Chasing Waves (2023–…): Season 1, Episode 7 - Episode #1.7 - full transcript
I don't get it, why is there no wave
when it's Connor's turn?
Crazy.
I have been traveling for
about a week now.
-It was fun.
-Thanks for everything.
-I hope you get great waves in Hokkaido.
-Thanks. Looking forward to it.
Traveling with Guy until now,
we were able to see a lot of Japan
together but...
he has to head back for a competition.
Today is his last day.
I do feel kinda lonely not seeing my wife.
I have to admit it feels weird to be old
enough to join the fathers' group.
I wonder what kind of father
I'm going to be.
There are things my father did in raising
me that made me happy,
and influenced me in a positive way.
So I'd like to do the same things
to my kid.
Wow, it's crazy beautiful here.
My dad taught me the proper way
of surfing.
I think that was amazing.
But my dad... some days he didn't feel
well and never got out of bed.
But I thought it was normal
because our daily life
was like that all the time.
Like,
"Hey Dad, you don't feel well today?"
Okay, so...
When I was eighteen,
almost nineteen years old,
my father committed suicide.
Bipolar disorder, a kind of depression
with severe ups and down.
I heard that's what he had.
I found him when I came back from surfing.
I opened the entrance and there he was.
It was heavy.
There was no note. No signs.
It was just heavy.
Our house was attached to the surf shop.
It was really big.
I had to pay the rent.
I was scared living there alone.
Because of such experiences
at quite a young age,
I think deeply about how I want to live.
I really think about why I am alive
and what I was born for.
The person who most influenced
my surfing life was my dad.
He introduced me to the world of surfing.
I can't imagine my life
without surfing right now.
Akasaka, where I was born,
is smack in the middle of Tokyo.
It has everything you'd ever need.
It also has nothing I want.
The waters around Okinawa
are truly abundant.
The water is incredibly clear
and there's plenty of fish.
Catching fish while free diving
doesn't produce any waste,
and you can choose to take
only what you need.
I think it's the best method.
They live on blessings from the sea,
and in return
they do a lot of things
to protect the sea.
We moved to Okinawa because of the 2011
Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami.
We had no idea what was going to happen.
So we left.
I remember how sad my dad was when I told
him, "I'm moving to Okinawa."
As I was leaving,
he was holding back tears...
which I'd never seen before.
What I've been doing in Okinawa for the
past ten years...
I want my dad to see that.
It's a great luxury to be able
to gather my family here this time.
There is part of me that is worried,
there is also a part of me
that admires him
and a part of me that's envious.
But also as a parent,
I wonder if he'll be okay.
Isn't it fascinating?
Tomorrow, do you think you can help me
load up after breakfast?
-At the house?
-Okay.
My father is still doing what he's been
doing since back in the day.
He sings and plays the guitar.
He only does what he likes to do.
-Where are you from?
-From Gunma Prefecture.
- Gunma?
- Gunma ken-kata.
Basically, I am a musician.
I sometimes act as well.
A cotton kimono?
Yes.
I doubt she has one.
One more.
I've never been good
at performing for others.
When do you think we can hit the road
tomorrow?
Before noon?
Can you get up, Dad?
-I'll do my best.
-Do your best.
We are going to a camping trip
to my favorite spot on the island
to go surfing, diving... and so forth.
My dad used to take me camping
when I was little.
Now I want to do the same.
Today, we are all headed north
to go camping.
We should be able to surf in the evening.
Let's bring this too.
Can you load it on the van?
Our dad really let us enjoy
being in nature.
We haven't left, and I'm already tired.
Ok, shall we go camping?
-You didn't forget anything?
-Let's go already!
Let's go.
Did you check it?
It's rare that we all go together.
That's true. With Grandpa too!
In Okinawa, of all the places.
We haven't had opportunities like this.
It's valuable.
We are headed north?
Yeah, we're headed to the island's
northernmost point.
We are going to an area called Oku.
All right, we made it!
Over there in that channel.
Yeah, you can also surf right there.
There's a staircase there,
you can go down that way.
I'll bring it!
Oh, we have it.
It won't turn if you put it on.
At that time, there were not many surfers
in Japan.
He would say, "I was the first surfer
in Japan."
Then he would also say, "There were about
five others, who said the same thing."
It's probably 50 years old.
Dad buying that board was
the beginning of our family's
love of surfing.
That board is a treasure.
It's a family heirloom.
It hung in our garage when I was a kid.
My father was like my mentor.
I've learned many things from him.
For Hayato, you know...
it's not just about surfing. His awareness
of the ocean is on a much bigger scale.
He really understands it fundamentally.
As his parent, this really makes me happy.
I learned about playing outside,
in the mountains and at the beach.
Also, camping.
I feel that my life is very enriched
thanks to what he taught me.
Okay, shall we go?
The trash was blown all over
because of this wind.
It's honor. Look for these plastic ones.
There is something...
I heard that in the water... tap water...
there are plastics hidden
in the tap water.
It's called microplastic.
Very tiny, like this...
Also in our bodies, too.
-In just... a few minutes.
-Less than five, really.
-Unbelievable.
-It's too much.
It's endless.
I love spending time with my children,
and I want to play with them.
I don't know how long they'll allow me...
but I cherish this time.
Next time we come camping
and we forget our toothbrush,
we can always find one on the beach.
No way, Dad.
The fact that Hayato
is raising three girls
is something that impresses me.
What I hope my children felt
as they grew up is...
I hope they have learned that it's not
them who's enjoying the ocean.
It's the ocean that welcomes
and enjoys having them.
