Latest news with #YamashiroHighSchool
Asahi Shimbun
12-08-2025
- Sport
- Asahi Shimbun
SOCCER/ Japan pioneering star Kunishige Kamamoto dies
Kunishige Kamamoto, a Japanese soccer trailblazer who became the top scorer at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics and led Japan to its historic bronze medal finish, died of pneumonia on Aug. 10. He was 81. A native of Kyoto, Kamamoto attended Yamashiro High School and Waseda University before making his debut for the Japan national team at the age of 19 in 1964. That year, he competed in the Tokyo Olympics. Kamamoto's physical strength and powerful shots made him a formidable forward. At the 1968 Olympics, he led all players with seven goals and helped Japan secure its first--and still only--Olympic medal in men's football. His legacy with the national team remains unmatched. By the time he retired from international play in 1977, Kamamoto had scored 75 goals in official international matches, a national record for men that still stands. Domestically, he played for Yanmar Diesel, a precursor to today's Cerezo Osaka, scoring 202 goals in the Japan Soccer League before retiring in 1984. He was the league's top scorer seven times. After hanging up his cleats, Kamamoto continued to shape Japanese football. He served as the first manager of club Gamba Osaka in the early 1990s and played a key role in Japan's successful bid to co-host the 2002 FIFA World Cup with South Korea. He also served as a vice president of the Japan Football Association. In recognition of his contributions to the country's football community, he was inducted into the JFA Hall of Fame in 2005. Kamamoto also entered politics, being elected to the Upper House in 1995 and serving one term until 2001.
Yomiuri Shimbun
10-08-2025
- Sport
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japanese Soccer Legend Kunishige Kamamoto Dies at 81
Tokyo, Aug. 10 (Jiji Press) — Kunishige Kamamoto, who was widely considered the greatest striker in Japanese soccer history, died of pneumonia at a hospital in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, on Sunday. He was 81. At the 1968 Mexico Olympics, Kamamoto scored seven goals to become the top scorer, serving as the driving force behind the Japanese national soccer team's capture of their first Olympic bronze medal. A native of Kyoto Prefecture in western Japan, Kamamoto started playing soccer in elementary school. After graduating from Yamashiro High School in Kyoto, he went to Waseda University in Tokyo and became the top scorer in the soccer league of universities in the Kanto eastern Japan region for four consecutive years. In 1967, Kamamoto joined Yanmar in the Japan Soccer League, or JSL, the predecessor to the Japan Professional Football League, or In the JSL, he played in 251 games over 17 seasons and scored a record 202 goals. He also won the scoring title a record seven times. Kamamoto had been selected for the Japanese national team since 1964, competing in both the Tokyo Olympics that year and the Mexico Games four years later. He played in 76 international 'A' matches and scored a record 75 goals, which remains the highest number ever scored by a male player. He was known for his right-angled shots, and 'right 45 degrees' became his trademark. Kamamoto retired as a soccer player in 1984. After serving as head coach of Gamba Osaka in the J League, he held various positions including vice president of the Japan Football Association from 1998. He was inducted into the Japan Football Hall of Fame in 2005. In 1995, he ran for the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of Japan's parliament, as a candidate for the Liberal Democratic Party and was elected for his first term. In recent years, Kamamoto had been in poor health and was undergoing medical treatment.
10-08-2025
- Sport
Japanese Soccer Legend Kunishige Kamamoto Dies at 81
Tokyo, Aug. 10 (Jiji Press)--Kunishige Kamamoto, who was widely considered the greatest striker in Japanese soccer history, died of pneumonia at a hospital in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, on Sunday. He was 81. At the 1968 Mexico Olympics, Kamamoto scored seven goals to become the top scorer, serving as the driving force behind the Japanese national soccer team's capture of their first Olympic bronze medal. A native of Kyoto Prefecture in western Japan, Kamamoto started playing soccer in elementary school. After graduating from Yamashiro High School in Kyoto, he went to Waseda University in Tokyo and became the top scorer in the soccer league of universities in the Kanto eastern Japan region for four consecutive years. In 1967, Kamamoto joined Yanmar in the Japan Soccer League, or JSL, the predecessor to the Japan Professional Football League, or In the JSL, he played in 251 games over 17 seasons and scored a record 202 goals. He also won the scoring title a record seven times. Kamamoto had been selected for the Japanese national team since 1964, competing in both the Tokyo Olympics that year and the Mexico Games four years later. He played in 76 international "A" matches and scored a record 75 goals, which remains the highest number ever scored by a male player. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
