Masaji Tajima

Masaji Tajima was inspired to compete in track and field athletics after watching a documentary about the Olympics in elementary school. He soon came to specialize in the long jump and, as a student at Chuo University from 1950 through 1953, won four consecutive Japanese championships in that event. In 1951 he became the inaugural Asian Games champion in the long jump and also took the 4x100 metres relay title alongside Tomio Hosoda and the non-Olympians Toshihiro Ohashi and Kazuta Ikoma. He then attended the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, where he placed 10th in the long jump and was eliminated in round one of the 100 metres. He was also a reserve with the 4x400 metres relay, although he did not start.

At the 1954 Asian Games, Tajima defended his title in the 4x100 metres relay with Hosoda, Akira Kiyofuji, and the non-Olympian Yoshihiro Takatani. He then retired from active competition, but soon decided to train for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. There, he was eliminated in the qualifying round of the long jump and the semi-finals of the 4x100 metres relay, alongside Kiyofuji, Kanji Akagi, and Kyohei Ushio. He then retired permanently and worked in public relations for the Japanese Olympic Committee.

Personal Bests: 100 – unknown; LJ – 7.66 (1953).