Yasuo Tanaka (田中 寧夫, Tanaka Yasuo; born 24 February 1932) is a Japanese former swimmer. He competed in the men's 400…Yasuo Tanaka (田中 寧夫, Tanaka Yasuo; born 24 February 1932) is a Japanese former swimmer. He competed in the men's 400 metre freestyle at the 1952 Summer Olympics.
Jiro Nagasawa (長沢 二郎, Nagasawa Jirō; February 2, 1932 – March 23, 2010) was a Japanese swimmer. He is credited with the…Jiro Nagasawa (長沢 二郎, Nagasawa Jirō; February 2, 1932 – March 23, 2010) was a Japanese swimmer. He is credited with the invention of the modern butterfly stroke. Although not the first to swim the butterfly-breaststroke, Nagasawa was the first to use a dolphin kick, where the legs stayed together and moved simultaneously up then down.
Yoshio Tanaka (田中 純夫, Tanaka Yoshio; born 5 May 1930) is a Japanese former swimmer. He competed in the men's 400 metre…Yoshio Tanaka (田中 純夫, Tanaka Yoshio; born 5 May 1930) is a Japanese former swimmer. He competed in the men's 400 metre freestyle at the 1952 Summer Olympics.
Shiro Hashizume (橋爪四郎, Hashizume Shirō; September 20, 1928 – March 9, 2023) was a Japanese Olympic freestyle swimmer.…Shiro Hashizume (橋爪四郎, Hashizume Shirō; September 20, 1928 – March 9, 2023) was a Japanese Olympic freestyle swimmer. He won the silver medal in the men's 1500m freestyle at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. He broke the world record in the same event on August 16, 1949, clocking 18:35.7. That time was bettered the same day, however, by compatriot Hironoshin Furuhashi at the American Swimming Championships in Los Angeles, California.
Yoshihiro Hamaguchi (浜口 喜博, Hamaguchi Yoshihiro; June 23, 1926 – August 9, 2011) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer. He…Yoshihiro Hamaguchi (浜口 喜博, Hamaguchi Yoshihiro; June 23, 1926 – August 9, 2011) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer. He represented Japan at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. There, he won a silver medal as a member of the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay team, alongside Toru Goto, Hiroshi Suzuki and Teijiro Tanikawa. Also competed in the 100m freestyle advancing to the semifinals, missing the finals by a narrow margin. After retiring he debuted as an actor in the 1955 film Buruuba as a Japanese version of Tarzan. He also appeared in the TV Show Shōnen Jet, a detective adventure show made by Kadokawa Pictures.
Rei Takemura (竹村 令, Takemura Rei; born 29 April 1919, date of death unknown) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer. She…Rei Takemura (竹村 令, Takemura Rei; born 29 April 1919, date of death unknown) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer. She competed in two events at the 1936 Summer Olympics. Takemura is deceased.
Kiichi Yoshida (吉田 喜一, Yoshida Kiichi; 6 March 1919 – 21 December 1944) was a Japanese swimmer. He competed in the…Kiichi Yoshida (吉田 喜一, Yoshida Kiichi; 6 March 1919 – 21 December 1944) was a Japanese swimmer. He competed in the men's 100 metre backstroke at the 1936 Summer Olympics. He was killed in action during World War II.
Shunpei Uto (鵜藤 俊平, Utō Shunpei; born 1 December 1918, date of death unknown) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer who won…Shunpei Uto (鵜藤 俊平, Utō Shunpei; born 1 December 1918, date of death unknown) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer who won two medals at the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Yasuhiko Kojima (児島 泰彦, Kojima Yasuhiko; 1 September 1918 – 12 June 1945) was a Japanese swimmer. He competed in the…Yasuhiko Kojima (児島 泰彦, Kojima Yasuhiko; 1 September 1918 – 12 June 1945) was a Japanese swimmer. He competed in the men's 100 metre backstroke at the 1936 Summer Olympics. He was killed in action during World War II in the Battle of Okinawa.
