Tokutaro Ukon facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Tokutaro Ukon | |||||||||
| Date of birth | 23 September 1913 | |||||||||
| Place of birth | Kobe, Hyogo, Empire of Japan | |||||||||
| Date of death | March 1944 (aged 30) | |||||||||
| Place of death | Bougainville Island, Territory of New Guinea | |||||||||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | |||||||||
| Playing position | Defender, Midfielder, Forward | |||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||
| Kobe Daiichi High School | ||||||||||
| 1931–1937 | Keio University | |||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||
| Kobe Club | ||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||
| 1934–1940 | Japan | 5 | (1) | |||||||
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Honours
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Tokutaro Ukon (右近 徳太郎, Ukon Tokutarō, 23 September 1913 – March 1944) was a Japanese football player. He was born on September 23, 1913, and passed away in March 1944. He played for Japan's national football team.
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Playing for Clubs
While studying at Keio University, Tokutaro Ukon was part of a team called Keio BRB. This team was made up of students and graduates from Keio University. In 1932, he helped his team win the Emperor's Cup, which is a big football tournament in Japan. He also played for his local team, the Kobe Club.
Tokutaro was a versatile player, meaning he could play in many different positions on the field. He played as a defender, a midfielder, and even a forward.
Playing for Japan
| Miracle of Berlin (1936 Olympics 1st round v Sweden on 4 August) |
In May 1934, while still a student at Keio University, Ukon was chosen to play for the Japan national football team. He joined the team for the 1934 Far Eastern Championship Games held in Manila. He played his first game for Japan on May 15 against the Philippines.
The Miracle of Berlin
In 1936, Tokutaro Ukon was again selected to represent Japan at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. During a match against Sweden, he scored a goal. Japan made an amazing comeback to win this game. This was Japan's first victory in football at the Olympics. This historic win against a strong team like Sweden became known as the "Miracle of Berlin" in Japan.
In 2016, this special team was honored and chosen for the Japan Football Hall of Fame. Tokutaro Ukon played 5 games for Japan and scored 1 goal between 1934 and 1940.
His Final Years
In 1942, Tokutaro Ukon joined the military to serve in World War II. Sadly, in March 1944, he was killed during a battle on Bougainville Island in Papua New Guinea. He was 30 years old.
Japan National Team Statistics
Here is a summary of Tokutaro Ukon's games and goals for the Japan national team:
| Japan National Team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Games Played | Goals Scored |
| 1934 | 2 | 0 |
| 1935 | 0 | 0 |
| 1936 | 2 | 1 |
| 1937 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 5 | 1 |
See also
In Spanish: Tokutarō Ukon para niños
