JFA Hall of Fame Inductee

OTANI Shiro

Inductees Recommended by the Committee (Special Selection)

Born in Hyogo on 23 April 1918

Wins two consecutive All-Japan titles with Hyogo Prefectural First Kobe Junior High School and plays at the First High School before entering Tokyo Imperial University in 1939. Performs prolifically as a forward and helps the university win two Kanto University League titles and one East-West Students' 1st Place Challenge Match.

Continues playing football after the war for teams including Osaka Soccer Club and Tokyo LB, while also serving as a coach registered with the Kansai Football Association. Trains the young Kansai players ahead of a tightly-fought, even contest with a veteran Kanto team in the East-West Challenge Match in 1947 (attended by the Emperor). Helps to train the next generation of young footballers as a coach at the FISU International Sports Week (now the Universiade) in Dortmund in 1953.

Becomes a sports reporter with the Asahi Shimbun in 1948, working to promote the spread of football through the pages of the newspaper, and also devoting energies into the hosting and operation of events supported by the Asahi Shimbun, including the All-Japan Company Team Tournament, Asahi invitational football (domestic matches), and Asahi international football (international friendly matches for the Japanese national team). Turns freelance in 1973 and continues his writing career chiefly as a football specialist (working both under his real name and under his pen name of Ryo Akiba).

Predicts the future of Japanese football in a wide range of areas, from organisation and operation to technical aspects and coaching, and tells of significant progress to come. His foresight is applied to the actual playing fields, with the Kobe Football Club formed in 1970 employing an age category-based registration system for the first time, paving the way towards later changes in Japanese football.
Passes away in 1990.

• 
  NINOMIYA Hirokazu
• TAWA Takeo