Unoko Tsuboi (壷井 宇乃子, Tsuboi Unoko; 13 December 1917 – 4 November 1940) was a Japanese swimmer. She competed in the…Unoko Tsuboi (壷井 宇乃子, Tsuboi Unoko; 13 December 1917 – 4 November 1940) was a Japanese swimmer. She competed in the women's 200 metre breaststroke at the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Noboru Terada (寺田 登, Terada Noboru; November 25, 1917 – September 26, 1986) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer. At the…Noboru Terada (寺田 登, Terada Noboru; November 25, 1917 – September 26, 1986) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer. At the 1936 Olympics he won the gold medal in the 1500 m event with a margin of 10 seconds. In 1994 he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Kusuo Kitamura (北村 久寿雄, Kitamura Kusuo; October 9, 1917 – June 6, 1996) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at the 1932…Kusuo Kitamura (北村 久寿雄, Kitamura Kusuo; October 9, 1917 – June 6, 1996) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. Kitamura was born in Kōchi, Japan. Selected as one of the youngest members of the Japanese swimming team in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, he won the gold medal in the Men's 1500 meter freestyle swimming event. He was 14 years and 309 days old at the time, setting a record for youngest ever swimmer to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games. This record lasted until the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea, when Hungarian swimmer Krisztina Egerszegi won the gold in the Women's 200-meter backstroke event. However, Kitamaura still holds the record for the youngest male swimmer. After the 1932 Olympics, Kitamura retired from competitive sports, and eventually graduated from Tokyo Imperial University, and obtained a job at the Japanese Ministry of Labor. He rose through the bureaucratic ranks, eventually becoming a department head, before retiring in 1984 to become a director at Sumitomo Cement.
Tetsuo Hamuro (葉室 鐵夫, Hamuro Tetsuo; 7 September 1917 – 30 October 2005) was a Japanese breaststroke swimmer. In 1935…Tetsuo Hamuro (葉室 鐵夫, Hamuro Tetsuo; 7 September 1917 – 30 October 2005) was a Japanese breaststroke swimmer. In 1935 he set a world record in the 200 m. Next year he won the gold medal in this event at the 1936 Olympics, setting a new Olympic record at 2:41.5. Hamuro swam the traditional breaststroke, while some of his competitors used the butterfly stroke, which was allowed at the time. Between 1935 and 1940 Hamuro never lost a race and won ten national breaststroke titles. After World War II he worked for the Mainichi newspaper as a sports journalist. In 1990, he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Hamuro's wife was also a swimmer and a world champion in the masters category.
Shigeo Sugiura (杉浦 重雄, Sugiura Shigeo; 10 May 1917 – 10 April 1988) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer. At the 1936…Shigeo Sugiura (杉浦 重雄, Sugiura Shigeo; 10 May 1917 – 10 April 1988) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer. At the 1936 Olympics he won a gold medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay, setting a new world record.
Misao Yokota (横田 みさを, Yokota Misao; born 3 February 1917, date of death unknown) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at…Misao Yokota (横田 みさを, Yokota Misao; born 3 February 1917, date of death unknown) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at the 1932 Summer Olympics. She finished fifth in the 4×100 metre freestyle relay and was eliminated in the first round of the 100 m backstroke event.
Kazue Kojima (小島 一枝, Kojima Kazue; October 30, 1916 – 1992) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1932…Kazue Kojima (小島 一枝, Kojima Kazue; October 30, 1916 – 1992) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1932 and 1936 Summer Olympics. In 1932 she was a member of the Japanese relay team that finished fifth in the 4×100 mm freestyle relay. In the 100 m freestyle competition she was eliminated in the first round. Four years later she finished sixth in the 400 m freestyle. In the 100 m freestyle competition she was eliminated in the semi-finals, and as part of the Japanese 4 × 100 m relay team she was eliminated in the first round.
