Kanichi Shimofusa was a Japanese

Japanese people

The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...

 composer

Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...

.

Kanichi Shimofusa was born in Sunahara, Haramichi-mura, Saitama (now Ōtone, Saitama

Otone, Saitama

was a town located in Kitasaitama District, Saitama, Japan.As of January 1, 2008, the town had an estimated population of 14,855 and a density of 607.07 persons per km². The total area was 24.47 km²....

). He studied composition with Kiyoshi Nobutoki at Tokyo Music School (now Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music

Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music

or is one of the oldest and most prestigious art schools in Japan. Located in Ueno Park, it also has facilities in Toride, Ibaraki, Yokohama, Kanagawa, and Kitasenju, Adachi, Tokyo...

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

Paul Hindemith

Paul Hindemith was a German composer, violist, violinist, teacher, music theorist and conductor.- Biography :Born in Hanau, near Frankfurt, Hindemith was taught the violin as a child...

 at Berlin University of the Arts

Berlin University of the Arts

The Universität der Künste Berlin, UdK is a public art school in Berlin, Germany, one of the four universities in the city...

 in Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

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

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 Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 1946...

, Makoto Sato

Makoto Satō

Makoto Satō was a Japanese documentary film director. Among his best-known films were Living On the River Agano and Self and Others....

, Yasushi Akutagawa

Yasushi Akutagawa

was a Japanese composer and conductor. He was born and raised in Tabata, Tokyo. His father was Ryūnosuke Akutagawa.Akutagawa was taught composition by Kunihiko Hashimoto and Akira Ifukube at the Tokyo Conservatory of Music...

 and Taminosuke Matsumoto; his private students include Kunio Suda.

Kanichi Shimofusa composed numerous nursery rhyme

Nursery rhyme

The term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems for young children in Britain and many other countries, but usage only dates from the 19th century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used.-Lullabies:...

s 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

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan)

The , also known as MEXT or Monkashō, is one of the ministries of the Japanese government.The Meiji government created the first Ministry of Education in 1871....

 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.

Nursery rhymes

• Nogiku (lyric by Nobuo Ishimori)
• Hanabi (lyric by Takeshi Inoue
  Takeshi Inoue
  "Lion" Takeshi Inoue is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently fighting as a lightweight in the Shooto organization. In other organizations such as the WEC he would be considered a featherweight as Shooto's 143 lb. weight class is known as lightweight.-Biography:On November 8, 2007, he...
  
  )
• Skii (lyric by unknown writer)
• Hotaru (lyric by Takeshi Inoue)
• Nagai Michi (lyric by Ryuha Hayashi)
• Haha no Uta (lyric by Nogami Yaeko
  Nogami Yaeko
  was the pen-name of a novelist in Shōwa period Japan. Her maiden name was Kotegawa Yae.-Early life:Nogami was born in Usuki, Ōita, Oita prefecture as the daughter of a wealthy sake brewer. She was taught at home by private tutors, including Kubo Kaizo, who introduced her to classic Chinese...
  
  )
• 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)