Tadao Takayama facts for kids

Tadao Takayama (born June 24, 1904 – died July 1, 1980) was a Japanese football player. He was a forward, which means he played in an attacking position to score goals. Takayama played for the Japan national football team. Besides being a great athlete, he was also an important educator. He worked as a principal, a university professor, and even helped manage education for a city.

Growing Up and Learning Football

Takayama was born in Tokyo, Japan, on June 24, 1904. He spent most of his childhood growing up in Kobe. He started learning how to play soccer when he was in elementary school, from 1911 to 1917.

After elementary school, he went to Kobe Ittchu (which later became Hyogo Prefectural Kobe High School). He finished high school in 1922. Later, he studied at Tokyo Imperial University, graduating in 1931.

A big moment for Takayama and his team happened in 1919. His high school team, Kobe Icchu, played a friendly match against a team from Czechoslovakia. Kobe Icchu lost very badly, 0–8. This was a shock because the Czechoslovak team used a new way of playing with short passes. The Japanese players were used to the British style, which focused more on long passes and crosses to score goals. This game showed them a different way to play football.

Playing for Clubs

Tadao Takayama played for a team called Kobe Icchu Club. This team was made up of players who went to his high school or had already graduated from it. With Kobe Icchu Club, he helped them win the 1927 Emperor's Cup. The Emperor's Cup is a very important football tournament in Japan. He played alongside other talented players like Takeo Wakabayashi.

Playing for Japan

In May 1930, while he was still a student at Tokyo Imperial University, Takayama was chosen to play for the Japan national football team. He joined the team for the 1930 Far Eastern Championship Games, which were held in Tokyo. Japan won this championship!

During this competition, Takayama played his first game for Japan on May 25 against the Philippines. A few days later, on May 29, he played again and scored a goal against the Republic of China team. In total, he played 2 games for Japan in 1930 and scored 1 goal.

Life After Football

After he stopped playing football, Takayama had an important career in education and government. He worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture in Japan.

He also became a professor at different universities, including Hamamatsu College of Technology and Mukogawa Women's University. In 1948, he returned to his old high school, Hyogo Prefectural Kobe High School, but this time as its principal! He was the principal for 18 years, until 1965.

After leaving his role as principal, he went back to being a professor at Mukogawa Women's University. In 1972, he took on another big role: the superintendent of education for Takarazuka City. This meant he was in charge of managing education for the entire city.

Tadao Takayama passed away in Tokyo on July 1, 1980, when he was 76 years old.

Japan National Team Stats

See also

In Spanish: Tadao Takayama para niños