The men's triple jump event was part of the track and field athletics programme at the 1936 Summer Olympics.

Masao Harada's silver medal made it the second Games in which Japan put two men on the podium in the event.

World record holder Jack Metcalfe of Australia competed, threatening the Japanese dominance of the event.

[1] Chile, the Republic of China, Colombia, Iceland, Poland, and Yugoslavia each made their first appearance in the event.

Naoto Tajima set the new world and Olympic records with 16.00 metres in his fourth jump of the final.