Japan Championships in Athletics
She made her first impact at the top level of athletics in 1995. She won her first national title at the Japan Championships in Athletics, then was a close second to Svetlana Zalevskaya at the 1995 Asian Athletics Championships, taking the silver medal on countback. She also placed fourth at the Summer Universiade held in Fukuoka that year. Imai won three consecutive Japanese university titles from 1995 to 1997. She won her first high jump title at the National Sports Festival of Japan in 1996. At the 1997 East Asian Games she was again beaten on countback by Zalevskaya, placing third on that occasion. She represented Japan at the 1997 Universiade but was only twelfth on that occasion. Following her graduation she signed up to compete professionally with the Mizuno Track Club.