Osaka, May 19–20, 1928
Athletics in militaristic Japan began to rise. The future Amsterdam winner, Mikio Oda, with his 167.5-centimeter frame, soared to a world-leading triple jump result of 15.41 (50-6¾). The mark was achieved at the national championships, held already in May. Another future Olympic champion in the event—though four years later in Los Angeles—Chūhei Nambu, finished second with the season's 13th longest jump of 14.84 (48 4¼). Nambu also won the long jump with 7.35 (24-1½).
For some reason, athletic powerhouses like Britain or Germany did not show much interest in the triple jump, known as a leg-killing event. Thus, space opened up for Finland and Japan. In 1928, five Finns made their way into the top 20 in the world triple jump rankings, and four Japanese.
In the pole vault, another event that became successful in the Land of the Rising Sun during the 1920s and 1930s, Yonetaro Nakazawa from Tokyo Higher Normal School took the victory. He cleared 3.91 (12-10). In Amsterdam, Nakazawa vaulted himself to sixth place and served as Japan's flag bearer at the games.
Urheilija, June 1928 (in Finnish)