The Japan team is one of the long awaited team at the upcoming London World Championships in particular in the 50km road walk in which in the last two years it has collected two bronze medals at the World Championships in Beijing 2015 and in Olympics of Rio de Janeiro 2016.
Japan is under the technical guidance of Head Coach Fumio Imamura, a exquisite and humble person, also a member of the IAAF Walking Commitee, an old acquaintance of Marcia dal Mondo since from 2004 and subsequent years when he spent a long year in coaching education at the IAAF Center for race walk in Saluzzo (ITA)
Under his leadership, Japan has moved from outsider nation to nationwide leader to all levels in the male field, even though for two seasons it has never been able to make use of one of its most prominent athlete,Yusuke Suzuki, with big problems of injuries that will likely limit, or will cause the ending of the activity of the world record holder's career in 20km.
This year, Japan has seven athletes in London: six men (three in 20km and three in 50km) and one woman in 2'km.
Let's get to know them.
20km uomini
Eiki Takahashi: nato il 19.11.1992, prefettura di Iwate
Progression from 2011 both in 10.000m track walk and 20km
| Year | Performance |
| | |
| 10.000. track walk | |
| 2011 | 43:29.32 |
| 2012 | 41:44:05 |
| 2013 | 39:06.87 |
| 2014 | 38:18.51 |
| 2015 | 38:01.49 |
| 2016 | 38:21.88 |
| 2017 | 39:46.60 |
| 20km road | |
| 2011 | 1:26:16 |
| 2012 | 1:22:33 |
| 2013 | 1:20:25 |
| 2014 | 1:18:41 |
| 2015 | 1:18:03 |
| 2016 | 1:18:26 |
| 2017 | 1:18:18 |
Isamu Fujisawa: nato il 12.10.1987, prefettura di Nagano
Progression from 2006 in 20km
| Year | Performance |
| | |
| 20km road | |
| 2006 | 1:28:03 |
| 2007 | 1:23:07 |
| 2008 | 1:23:01 |
| 2009 | 1:21:00 |
| 2010 | 1:20:12 |
| 2011 | 1:22:01 |
| 2012 | 1:20:38 |
| 2013 | 1:20:50 |
| 2014 | 1:20:03 |
| 2015 | 1:19:08 |
| 2016 | 1:18:45 |
| 2017 | 1:18:23 |
Daisuke Matsunaga: born on Mar. 24, 1995, prefecture of Kanagawa
Progression from 2013 both in 10.000m track walk and 20km
| Tear | Performance |
| | |
| 10.000. track walk | |
| 2013 | 39:08.23 |
| 2014 | 39.18.71 |
| 2015 | 39:18.04 |
| 2016 | 38:16.76 |
| 2017 | - |
| 20km road | |
| 2013 | 1:23:56 |
| 2014 | 1:21:17 |
| 2015 | 1:19:08 |
| 2016 | 1:18:53 |
| 2017 | 1:19:40 |
20km women
Kumiko Okada: born on Oct. 17, 1991, prefecture of Saitama
Progression from 2011 in 20km
| Year | Performance |
| | |
| 20km road | |
| 2011 | 1:34:30 |
| 2012 | 1:34:27 |
| 2013 | 1:32:22 |
| 2014 | 1:33:25 |
| 2015 | 1:29:46 |
| 2016 | 1:29:40 |
| 2017 | 1:29:40 |
50km men
Hirooki Arai: born in Nov. 19, 1992, prefecture of Nagano
Progression from 2007 in 20km and from 2009 in 50km
| Year | Performance |
| | |
| 20km road | |
| 2007 | 1:38:31 |
| 2008 | 1:30:24 |
| 2009 | 1:27:59 |
| 2010 | 1:26:05 |
| 2011 | 1:22:47 |
| 2012 | 1:21:10 |
| 2013 | 1:21:28 |
| 2014 | 1:28:38 |
| 2015 | 1:20:35 |
| 2016 | 1:19:54 |
| 2017 | 1:19:25 |
| 50km road | |
| 2009 | 4:04:01 |
| 2010 | 3:55:56 |
| 2011 | 3:48:40 |
| 2012 | 3:47:08 |
| 2013 | 3:45:56 |
| 2014 | 3:40:34 |
| 2015 | 3:40:20 |
| 2016 | 3:41:24 |
| 2017 | 3:47:18 |
Kai Kobayashi: born on Feb. 28, 1993, Prefecture of Akita
Progression from 2015 in 20km and from 2016 in 50km
| Year | Performance |
| | |
| 20km road | |
| 2015 | 1:19:12 |
| 2016 | 1:19:57 |
| 2017 | 1:19:13 |
| 50km road | |
| 2016 | 3:42:08 |
| 2017 | - |
Satoshi Maruo: born on Nov. 28, 1991, Prefecture of Kyoto
Progression from 2015 in 20km and from 2016 in 50km
| Year | Performance |
| | |
| 20km road | |
| 2015 | 1:19:42 |
| 2016 | 1:20:14 |
| 2017 | 1:20:31 |
| 50km road | |
| 2016 | 4:02:36 |
| 2017 | 3:49:17 |
(All photos bt Fort Hishimoto - Japan)