[1] He twice represented his country at the World Championships in Athletics, placing seventh in 2011 but failing to finish in 2013.
[2] He had renewed success over the longer distance at the 2011 Lake Biwa Marathon and he took third in a time of 2:09:25 hours – the first Japanese finisher behind East Africans Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich and Deriba Merga.
Only Kenya's Joseph Gitau was faster at the race.
[3][4] His 2012 national title win earned him a place at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics, but he had competed sparingly and failed to finish the distance.
He competed in the Grand Tour Kyushu ekiden later that year, but largely missed the 2014 and 2015 seasons.