Yasuji Miyazaki (宮崎 康二, Miyazaki Yasuji) (October 15, 1916 – December 30, 1989) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at…Yasuji Miyazaki (宮崎 康二, Miyazaki Yasuji) (October 15, 1916 – December 30, 1989) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Miyazaki was born in Kosai, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. He was selected for the Japanese Olympic team for the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics at the age of 15, and was one of the youngest members. In the semi-finals of the 100 m freestyle event, he surpassed the Olympic record previously set by American champion Johnny Weissmuller with a time of 58.2 seconds, and won the gold medal. The following day, as part of the team competing in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay event, he won a second gold medal, with the team setting a new world record of 8 minutes 58.4 seconds. After his return to Japan, he entered Keio University and retired from competitive sports.
Shigeo Arai (新井 茂雄, Arai Shigeo; August 8, 1916 – July 19, 1944) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer who competed at the…Shigeo Arai (新井 茂雄, Arai Shigeo; August 8, 1916 – July 19, 1944) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer who competed at the 1936 Olympics. He won a gold medal in 4 × 200 m freestyle relay, setting a world record. In the individual 100 m race, he finished almost simultaneously with Masanori Yusa and Masaharu Taguchi and was awarded a bronze medal. Those Games were the only international competition for Arai, though he won three national titles in the 100 m and four in the 200 m freestyle between 1937 and 1940. While serving in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, he was killed in action in Burma.
Tomio Koyanagi (小柳 富男, Koyanagi Tomio; August 2, 1916 – December 14, 1971) was a Japanese diver who competed in the…Tomio Koyanagi (小柳 富男, Koyanagi Tomio; August 2, 1916 – December 14, 1971) was a Japanese diver who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics. In 1936 he finished eighth in the 3 metre springboard event as well as eighth in the 10 metre platform competition.
Masaharu Taguchi (田口 正治, Taguchi Masaharu; January 9, 1916 – June 29, 1982) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer. At the…Masaharu Taguchi (田口 正治, Taguchi Masaharu; January 9, 1916 – June 29, 1982) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer. At the 1936 Olympics, he won a gold medal in the 4 × 200 m relay, setting a new world record. In the individual 100 m race, he finished almost simultaneously with Masanori Yusa and Shigeo Arai and was placed fourth, although photographs suggest he was second. Taguchi graduated from Rikkyo University, later worked at a Daimaru department store and coached swimming at a local Daimaru swimming club. He was recruited 1961 to prepare the national swimming team for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
Reizo Koike (小池 禮三, Koike Reizō; December 12, 1915 – August 3, 1998) was a Japanese swimmer who specialized in the 200…Reizo Koike (小池 禮三, Koike Reizō; December 12, 1915 – August 3, 1998) was a Japanese swimmer who specialized in the 200 m breaststroke.
Saburo Ito (Japanese: 伊藤 三郎, Itō Saburō, 18 July 1915 – 19 January 1978) was a Japanese breaststroke swimmer who…Saburo Ito (Japanese: 伊藤 三郎, Itō Saburō, 18 July 1915 – 19 January 1978) was a Japanese breaststroke swimmer who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics. In 1936 he finished fifth in the 200 metre breaststroke event. In 1938, he graduated from Meiji University and he started working at Showa Steel Works. In 1941, he participated in the Battle of Hong Kong as a member of the Japanese 23rd Army . On 22 December 1941, he was reported to have suffered from a wound during battle. He served as the director of the swimming department at Meiji University, and he was a director at the Japan Swimming Federation and the Vice President of the Saitama Swimming Federation. He died of bladder cancer on 19 January 1978.
Shozo Makino (牧野 正蔵, Makino Shōzō; May 15, 1915 – February 12, 1987) was a Japanese Olympic swimmer. He won a silver…Shozo Makino (牧野 正蔵, Makino Shōzō; May 15, 1915 – February 12, 1987) was a Japanese Olympic swimmer. He won a silver medal for the Men's 1500 meter freestyle event in the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and a bronze medal for the Men's 400 meter freestyle event in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Makino was born in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, and was a graduate of Waseda University. On August 30, 1931, while still a middle school student, he set a new world record for the Men's 800-meter freestyle with a time of 10 minutes 16.6 seconds.
