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Tōru Funamura, born Fukuda Hiroo on 12 June 1932 in Fu’nyū-mura, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, was a Japanese composer and singer who studied at the Tōyō Ongaku Gakkō, later the Tokyo Conservatory of Music. He made his compositional debut in 1957 with "Tasogare to ano hito" (Dusk and That Man), published in the magazine Heibon during a composer competition, and had earlier written hits such as "Wakare no ippon sugi" (Farewell to a Sugi Tree) and "Ōshō" (The Ruler). His first single, "Shinjuku Jōsei" / "Mutsu Miso" in 1973, established his presence in the Japanese music scene. Funamura’s discography includes the 1995 album 友よ 高野公男を歌う and the 2005 release 演歌巡礼, while his prolific output surpassed 5,000 songs. He held leadership roles in the Japan Composer's Association and JASRAC, and in 2008 received the Cultural Merit award, followed by the 2016 Order of Culture for folk music. Tōru Funamura passed away on 16 February 2017 in Fujisawa.
