Masanori Tokita

Tokita joined the Kobe Daiich High School team in 1938 and was a member of teams who won Hyogo Prefecture Tournament in 1941 and 1944. The team also won the Meiji Jingu Tournament two years in a row in 1941, and 1942, and the inaugural Kashihara Jingu tournament in 1942. In 1943, his final year at the school, he played as captain of the school team. Tokita joined the Kwansei Gakuin University team in 1944. There was some disruption during this period, with the club being suspended in 1944 due to wartime conditions. In 1945 Tokita joined the army, where he served until the end of the war in 1945. When the team was reinstated in 1946, after the end of the war, Tokita belonged to the team which won the 1946 Student National Football Club tournament, which they also won in 1948. The team also won two consecutive Kansai Student League championships in 1946 and 1947.

After graduating from Kwansei Gakuin University, he joined Tanabe Pharmaceutical in 1950. He retired from club soccer in 1959. While playing for the Tanabe Pharmaceuticals team, he also played for the amateur Kwangaku Club, which consisted of players belonging to his alma mater Kwansei Gakuin University - both current University student players and graduates. He won the Emperor's Cup 4 times as a member of the Kwangaku Club, in 1950, 1953, 1955 and 1959. The Tanabe Pharmaceuticals team won the All Japan Business Group Championship for 7 consecutive years, between 1950, the year Tanabe joined the team, and 1956. They also won the All Japan Championship 4 times. Upon his retirement, Tanabe held an unbeaten record in official career games in the Kansai Business Group competition, with 94 wins and one draw.

In March 1951, Tokita was selected for the Japan national team for the Japanese team’s first international game since the end of World War II, at the 1951 Asian Games. At this competition, on March 7, he debuted against Iran. He also played at the 1954 Asian Games. In November 1956, he was selected for Japan for the 1956 Summer Olympics where he played as captain. He played 12 games and scored 2 goals for Japan between 1951 and 1959. On March 5, 2004, Tokita died of esophageal cancer in Hyogo Prefecture at the age of 78. In 2006, he was selected for the Japan Football Hall of Fame.

After finishing football, Tokita served at Tanabe Pharmaceuticals as director of the Niigata branch office, Sapporo branch manager, and head office director. In 1986 he joined Okayama’s Ryoko Pharmaceuticals as president, and in 1990 became chairman of Sankei Co. Ltd.