[Full Text] Confessions Bold-Makeup Sprinter Nakajima Aims for an Unbeatable Japanese Recordof a World Championships in Athletics Woman in Flashy Makeup…Hitomi Nakajima: “I want to set a Japanese record that won’t be overtaken.

Her life changed at the World Athletics Championships

With flashy makeup and nails, dressed in stylish sweet-and-spicy coordinated outfits, she hides rock-hard abs beneath her clothes. The gap between her everyday appearance in Osaka and her appearance on the track is part of her appeal.

“I like baggy clothes and vintage T-shirts. During the season I don’t get to go out much, so wearing clothes other than my training gear helps me reset. By dressing up and getting dolled up, I enjoy a version of myself who is different from the one always doing gritty, muddy training.”

Hitomi Nakajima (Hasegawa Sports Facilities), a 100m hurdler, continued updating her personal best this year at age 30, and in September made her first appearance at the World Athletics Championships held in Tokyo. The late-blooming new heroine also drew attention for doing a Demon Slayer pose during the pre-race introductions before her semifinal, and after the tournament she signed a contract with the American sports brand Nike. She is likely the most talked-about female athlete in Japan right now.

“The World Championships changed my life. Standing in a packed stadium, receiving cheers louder than anything I’d ever heard before—saying it was unforgettable doesn’t feel enough. It felt like I’d been given a huge, beautiful flower.”

Raised in Itami City, Hyogo Prefecture, Nakajima joined the basketball club when she started junior high school but later switched to track and field. Perhaps thanks to the jumping ability she developed through basketball, she became the national champion in the 100m hurdles in both junior high and high school.

“But in university and after becoming a working adult, I couldn’t produce results for a long time. The memory of becoming No. 1 in Japan doesn’t fade easily, and I kept competing with the single desire to stand in that position again. When people call me a late bloomer now, it makes me realize just how long I had disappeared from everyone’s view,” she laughs.

Track events can be brutally honest. An athlete’s performance is directly reflected in a visible result—their time.

“In this world there are athletes called early bloomers. I wanted to prove that even at 30, if you work hard, you can still grow and break records.”

Aiming for the Los Angeles Olympics

Last year, she finally entered the long-sought 12-second range, and this year she has continued to update her personal bests. In July, she recorded 12.71 seconds—the second-fastest time in Japanese history—surpassing the qualifying standard for the World Athletics Championships. But what caused her performance to suddenly take off?

“Being able to run in the 12-second range gave me a foothold—not that I can compete with the world yet, but that I can stand on the world stage. And my husband’s presence has been a huge support. He’s also a track athlete, and we train together.”

Nakajima’s husband is Masaki Toyoda (Fujitsu), a 400m hurdler. Although they married in 2023, they announced it this year because Toyoda was contesting a suspension he received for doping.

Nakajima now aims to set a new Japanese record and qualify for the Los Angeles Olympics three years from now.

“I want to set a Japanese record that won’t be broken for a long time. My goal is 12.5 seconds (current record: 12.69). But I don’t want only the record—I want to be an athlete who stays in people’s memories. I think that will connect to my bigger goal, the Olympics.”

After high school, she endured years out of the spotlight, but just as she clears the ten hurdles in the 100m hurdles, she has overcome the obstacles life placed before her.

“I love running. Even if I could restart my life, I would choose the same path.”

Now entering what may be the peak of her career, Nakajima will continue spreading her wings toward the world—with her husband’s support.

From the November 14/21, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”