400 m

World and Japan records, men and women — the progressions, the gap between them, and the full timeline.

Men · World

43.03

Wayde van Niekerk

South Africa · Rio de Janeiro · 14 Aug 2016

Women · World

47.60

Marita Koch

East Germany · Canberra · 6 Oct 1985

Men · Japan

44.44

Yuki Joseph Nakajima

Japan · Tokyo · 14 Sept 2025

Women · Japan

51.75

Asami Tanno

Japan · Fukuroi · 3 May 2008

World Record

Men · World Record

Current43.03Wayde van Niekerk· 2016

Date	Time	Athlete	Country	Location
14 Aug 2016	43.03	Wayde van Niekerk	South Africa	Rio de Janeiro
26 Aug 1999	43.18	Michael Johnson	United States	Seville
17 Aug 1988	43.29	Butch Reynolds	United States	Zurich
18 Oct 1968	43.86	Lee Evans	United States	Mexico City

Japan Record

Men · Japan Record

Current44.44Yuki Joseph Nakajima· 2025

Date	Time	Athlete	Location
14 Sept 2025	44.44	Yuki Joseph Nakajima	Tokyo
20 Aug 2023	44.77	Kentaro Sato	Budapest
16 Jun 1991	44.78	Susumu Takano	Tokyo
26 Sept 1988	44.90	Susumu Takano	Seoul
1 Oct 1986	45.00	Susumu Takano	Seoul
7 Jul 1986	45.21	Susumu Takano	Helsinki
30 Aug 1985	45.30	Susumu Takano	Kobe
14 Sept 1984	45.69	Susumu Takano	Tokyo
25 Jul 1984	45.85	Susumu Takano	Walnut
6 Jul 1983	45.86	Susumu Takano	Edmonton
8 May 1983	46.23	Susumu Takano	Tokyo
3 May 1982	46.51	Susumu Takano	Tokyo
9 Sept 1979	46.64	Eiji Natori	Mexico City
4 Dec 1977	46.70	Yasuhiro Harada	Canberra

World vs Japan

Men · Current Gap

+1.41

World43.03Wayde van Niekerk

Japan44.44Yuki Joseph Nakajima

Record progressions

Current

WR43.03Wayde van Niekerk· 2016

JPN44.44Yuki Joseph Nakajima· 2025

The gap over time

+1.41Current

WR43.03Wayde van Niekerk· 2016

JPN44.44Yuki Joseph Nakajima· 2025

The closer the line gets to zero, the closer Japan is to the world record; when it rises, the world record is pulling away. The gap is plotted at every record change — world or national — so the line always reflects the gap at that moment.

Record Timeline

Date	Time	Athlete	Country	Location	Type
14 Sept 2025	44.44	Yuki Joseph Nakajima	Japan	Tokyo	Japan Record
20 Aug 2023	44.77	Kentaro Sato	Japan	Budapest	Japan Record
14 Aug 2016	43.03	Wayde van Niekerk	South Africa	Rio de Janeiro	World Record
3 May 2008	51.75	Asami Tanno	Japan	Fukuroi	Japan Record
19 Sept 2005	51.80	Asami Tanno	Japan	Yokohama	Japan Record
5 Jun 2005	51.93	Asami Tanno	Japan	Tokyo	Japan Record
13 Jun 2004	52.88	Asami Tanno	Japan	Ipoh	Japan Record
24 May 2001	52.95	Kazue Kakinuma	Japan	Osaka	Japan Record
26 Aug 1999	43.18	Michael Johnson	United States	Seville	World Record
16 Jun 1991	44.78	Susumu Takano	Japan	Tokyo	Japan Record
26 Sept 1988	44.90	Susumu Takano	Japan	Seoul	Japan Record
17 Aug 1988	43.29	Butch Reynolds	United States	Zurich	World Record
1 Oct 1986	45.00	Susumu Takano	Japan	Seoul	Japan Record
7 Jul 1986	45.21	Susumu Takano	Japan	Helsinki	Japan Record
6 Oct 1985	47.60	Marita Koch	East Germany	Canberra	World Record
30 Aug 1985	45.30	Susumu Takano	Japan	Kobe	Japan Record
14 Sept 1984	45.69	Susumu Takano	Japan	Tokyo	Japan Record
25 Jul 1984	45.85	Susumu Takano	Japan	Walnut	Japan Record
10 Aug 1983	47.99	Jarmila Kratochvilova	Czechoslovakia	Helsinki	World Record
6 Jul 1983	45.86	Susumu Takano	Japan	Edmonton	Japan Record
8 May 1983	46.23	Susumu Takano	Japan	Tokyo	Japan Record
8 Sept 1982	48.16	Marita Koch	East Germany	Athens	World Record
23 May 1982	54.06	Junko Yoshida	Japan	Tokyo	Japan Record
3 May 1982	46.51	Susumu Takano	Japan	Tokyo	Japan Record
5 Jun 1981	54.89	Junko Yoshida	Japan	Tokyo	Japan Record
9 Sept 1979	46.64	Eiji Natori	Japan	Mexico City	Japan Record
4 Aug 1979	48.60	Marita Koch	East Germany	Turin	World Record
29 Jul 1979	48.89	Marita Koch	East Germany	Potsdam	World Record
31 Aug 1978	48.94	Marita Koch	East Germany	Prague	World Record
19 Aug 1978	49.03	Marita Koch	East Germany	Potsdam	World Record
2 Jul 1978	49.19	Marita Koch	East Germany	Leipzig	World Record
4 Dec 1977	46.70	Yasuhiro Harada	Japan	Canberra	Japan Record
29 Jul 1976	49.29	Irena Szewinska	Poland	Montreal	World Record
18 Oct 1968	43.86	Lee Evans	United States	Mexico City	World Record

Exhibit notes

The story of the record

The record, step by step

The men's 400m also begins with a Mexico City mark, Lee Evans's 43.86, set at altitude. Michael Johnson's 43.18 from 1999 then stood for 17 years, until Wayde van Niekerk ran 43.03 from an outer lane at the 2016 Rio Olympics to take the record.

The women's world record is Marita Koch's 47.60 from 1985, which still stands.

Japan's progression

Susumu Takano lowered the men's record repeatedly in the 1980s; his 44.78 from 1991 then stood for 32 years until Kentaro Sato broke it in 2023, and Yuki Joseph Nakajima ran 44.44 in 2025. Asami Tanno built up the women's record through the 2000s, and her 51.75 from 2008 still stands.