Rambai muchinyora ndima iyi - Akaita mutambo wake wekutanga pasi rose pahuswa pa1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
, asi akanga ari kunze kwevane 100 vokutanga munhangemutange pfupi yavarume. Akanga ari mumhanyi wechipiri paJapan Championships gore iroro, asi akadzokera mberi muna 2000 nekukunda pamakwikwi enyika nemitambo. Kubuda kwaYoshitaka Iwamizu pa2001 Japanese Championships kwakaratidza kuchinja kwechizvarwa. Kunyange zvazvo Uchitomi akamhanya nguva ye8: 29.63 maminitsi (yechitatu yakanakisisa mubasa rake), akarohwa naIwamizu, uyo aizopfuurira kukunda mazita mashanu anotevera. Uchitomi akadzivirira zita rake pa2001 East Asian Games uye akavandudza rekodhi yake yemitambo kusvika pamaminitsi 8: 33.98, achirova mumwe wake Wataru Izumi munzvimbo yechipiri sezvaainge aita muna 1997. Akatorawo zita re steeplechase yeChugoku Electric Power Company kuAll-Japan Corporate Track and Field Championships.