Producer, Composer, Arranger, Engineer, Mixing, Keyboards, Photography
  * Gary Barlough - Producer (V.1), Engineer (V.2)
  * Allen Sides - Engineer (V.1)
  * Doug Sax - Mastering (V.1, 2, 3)
  * Joe Chiccarelli - Engineer (V.2)
  * Robert Hadley - Mastering (V.2)
  * Randy Miller - Orchestration (V.3), Arranger (V.3)
  * Steven Miller - Engineer (V.3)
  * Ian Ulibarri - Engineer (V.3)
  * Timothy Beach - Engineer (V.4)
  * Tim Gennert - Mastering (V.4)
  * Paul Lamb - Mastering (V.5), Engineer (V.5)
  
  ### Musicians
  
  * Kristin Stordahl Kanda - Flute (V.1, 2)
  * Rie Shimomura - Violin (V.1)
  * Tu Shang Xian - Pipa (V.1, 2)
  * Jonathan Goldman - Chanting (V.2)
  * Paul Pesco - Guitars (V.2, 3)
  * Franci Miho Shimomaebara - Vocals (V.2)
  * Nawang Khechog - Tibetan Flute & Chanting Voice (V.2)
  * Keiko Takahashi - Keyboards (V.2, 3, 4), Composer (V.3), Arranger (V.3)
  * Masayuki Koga - Shakuhachi (V.3)
  * Alexander Adhami - Cello, Santoor, Guitar, Ebow, Flute (V.3, 4)
  * Steven Kindler: Violin (V.4)
  * Diana Dentino: Keyboards (V.4)
  * Voyce McGinley: Percussion (V.4)
  * Shinji Ebihara (V.5)
  
  ### Additional Personnel
  
  * Eiichi Naito - Producer, Executive Producer, Management
  * Dino Malito - Artists & Repertoire, Management
  * Howard Sapper - Business & Legal Affairs
  * Tatsuya Hayashi - Marketing (V.1, 2)
  * Hitoshi Saito - Marketing (V.3, 4)
  * Atsuko Mizuta - Marketing (V.4)
  * Kio Griffith - Art Direction, Design
  