About Kenkichi Ōshima
Lived 1908 – 1985 (aged 76). Kenkichi Ōshima was a Japanese athletics competitor and journalist.
was a Japanese triple jumper who won a bronze medal at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He was the flag bearer for Japan at the 1936 Games in Berlin.
Ōshima was born in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. While still a student, he set a new unofficial world record for the triple jump, and was widely expected to secure the gold medal in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. However, Ōshima suffered from severe burns in a bathing accident shortly before the start of the Olympics, and was not in the best form for the competition. He finished third with a jump of 15.12 meters behind the teammate Chuhei Nambu who took gold. Ōshima also participated in the same event in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, but came in sixth place, while teammates Naoto Tajima and Masao Harada took the gold and silver medals, respectively.
After graduation from Kansai University, Ōshima was employed by the Mainichi Shimbun, working as a reporter in the sports section of the newspaper until retirement. He then accepted the post of professor emeritus and later vice president of Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences, where he undertook reforms of the athletic department to strengthen the Japanese team in preparation for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. He was also an honorary member of the International Olympic Committee and an author of numerous books on sports.
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Important facts
People in Kenkichi Ōshima's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Kenkichi Ōshima's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Kenkichi Ōshima?
Japanese triple jumper (1908-1985)
When was Kenkichi Ōshima born?
Kenkichi Ōshima was born on 10 November 1908 in Kanazawa.
When did Kenkichi Ōshima die?
Kenkichi Ōshima died on 30 March 1985.
What was Kenkichi Ōshima's occupation?
Kenkichi Ōshima was an athletics competitor and journalist.
What nationality was Kenkichi Ōshima?
Kenkichi Ōshima was Japanese.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Kenkichi Ōshima. https://biography.guide/kenkichi-oshima/
MLA: "Kenkichi Ōshima." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/kenkichi-oshima/.
Chicago: "Kenkichi Ōshima." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/kenkichi-oshima/.
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