is a retired Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese sprinter who specialized in the 400 metres

400 metres

The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...

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He won the bronze medal at the 1998 Asian Championships

1998 Asian Championships in Athletics

The 12th Asian Championships in Athletics were held in Fukuoka, Japan in July 1998.- Men :- Women :-Medal table:-External links:*...

 in a career best time of 45.69 seconds. He was then selected to represent Asia in 4 x 400 metres relay

4 x 400 metres relay

The 4 x 400 meters relay or long relay is an athletics track event in which teams comprise four runners who each complete 400 meters or one lap. It is traditionally the final event of a track meet. At top class events, the first 500 meters is run in lanes...

 at the 1998 IAAF World Cup, and finished sixth with teammates Ibrahim Ismail Faraj, Sugath Tillakaratne and fellow Japanese sprinter Masayoshi Kan

Masayoshi Kan

Masayoshi Kan is a retired Japanese sprinter who specialized in the 400 metres.He won bronze medals in 4 x 400 metres relay at the 1993 and 1995 World Indoor Championships...

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Tabata also competed at two World Championships (1999

1999 World Championships in Athletics

The 7th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Estadio Olímpico, Seville, Spain, between the August 20 and August 29....

 and 2001

2001 World Championships in Athletics

The 8th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada between 3 August and 12 August and was the first time the event had visited North America...

) as well as the 2000 Summer Olympics

2000 Summer Olympics

The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...

 where he failed to reach the final round.

Achievements

Representing
1998	Asian Championships 1998 Asian Championships in Athletics The 12th Asian Championships in Athletics were held in Fukuoka, Japan in July 1998.- Men :- Women :-Medal table:-External links:*...	Fukuoka, Japan	3rd	400 m