After graduating from high school in his hometown Otaru, Shinji Tatsuta advanced to Waseda University. During his time at Waseda he participated in the 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Olympics. After jumping 73.5 m in the first round, Tatsuta set an Olympic Record in the second round jumping 77.0 m. Unfortunately, he fell in both rounds and therefore only finished 46th. Tatsuta’s distance was not surpassed until the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
After retiring from active competition, Tatsuta was director of the Japanese ski team and jumping coach at both the 1960 Squaw Valley and 1968 Grenoble Winter Olympics. Later, he served as director of the Ski Association of Japan, and was involved in the ski world in various ways. His younger brother was also a ski jumper and served as a director of the Ski Association.
Japan