Sunao Ishiharada (石原田 愿, Ishiharada Sunao; March 24, 1915 – 1987) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer who competed in the…Sunao Ishiharada (石原田 愿, Ishiharada Sunao; March 24, 1915 – 1987) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics and in the 1936 Summer Olympics. He was born in Kagoshima Prefecture. In 1932 he was eliminated in the semi-finals of the 1500 metre freestyle event. Four years later he finished fourth in the 1500 metre freestyle competition.
Masanori Yusa (遊佐 正憲, Yusa Masanori; January 8, 1915 – March 8, 1975) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer. He won gold…Masanori Yusa (遊佐 正憲, Yusa Masanori; January 8, 1915 – March 8, 1975) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer. He won gold medals in the 4 × 200 m relay in the 1932 and 1936 Olympics, setting world records on both occasions. In 1936 he finished almost simultaneously with Shigeo Arai and Masaharu Taguchi in the 100 m race and was awarded a silver medal. Yusa graduated from Nihon University and later worked for the Yokohama Rubber Company. In 1942, he married Yumeko Aizome, a famous stage and silent/sound film actress in Japan.
Kentaro Kawatsu (河津憲太郎, Kawatsu Kentarō; September 26, 1914 – March 23, 1970) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at…Kentaro Kawatsu (河津憲太郎, Kawatsu Kentarō; September 26, 1914 – March 23, 1970) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at the 1932 Summer Olympics. Kawatsu was a native of Hiroshima City, where his father, a physical education instructor at the predecessor of Hiroshima University, became known as the "Father of Hiroshima Sports". In 1930, while still in middle school, Kawatsu set a new Japan record of 33.2 seconds for the 50-meter backstroke. In 1932, while a student at Meiji University, he was selected for the Japanese Olympic team to the Los Angeles Olympics. The Japanese swimming team had significant success that year. The team took the gold, silver and bronze medals in the 100 meter backstroke event, with Kawatsu winning the bronze medal. He subsequently participated in the 1934 Far Eastern Games held in Manila. Kawatsu killed himself on March 23, 1970.
Mieko Nagaoka (長岡三重子, Nagaoka Mieko; 31 July 1914 – 19 January 2021) was a Japanese Masters athlete. She was the first…Mieko Nagaoka (長岡三重子, Nagaoka Mieko; 31 July 1914 – 19 January 2021) was a Japanese Masters athlete. She was the first 100-year-old to complete a 1,500m freestyle swim in a 25m pool. At the age of 106, she was Japan's oldest active swimmer.
Hideko Maehata (前畑 秀子, Maehata Hideko; May 20, 1914 – February 24, 1995) was a Japanese breaststroke swimmer. She was…Hideko Maehata (前畑 秀子, Maehata Hideko; May 20, 1914 – February 24, 1995) was a Japanese breaststroke swimmer. She was the first Japanese and Asian woman to win a gold medal in the Olympics. Maehata was born in Hashimoto, Wakayama, as the daughter of a tofu producer and as a child learned to swim in the Kinokawa River. In the fifth grade of elementary school, she set an unofficial youth record for the 50-meter breaststroke. She went on to win numerous competitions, and was sponsored to attend a women’s boarding school in Nagoya which specialized in swimming, but the sudden death of her parents in 1931 forced her to return home. Yet she was selected for the Japanese Olympic swimming team for the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and won the silver medal in the 200 m breaststroke event. She lost to Clare Dennis a mere 0.1 of a second. During the post-Olympic celebration after her return to Japan, she stated that she was considering to retire from competitive swimming due to family issues, but then Tokyo mayor Hidejirō Nagata reportedly asked her why she did not bring back a gold medal. Over the next four years, Maehata trained very hard, and set a new world record for the 200-meter breaststroke on September 30, 1933. During the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Maehata competed in a dead heat against the reigning German national champion, Martha Genenger, winning the gold medal for the Women's 200 m breaststroke by over one second. Despite the time difference, the race was broadcast live in Japan by NHK Radio. In 1937, Maehata married Masahiko Hyodo, a professor of the medical school of Nagoya University, and retired from competition. She was awarded the Purple Ribbon of Merit by the Japanese government in 1964 and inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1979. She had a cerebral hemorrhage in 1983, which killed both her parents, but recovered. In 1990 she was designated a Person of Cultural Merit, the first sportswoman in Japan to receive such an honor. She died of acute renal failure in 1995.
