Born in Tokyo on August 24, 1938, Ishiguro brought an unusual skill set to anime direction: he could actually read musical scores, thanks to his background playing in a Hawaiian-style music band during his younger years. This musical knowledge became a signature part of his work, particularly evident in projects like Macross: Do You Remember Love and Legend of the Galactic Heroes, where he made deliberate use of that expertise.

He studied art at Nihon University, graduating in 1964, then started out as a key animator on subcontracted Astro Boy episodes while working at Onishi Pro. The real turning point came in 1978 when he founded Artland, the animation studio where he remained president and head director for most of its output until his death.

He died on March 20, 2012.