Kunishige Kamamoto was a Japanese football player who won the bronze medal with the Japan national team at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, finishing as the tournament's top scorer with seven goals, and is the all-time leading goalscorer for Japan.

On 3 March 1964, when Kamamoto was a Waseda University student, he debuted and scored a goal for the Japan national team against the Singapore national football team. In October, he was selected by Japan for the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He played in all matches and scored one goal.

In 1968, Kamamoto was also selected by Japan for the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, where Japan won the bronze medal and Kamamoto was the top scorer. He played in all matches for his country and scored seven goals. In 2018, this team was inducted to the Japan Football Hall of Fame.

Kamamoto played at the Football at the 1966 Asian Games. In the 1970s, after many Olympic players left the national team, he continued being selected. He played at the 1970 and 1974 Asian Games. He retired from the national team in 1977, having played in 76 matches and having scored 75 goals. Kamamoto, however, has been recognized with 80 goals in 84 appearances from the Japan Football Association, and previously as well by FIFA, but he isn't mentioned with this tally in their latest publications.

Goals Japan scores listed first. No. Date Venue Opponent Result Competition1 3 March 1964 Singapore 2–1 Friendly2 14 March 1965 Hong Kong 2–1 Friendly34 22 March 1965 Rangoon, Burma 1–1 Friendly5 11 December 1966 Chulalongkorn University Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand 3–1 1966 Asian Games6 14 December 1966 Chulalongkorn University Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand 1–0 1966 Asian Games7 16 December 1966 Chulalongkorn University Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand 5–1 1966 Asian Games89 17 December 1966 Chulalongkorn University Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand 5–1 1966 Asian Games10 19 December 1966 Chulalongkorn University Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand 2–0 1966 Asian Games11 27 September 1967 Tokyo National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan 15–0 1968 Summer Olympics qualifiers121314151617 30 September 1967 Tokyo National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan 4–0 1968 Summer Olympics qualifiers181920 3 October 1967 Tokyo National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan 3–1 1968 Summer Olympics qualifiers21 7 October 1967 Tokyo National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan 3–3 1968 Summer Olympics qualifiers22 30 March 1968 Sydney, Australia 2–2 Friendly2324 4 April 1968 Adelaide, Australia 3–1 Friendly2526 14 October 1968 Estadio Cuauhtémoc, Puebla, Mexico 3–0 1968 Summer Olympics272829 10 December 1970 Bangkok, Thailand 1–0 1970 Asian Games30 16 December 1970 Bangkok, Thailand 2–1 1970 Asian Games31 32 28 July 1971 Idrætsparken, Copenhagen, Denmark 2–3 Friendly3334 27 September 1971 Seoul, South Korea 8–1 1972 Summer Olympics qualifiers353637 29 September 1971 Seoul, South Korea 5–1 1972 Summer Olympics qualifiers383940 12 July 1972 Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 4–1 1972 Merdeka Tournament41424344 16 July 1972 Perak Stadium, Ipoh, Malaysia 5–0 1972 Merdeka Tournament4546474849 18 July 1972 Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 5–1 1972 Merdeka Tournament50 22 July 1972 Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1–3 1972 Merdeka Tournament51 4 August 1972 Singapore 4–1 Pesta Sukan Tournament5253 14 September 1972National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan 2–2 Japan-Korea Annual Match5455 20 May 1973Dongdaemun Stadium, Seoul, South Korea 4–0 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification5657 3 September 1974 Amjadieh Stadium, Tehran, Iran 4–0 1974 Asian Games585960 28 September 1974National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan 4–1 Japan-Korea Annual Match6162 4 August 1975 Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 3–0 1975 Merdeka Tournament6364 7 August 1975 Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 4–1 1975 Merdeka Tournament6566 14 August 1975 Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2–0 1975 Merdeka Tournament67 25 January 1976 National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan 1–3 Asahi International Soccer Tournament68 27 March 1976 Seoul, South Korea 2–2 1976 Summer Olympics qualifiers6970 8 August 1976 Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 5–1 1976 Merdeka Tournament71 10 August 1976 Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 6–0 1976 Merdeka Tournament72 13 August 1976 Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2–2 1976 Merdeka Tournament73 16 August 1976 Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2–2 1976 Merdeka Tournament7475 20 August 1976 Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2–2 1976 Merdeka Tournament

Hat-tricks

Date Venue Opponent Goals Result Competition 1 27 September 1967 Tokyo National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan 6 – (29', 32', 40', 62', 86', 90') 15–0 1968 Summer Olympics qualifiers 2 30 September 1967 Tokyo National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan 3 – (50', 57', 76') 4–0 1968 Summer Olympics qualifiers 3 14 October 1968 Estadio Cuauhtémoc, Puebla, Mexico 3 – (44', 88', 90') 3–0 1968 Summer Olympics 4 27 September 1971 Seoul, South Korea 3 – (30', 32', 86') 8–1 1972 Summer Olympics qualifiers 5 29 September 1971 Seoul, South Korea 3 – (57', 70', 84') 5–1 1972 Summer Olympics qualifiers 6 12 July 1972 Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 4 – (26', 65', 73') 4–1 1972 Merdeka Tournament 7 16 July 1972 Perak Stadium, Ipoh, Malaysia 5 – (13', 27', 30', 78', 90') 5–0 1972 Merdeka Tournament 8 3 September 1974 Amjadieh Stadium, Tehran, Iran 3 – (23', 59', 67') 4–0 1974 Asian Games

Statistics

+ Goals by yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsJapan196421196533196676196751119684719690019706319716819728151973321974551975751976169197740Total7675

+Goals by competitionCompetitionGoalsFIFA World Cup qualification2Summer Olympics3Summer Olympics qualifiers19Asian Games12Friendlies39Total75

+ Goals by opponent Opponent Goals 15 7 6 5 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1Total75

See also List of top international men's football goalscorers by country List of men's footballers with 50 or more international goals

Notes

References