Noboru Sugimoto (杉本 盛, Sugimoto Noboru; born 6 April 1914) is a Japanese freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1932…Noboru Sugimoto (杉本 盛, Sugimoto Noboru; born 6 April 1914) is a Japanese freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics. He was born in Kōchi Prefecture. In 1932 he finished fifth in the 100 metre freestyle event.
Hatsuho Matsuzawa (松澤 初穂, Matsuzawa Hatsuho; 8 October 1914 – 1 January 2011) was a Japanese swimmer. She competed in…Hatsuho Matsuzawa (松澤 初穂, Matsuzawa Hatsuho; 8 October 1914 – 1 January 2011) was a Japanese swimmer. She competed in the 100 m freestyle event at the 1932 Olympics, but was eliminated in the preliminaries. On 29 August 1933 Matsuzawa set a national record in the 50 m freestyle at 31.06 seconds that stood until 21 August 1954. In 1934 she became a high school teacher, and in 1936 a national swimming coach at the Berlin Olympics. She married in 1937 and later had five children, including Sadahiko Sugaya (菅谷定彦), who became president and CEO of TV Tokyo. She returned to swimming in 1984, and between 1986 and 2000 competed at national and world masters championships.
Etsuko Kamakura (鎌倉悦子, Kamakura Etsuko; born 1914, date of death unknown) was a Japanese diver. She competed in two…Etsuko Kamakura (鎌倉悦子, Kamakura Etsuko; born 1914, date of death unknown) was a Japanese diver. She competed in two events (3 metre springboard & 10 metre platform) at the 1932 Summer Olympics. She scored 60.78 points in the Women's 3M springboard and 31.54 points in the Women's 10M platform.
Takashi Yokoyama (横山 隆志, Yokoyama Takashi; 24 December 1913 – 1945) was a Japanese swimmer. He competed at the 1932…Takashi Yokoyama (横山 隆志, Yokoyama Takashi; 24 December 1913 – 1945) was a Japanese swimmer. He competed at the 1932 Summer Olympics, where he won a gold medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay event. He died in Kōchi, Japan.
Tsutomu Ōyokota (大横田 勉, Ōyokota Tsutomu; April 20, 1913 – 1970) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer. While a student at…Tsutomu Ōyokota (大横田 勉, Ōyokota Tsutomu; April 20, 1913 – 1970) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer. While a student at Meiji University, he set national records over 200 m (2:14.6) and 400 m (4:50.4). He was selected for the 1932 Olympics and won a bronze medal in the 400 m event, despite suffering a severe bout of gastroenteritis before the Games.
Masaji Kiyokawa (清川 正二, Kiyokawa Masaji; February 11, 1913 – April 13, 1999) was a Japanese businessman, sports…Masaji Kiyokawa (清川 正二, Kiyokawa Masaji; February 11, 1913 – April 13, 1999) was a Japanese businessman, sports administrator and backstroke swimmer who won two medals at the 1932 and 1936 Olympics. During his swimming career Kiyokawa set one world record, in the 400-metre backstroke. Kiyokawa was born in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, and graduated from the Tokyo College of Commerce (now Hitotsubashi University). Selected as a member of the Japanese swimming team at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, he won the gold medal in the 100 m backstroke event, with teammates Toshio Irie and Kentaro Kawatsu taking the silver and bronze. At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, he placed third in the same event. In 1948, Kiyokawa became a director of the Japan Swimming Federation, and a member of the International Olympic Committee from 1975 to 1989, serving as vice chairman from 1979 to 1983. During his tenure, the city of Nagoya made a bid for the 1988 Summer Olympics, competing against Seoul, South Korea. Kiyokawa was critical of the large amounts of money being spent by both parties to entertain and influence the votes of the IOC members. He was also critical of the decision of the Japanese government to bow to political pressure from the United States to boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. Kiyokawa was the CEO of the general trading company Kanematsu Corp. from 1976. He died of pancreatic cancer on April 13, 1999.
