Eishiro “Tank” Murakami continues to make steady progress. On May 1 & 2, 2022, Murakami posted his best lifts at a recent competition to social media — 192 kilograms (423.2 pounds) in the snatch, and 233 kilograms (513.6 pounds) in the clean & jerk as a +109-kilogram athlete.
The competition in question was the 2022 All-Japan Championships, a multi-discipline athletic event that was held in Tokyo in late April. During the weightlifting portion, Murakami’s performance bagged him three new Japanese National Records in both lifts as well as the Total.
You can check out some of the footage from Murakami’s competition below, courtesy of his Instagram account:
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Murakami in Japan
Murakami’s efforts on the day earned him the overall win at the competition in the Men’s +109-kilogram division. His two lifts and Total were all Japanese National Records, and all three records were previously held by Murakami himself.
He exceeded his own records by one, two, and three kilos in the snatch, clean & jerk, and Total respectively. The “Tank” has maintained his position as one of Japan’s most dominant competitors — per his Instagram bio, Murakami is a three-time Japanese National Champion.
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Murakami is known on social media for his impressive displays of strength with lifts like this truly massive 175-kilogram, or 385-pound strict prone row. He’s also posted a 200-kilogram (441 pounds) thruster and many squats well above 300 kilograms, or 661 pounds.
Although he did not appear at the 2021 World Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Murakami’s 425-kilogram Total at the All-Japan Championships would’ve been good enough for a sixth-position finish in Tashkent.
Looking Forward
The All-Japan Championships encompass far more sports than just Olympic lifting. However, many of the country’s top weightlifters participated in the event as part of their selection campaign for both this year’s World Championships in Colombia and, ultimately, the 2024 Paris Olympics as well.
Attendees included three of Japan’s four male Tokyo Olympians — Yoichi Itokazu (67KG), Mitsunori Konnai (73KG), and Masanori Miyamoto (73KG). Toshiki Yamamoto (96KG) was absent from the competition.
Japan’s only medalist in weightlifting at the Tokyo games, 59-kilogram bronze winner Mikiko Andoh, partook as well and handily won the competition overall in her class. With Murakami leading the charge, Team Japan seems to be training hard for the rest of 2022.
Featured Image: @tank_murakami on Instagram
