Masaji Tabata

Background

Masaji Tabata was born in 1898 in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.

Education

He graduated from Tokyo University in 1924.

Career

After graduating from Tokyo University (1924), he joined the editorial department of Asahi Shimbun (newspaper) and worked under Taketora Ogata as a political reporter. Later he was Political Bureau chief and director of the newspaper when dispute between labor and management was most acute directly after the end of World War II. He retired from the newspaper on reaching age limit in 1953, but was concerned with the Asahi in an honorary capacity.

He was noted for his contribution to professional swimming. He was an ardent sportsman in his school days when he was a member of Hamamatsu Bay Swimming Association. He was one of the founders of Japan Swimming Federation and helped Izutaro Sue-hiro reorganize the Japan Athletic Association. He assisted in sending the Japanese contingent of swimmers to the 10th and 11th Olympics at Los Angeles and Berlin respectively. After World War II he was elected president of Japan Swimming Federation. He was director of Japan Athletic Association.

Membership

• Hamamatsu Bay Swimming Association , Japan