Kenji Onitake
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 19 September 1939 | ||
| Place of birth |
Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Empire of Japan | ||
| Height | 1.62 m (5 ft 4 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Hiroshima University HS | |||
| –1962 | Waseda University | ||
| 1962–1965 | Yanmar Diesel | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1965–1967 | Yanmar Diesel | 28 | (7) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1967–1978 | Yanmar Diesel | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Kenji Onitake (鬼武健二, Onitake Kenji; born 19 September 1939) is a Japanese former footballer.
Having both played for and managed Yanmar Diesel, Onitake was one of the founding members of the club's J.League successor, Cerezo Osaka. He served as president of Cerezo Osaka from 1993 until 2004, when he was appointed vice-chairman of the J.League, a position he held until 2006, when he was made chairman.[1][2]
Onitake is seen as a crucial figure in Cerezo Osaka history, helping them to promotion from the Japan Football League to the J.League.[3]
He was inducted into the Japan Football Association hall of fame in 2015.[4]