Naoto Tajima
Japanese triple jumper, long jumper (track and field)
About Naoto Tajima
Lived 1912 – 1990 (aged 78). Naoto Tajima was a Japanese athletics competitor, triple jumper and long jumper.
was a Japanese athlete who competed at the 1932 and 1936 Olympics. In 1932 he finished sixth in the long jump, while in 1936 he finished third in the long jump, behind Jesse Owens and Luz Long, and won the triple jump event, setting a world record at 16.00 m. This record stood until 1951, when Adhemar da Silva improved it by one centimeter.
Raised in Iwakuni, Tajima graduated in economics from Kyoto Imperial University just prior to competing in the Olympics. His gold medal was Japan's last Olympic track and field gold medal until Naoko Takahashi won the women's marathon at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Tajima retired from competitive athletics in 1938 but maintained an administrative role as managing director of the Japan Association of Athletics Federations. He was also a member of the Japanese Olympic Committee, coached the Japanese athletics teams at the 1956 and 1964 Olympics, and worked as a lecturer at Chukyo University.
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Important facts
People in Naoto Tajima's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Naoto Tajima's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Naoto Tajima?
Japanese triple jumper, long jumper (track and field) (1912–1990)
When was Naoto Tajima born?
Naoto Tajima was born on 15 August 1912 in Osaka Prefecture.
When did Naoto Tajima die?
Naoto Tajima died on 4 December 1990 in Iwakuni.
What was Naoto Tajima's occupation?
Naoto Tajima was an athletics competitor, triple jumper and long jumper.
What nationality was Naoto Tajima?
Naoto Tajima was Japanese.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Naoto Tajima. https://biography.guide/naoto-tajima/
MLA: "Naoto Tajima." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/naoto-tajima/.
Chicago: "Naoto Tajima." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/naoto-tajima/.
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