Hiroshi Negami (根上 博, Negami Hiroshi; 3 August 1912 – 1980) was a Japanese swimmer. He competed in the men's 400 metre…Hiroshi Negami (根上 博, Negami Hiroshi; 3 August 1912 – 1980) was a Japanese swimmer. He competed in the men's 400 metre freestyle at the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Shigeo Takahashi (高橋 成夫, Takahashi Shigeo; 29 March 1912 – 4 November 1990) was a Japanese swimmer. He competed in the…Shigeo Takahashi (高橋 成夫, Takahashi Shigeo; 29 March 1912 – 4 November 1990) was a Japanese swimmer. He competed in the men's 100 metre freestyle at the 1932 Summer Olympics and the water polo tournament at the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Hisakichi Toyoda (豊田 久吉, Toyoda Hisakichi) (January 2, 1912 – October 7, 1976) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at…Hisakichi Toyoda (豊田 久吉, Toyoda Hisakichi) (January 2, 1912 – October 7, 1976) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at the 1932 Summer Olympics. There he won the gold medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay event. He was born in Yamaguchi, Japan, and is the grandfather of three-time Olympian Kenji Watanabe.
Toshio Irie (入江 稔夫; November 5, 1911 – May 8, 1974) was a Japanese swimmer. Irie was born in Takatsuki, Osaka, and…Toshio Irie (入江 稔夫; November 5, 1911 – May 8, 1974) was a Japanese swimmer. Irie was born in Takatsuki, Osaka, and graduated from the Engineering Department of Waseda University. He finished fourth in the 100 m backstroke at the 1928 Summer Olympics. Later that year, on October 14, 1928, he set a new world record in the 200 m at 2 minutes 37.8 seconds. At the 1932 Summer Olympics, Irie won the silver medal in the 100 m backstroke, with teammates Masaji Kiyokawa and Kentaro Kawatsu taking the gold and bronze.
Fumio Takashina (高階富士夫, Takashina Fumio; born 1911, date of death unknown) was a Japanese diver. He competed in the…Fumio Takashina (高階富士夫, Takashina Fumio; born 1911, date of death unknown) was a Japanese diver. He competed in the men's 3 metre springboard event at the 1928 Summer Olympics.
Tetsutaro Namae (生江 哲太郎, Namae Tetsutarō; born 1909, date of death unknown) is a Japanese diver who competed in the…Tetsutaro Namae (生江 哲太郎, Namae Tetsutarō; born 1909, date of death unknown) is a Japanese diver who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics. In 1932 he finished eighth in the 3 metre springboard event.
Takaji Takebayashi (竹林 隆二, Takebayashi Takaji; 8 August 1909 – 1995) was a Japanese swimmer. He competed in the men's…Takaji Takebayashi (竹林 隆二, Takebayashi Takaji; 8 August 1909 – 1995) was a Japanese swimmer. He competed in the men's 1500 metre freestyle event at the 1928 Summer Olympics and the water polo tournament at the 1932 Summer Olympics.
Tokuhei Sada (佐田 徳平, Sada Tokuhei) (1909 – December 17, 1933) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at the 1928 Summer…Tokuhei Sada (佐田 徳平, Sada Tokuhei) (1909 – December 17, 1933) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. Born in Yamanashi Prefecture, Sada grew up in Nagoya and was a graduate of Meiji University. Sada was a member of the Japanese team which won the silver medal for the 4 × 200 meter freestyle relay event at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. After the Olympics, he went to work for Hankyu, but died due to a disease in 1933.
Yuki Mawatari (馬渡 勇喜, Mawatari Yūki; born 1909, date of death unknown) was a Japanese swimmer. He competed in the men's…Yuki Mawatari (馬渡 勇喜, Mawatari Yūki; born 1909, date of death unknown) was a Japanese swimmer. He competed in the men's 200 metre breaststroke event at the 1928 Summer Olympics.
Nobuo Arai (新井 信男) (1909 – June 15, 1990) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam.…Nobuo Arai (新井 信男) (1909 – June 15, 1990) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. Arai was a member of the Japanese team which won the silver medal for the 4 × 200 meter freestyle relay event at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. He placed fourth in the semifinal of the 1500 meter freestyle event, but did not advance to the finals. He also qualified for the semifinals of the 400 meter freestyle event, but did not start.
