Kanichi Shimofusa ( ja, 下総皖一; March 31, 1898 - July 8, 1962) was a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

composer. Kanichi Shimofusa was born in Sunahara, Haramichi-''mura'', Saitama (now

Ōtone, Saitama was a town located in Kitasaitama District, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. As of January 1, 2008, the town had an estimated population of 14,855 and a density Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the substance's mass per un ...

). He studied composition with Kiyoshi Nobutoki at Tokyo Music School (now

Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music or is the most prestigious art school in Japan. Located in Ueno Park, it also has facilities in Toride, Ibaraki, Yokohama, Kanagawa, and Kitasenju and Adachi, Tokyo. The university has trained renowned artists in the fields of painting, scul ...

, also called ''Geidai''), where he graduated first on the list in 1920. Later, he studied with

Paul Hindemith Paul Hindemith (; 16 November 189528 December 1963) was a German composer, music theorist, teacher, violist and conductor. He founded the Amar Quartet in 1921, touring extensively in Europe. As a composer, he became a major advocate of the ' ...

Berlin University of the Arts The Universität der Künste Berlin (UdK; also known in English as the Berlin University of the Arts), situated in Berlin, Germany, is the largest art school in Europe. It is a public art and design school, and one of the four research universit ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, making him the forerunner of Brahms-Hindemith-descended German style at Tokyo Music School. His notable students at Tokyo Music School include

Ikuma Dan was a Japanese composer. Biography Dan was born in Tokyo, the descendant of a prominent family, his grandfather Baron Dan Takuma having been President of Mitsui before being assassinated in 1932. He graduated from Aoyama Gakuin and Tokyo M ...

, Makoto Sato,

Yasushi Akutagawa was a Japanese composer and conductor. His father was Ryūnosuke Akutagawa. Biography Akutagawa was born and raised in Tabata, Tokyo, the son of writer Ryūnosuke Akutagawa. Akutagawa studied composition with Kunihiko Hashimoto, Kan'ichi S ...

, Mareo Ishiketa,

Yuzo Toyama is a Japanese composer and conductor. A native of Tokyo, he was a pupil of Kan'ichi Shimofusa; he studied conducting with Kurt Wöss and Wilhelm Loibner and, like them, later became a conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra. As a conductor h ...

and Taminosuke Matsumoto; his private students included Kunio Suda. Kanichi Shimofusa composed numerous nursery rhymes and government-approved music for music textbooks. He also composed a number of school songs for elementary, junior high, and high schools. The total number of his composition went over 1,000. His music style was unostentatious and steady. He became an associate professor at Tokyo Music School in 1934. He became a member of the textbook editorial committee of the

Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture The was a former Japanese government ministry. Its headquarters were in Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda, Tokyo. The Ministry of Education was created in 1871. It merged with the into the new Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (M ...

in 1940. He became a professor at Tokyo Music School in 1942 and the dean of the Department of Music at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 1956.

Notable works

Orchestral works

* Shamisen Concerto (1935) *

Koto Koto may refer to: * Koto (band), an Italian synth pop group * Koto (instrument), a Japanese musical instrument * Koto (kana), a ligature of two Japanese katakana * Koto (traditional clothing), a traditional dress made by Afro-Surinamese women * K ...

Concerto (1939) * Variations for orchestra

Chamber and instrumental

* Theme and Variations for string trio (1933) * Sonata for solo

koto Koto may refer to: * Koto (band), an Italian synth pop group * Koto (instrument), a Japanese musical instrument * Koto (kana), a ligature of two Japanese katakana * Koto (traditional clothing), a traditional dress made by Afro-Surinamese women * K ...

(1941) * Passacaglia and Dance for piano (1941) * Trio for flute, cello, and koto * Suite for accordion and koto * Suite for clarinet and koto * Three pieces for clarinet and piano * Little Suite for two flutes

Nursery rhymes

*''Nogiku'' (lyric by Nobuo Ishimori) *''Hanabi'' (lyric by Takeshi Inoue) *''Skii'' (lyric by unknown writer) *''Hotaru'' (lyric by Takeshi Inoue) *''Nagai Michi'' (lyric by Ryuha Hayashi) *''Haha no Uta'' (lyric by Nogami Yaeko) *''Kakurenbo'' (lyric by Ryuha Hayashi) *''Usagi no Dansu'' (lyric by Ujo Noguchi) *''Gojuon no Uta'' (lyric by Hakushu Kitahara) *''Tanabatasama'' (lyric by Hanayo Gondo and Ryuha Hayashi) *''Kokka Keiyo no Uta'' (unknown lyric writer) *''Yuyake Koyake'' (Government-approved song, undisclosed lyric writer) {{DEFAULTSORT:Shimofusa, Kanichi 1898 births 1962 deaths 20th-century classical composers 20th-century Japanese composers 20th-century Japanese male musicians Berlin University of the Arts alumni Japanese classical composers Japanese male classical composers Musicians from Saitama Prefecture Tokyo Music School alumni