[3] Nicknamed "The Emperor" because he was the most dominant pitcher in Japan during his prime, Kaneda holds numerous Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) career records.

The speed gun was not introduced to Japan until after Kaneda had retired, but he claims that the velocity of his fastball reached 100 mph during his prime.

[citation needed] In later years, Noboru Aota admitted Kaneda's fastball was faster than Eiji Sawamura's one.

Despite the poor team surrounding him, Kaneda won 20 or more games for 14 straight seasons, including amassing 31 wins in 1958.

He pitched a no-hitter against the Osaka Tigers in September 1951, and a perfect game against the Chunichi Dragons on 21 August 1957.

In this game, he suffered from a stomach ache, and the Dragons took a long timeout to protest a call in the ninth with one out.

Kaneda contributed to the teams' nine-year league championship streak, and retired in 1969, after marking his 400th win.

His jersey number, 34, was retired by the Giants in 1970. Notable NPB records Kaneda holds include: complete games (365), wins (400), losses (298), strikeouts (4490), innings pitched (5,5262⁄3), and walks (1,808).

Players are automatically inducted if they reach career totals of 2,000 hits, 200 wins, or 250 saves (added in December 2003) in the Japanese professional leagues.

His son works as an actor, and his nephew Akihito Kaneishi also had considerable success as a professional baseball player.