Kazuo Noda (野田 一雄, Noda Kazuo; 30 June 1908 – 31 March 1995) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1924…Kazuo Noda (野田 一雄, Noda Kazuo; 30 June 1908 – 31 March 1995) was a Japanese freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics and in the 1928 Summer Olympics. He was born in Shizuoka. In 1924 he was eliminated in the first round of the 400 metre freestyle event as well as of the 1500 metre freestyle competition. He was also a member of the Japanese relay team which finished fourth in the 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay event. Four years later he helped the Japanese relay team to qualify for the final of the 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay competition when he swam in the semi-final. His compatriots won the silver medal, but Noda did not swim in the final and was not awarded with a medal.
Shourai Kimura (木村 象雷, Kimura Shōrai; 9 February 1908 – 1986) was a Japanese swimmer and journalist. He competed in the…Shourai Kimura (木村 象雷, Kimura Shōrai; 9 February 1908 – 1986) was a Japanese swimmer and journalist. He competed in the men's 100 metre backstroke event at the 1928 Summer Olympics. He later became a sports journalist.
Akira Fujita (藤田 明, 1 January 1908 - 29 May 2001) was a Japanese male water polo player. He was a member of the Japan…Akira Fujita (藤田 明, 1 January 1908 - 29 May 2001) was a Japanese male water polo player. He was a member of the Japan men's national water polo team. He competed with the team at the 1932 Summer Olympics.
Hiroshi Yoneyama (米山 弘, Yoneyama Hiroshi; 1908 in Ibaraki – January 24, 1988) was a Japanese swimmer who competed in…Hiroshi Yoneyama (米山 弘, Yoneyama Hiroshi; 1908 in Ibaraki – January 24, 1988) was a Japanese swimmer who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. A graduate of Waseda University, Yoneyama was a member of the Japanese team which won the silver medal for the 4 × 200 meter freestyle relay event at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. He also placed fifth in the semifinal of the 400 meter freestyle event, and did not advance.
Katsuo Takaishi (高石 勝男, Takaishi Katsuo; October 14, 1906 – April 13, 1966) was a Japanese swimmer, swimming coach and…Katsuo Takaishi (高石 勝男, Takaishi Katsuo; October 14, 1906 – April 13, 1966) was a Japanese swimmer, swimming coach and sports administrator. Takaishi was born in Osaka and graduated from Waseda University. During the 1923 Far Eastern Games held in Osaka, he won all three freestyle swimming events, which secured him a place on the Japanese Olympic team. At the 1924 Olympics, Takaishi placed fourth in the 4 × 200 meter freestyle relay and fifth in the 100 m freestyle and in the 1500 m freestyle event. Although he did not win a medal, it was the first time that a swimmer from Asia finished next to the podium. From 1924 to 1928, Takaishi won every international competition he attended, except when racing against Johnny Weissmuller. At the 1928 Olympics, as the leader of the Japanese swimming team, Takaishi won a silver medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay and a bronze medal in the 100 m freestyle, becoming the first Asian to win an Olympic medal in swimming. He finished fourth in a 400 m semifinal and thus did not advance to the final. At the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles Takaishi served as team captain and coach for the Japanese team, which won all men's events save one. After his return to Japan, he wrote a book, Swimming in Japan, which was published in 1935. He served as general director of the Japanese national swimming team for the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and was chairman of the Amateur Swimming Federation of Japan. Takaishi died of lung cancer at the age of 59. He was posthumously honored with induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1991.
Yoshiyuki Tsuruta (鶴田 義行, Tsuruta Yoshiyuki) (October 1, 1903 – July 24, 1986) was a Japanese swimmer. He won a gold…Yoshiyuki Tsuruta (鶴田 義行, Tsuruta Yoshiyuki) (October 1, 1903 – July 24, 1986) was a Japanese swimmer. He won a gold medal in the Amsterdam Olympics and the Los Angeles Olympics.
