Mitsuo Kamata facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mitsuo Kamata
鎌田 光夫

Personal information
Full name	Mitsuo Kamata
Date of birth	(1937-12-16) December 16, 1937 (age 87)
Place of birth	Ibaraki, Empire of Japan
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Defender
Youth career
1953–1955	Hitachi Daiichi High School
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1960–1974	Furukawa Electric	106	(6)
Total		106	(6)
National team
1958–1969	Japan	44	(2)
Teams managed
1976–1978	Furukawa Electric
1981–1991	Cosmo Oil
Honours Chuo University Winner Emperor's Cup 1957 Furukawa Electric Runner-up Japan Soccer League 1967 Winner Emperor's Cup 1960 Winner Emperor's Cup 1961 Winner Emperor's Cup 1964 Runner-up Emperor's Cup 1962 Representing  Japan Olympic Games Bronze 1968 Mexico City Team
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Mitsuo Kamata, born on December 16, 1937, is a famous Japanese football player and coach. He was a defender who played for the Japan national team. He is known for his great skills on the field and for leading teams to victory.

Playing for Clubs

Mitsuo Kamata was born in Ibaraki Prefecture. After finishing his studies at Chuo University, he joined the football club Furukawa Electric in 1960. He quickly became a key player.

Winning the Emperor's Cup

During his time with Furukawa Electric, Kamata helped his team win the important Emperor's Cup three times. They won in 1960, 1961, and again in 1964. These were big wins for the team.

Playing in the Japan Soccer League

In 1965, Furukawa Electric became part of the new Japan Soccer League. Kamata continued to play for them until he retired in 1974. He played 106 games in the league and scored 6 goals. His excellent play earned him a spot in the "Best Eleven" team for three years in a row: 1967, 1968, and 1969. This means he was considered one of the best players in the league during those years.

Playing for Japan's National Team

Mitsuo Kamata also had a very successful career playing for the Japan national team. He made his first appearance for Japan on December 25, 1958, when he was still a student at Chuo University. His debut match was against Hong Kong.

Olympic Games Success

Kamata represented Japan in two Summer Olympics. He played in the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan. He also played in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. He played in every single match at both tournaments. In 1968, his team achieved something amazing: they won the bronze medal! This was a huge moment for Japanese football.

Hall of Fame Recognition

In 2018, the team that won the bronze medal in 1968 was honored and chosen for the Japan Football Hall of Fame. This shows how important their achievement was. Kamata also played in the 1962 Asian Games. He played a total of 44 games for Japan and scored 2 goals.

Coaching Career

After he stopped playing football, Mitsuo Kamata became a coach. He started coaching his former club, Furukawa Electric, in 1976. He took over from another famous coach, Saburo Kawabuchi.

Leading Teams to Championships

As a coach, Kamata led Furukawa Electric to more victories. They won the 1976 Japan Soccer League championship, the 1976 Emperor's Cup, and the 1977 JSL Cup. He coached the team until 1978.

In 1981, he became the coach for another club, Daikyo Oil (later known as Cosmo Oil). He was a very successful coach there too. He led the club to win their league championship four times! In 1986, he helped the club get promoted to the Japan Soccer League Division 2. He coached Cosmo Oil until 1991.

Another Hall of Fame Honor

In 2007, Mitsuo Kamata was personally selected for the Japan Football Hall of Fame. This honor recognizes his incredible contributions to Japanese football as both a player and a coach.

Club Statistics

Here's a look at Mitsuo Kamata's playing record for his club team:

National Team Statistics

This table shows how many games Mitsuo Kamata played and goals he scored for the Japan national team:

National Team Goals

Here are the goals Mitsuo Kamata scored for Japan:

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	10 August 1961	Stadium Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	South Vietnam	1–0	Won	1961 Merdeka Tournament
2.	21 September 1962	Jalan Besar Stadium, Kallang, Singapore	Singapore	2–1	Lost	Friendly
Correct as of 6 November 2016

Awards and Honors

Mitsuo Kamata received several important awards for his football career:

• Japan Soccer League Best Eleven: 1967, 1968, 1969
• Japan Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2007

See also

In Spanish: Mitsuo Kamata para niños