Let me play the song
that's best for campfires.
My father's almost 77, so he can't push
himself too hard these days.
The time I'm able to spend with my dad
is so important.
I think that's what I've realized.
He picked Okinawa as a safe place
to move to, I think.
As a parent, I was a little bit sad
to see him go.
But for his kids, for my granddaughters...
I think it was a great decision to move
to this beautiful and safe Okinawa.
I'm relieved.
Going camping with the kids and
being able to spend time together
in nature with them.
It's all something my father taught me.
I guess I'm happy that...
he was able to see a little bit of that.
Normal people wouldn't take this path.
Ooh, it's looking good.
I have a good nose for these things.
This path is so narrow.
Good thing I'm a great driver.
I think this is right.
Oh no!
The bottom of this water tank ended up
scraping the ground.
This is not good.
I'm scared of driving like this.
What should I do?
Wow, this is such a bummer.
Please don't fall off, tank!
Oh, no, there's a hole, a pothole.
It's already 6:45.
Maybe I can still jump in for a bit.
I'll just get changed real quick and go.
Honestly, I'm full of positive feelings.
Maybe it's similar to how I wish
I could surf with my dad again.
But now I'm looking forward to surfing
with my kid one day.
I felt like I was surfing
towards the moon.
I felt like I was gravitating towards
a different land.
I think it's the first time in this
journey that I took a hot post-surf rinse.
It's so warm!
So warm!
when it's Connor's turn?
Crazy.
I have been traveling for
about a week now.
-It was fun.
-Thanks for everything.
-I hope you get great waves in Hokkaido.
-Thanks. Looking forward to it.
Traveling with Guy until now,
we were able to see a lot of Japan
together but...
he has to head back for a competition.
Today is his last day.
I do feel kinda lonely not seeing my wife.
I have to admit it feels weird to be old
enough to join the fathers' group.
I wonder what kind of father
I'm going to be.
There are things my father did in raising
me that made me happy,
and influenced me in a positive way.
So I'd like to do the same things
to my kid.
Wow, it's crazy beautiful here.
My dad taught me the proper way
of surfing.
I think that was amazing.
But my dad... some days he didn't feel
well and never got out of bed.
But I thought it was normal
because our daily life
was like that all the time.
Like,
"Hey Dad, you don't feel well today?"
Okay, so...
When I was eighteen,
almost nineteen years old,
my father committed suicide.
Bipolar disorder, a kind of depression
with severe ups and down.
I heard that's what he had.
I found him when I came back from surfing.
I opened the entrance and there he was.
It was heavy.
There was no note. No signs.
It was just heavy.
Our house was attached to the surf shop.
It was really big.
I had to pay the rent.
I was scared living there alone.
Because of such experiences
at quite a young age,
I think deeply about how I want to live.
I really think about why I am alive
and what I was born for.
The person who most influenced
my surfing life was my dad.
He introduced me to the world of surfing.
I can't imagine my life
without surfing right now.
Akasaka, where I was born,
is smack in the middle of Tokyo.
It has everything you'd ever need.
It also has nothing I want.
The waters around Okinawa
are truly abundant.
The water is incredibly clear
and there's plenty of fish.
Catching fish while free diving
doesn't produce any waste,
and you can choose to take
only what you need.
I think it's the best method.
They live on blessings from the sea,
and in return
they do a lot of things
to protect the sea.
We moved to Okinawa because of the 2011
Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami.
We had no idea what was going to happen.
So we left.
I remember how sad my dad was when I told
him, "I'm moving to Okinawa."
As I was leaving,
he was holding back tears...
which I'd never seen before.
What I've been doing in Okinawa for the
past ten years...
I want my dad to see that.
It's a great luxury to be able
to gather my family here this time.
There is part of me that is worried,
there is also a part of me
that admires him
and a part of me that's envious.
But also as a parent,
I wonder if he'll be okay.
Isn't it fascinating?
Tomorrow, do you think you can help me
load up after breakfast?
-At the house?
-Okay.
My father is still doing what he's been
doing since back in the day.
He sings and plays the guitar.
He only does what he likes to do.
-Where are you from?
-From Gunma Prefecture.
- Gunma?
- Gunma ken-kata.
Basically, I am a musician.
I sometimes act as well.
A cotton kimono?
Yes.
I doubt she has one.
One more.
I've never been good
at performing for others.
When do you think we can hit the road
tomorrow?
Before noon?
Can you get up, Dad?
-I'll do my best.
-Do your best.
We are going to a camping trip
to my favorite spot on the island
to go surfing, diving... and so forth.
My dad used to take me camping
when I was little.
Now I want to do the same.
Today, we are all headed north
to go camping.
We should be able to surf in the evening.
Let's bring this too.
Can you load it on the van?
Our dad really let us enjoy
being in nature.
We haven't left, and I'm already tired.
Ok, shall we go camping?
-You didn't forget anything?
-Let's go already!
Let's go.
Did you check it?
It's rare that we all go together.
That's true. With Grandpa too!
In Okinawa, of all the places.
We haven't had opportunities like this.
It's valuable.
We are headed north?
Yeah, we're headed to the island's
northernmost point.
We are going to an area called Oku.
All right, we made it!
Over there in that channel.
Yeah, you can also surf right there.
There's a staircase there,
you can go down that way.
I'll bring it!
Oh, we have it.
It won't turn if you put it on.
At that time, there were not many surfers
in Japan.
He would say, "I was the first surfer
in Japan."
Then he would also say, "There were about
five others, who said the same thing."
It's probably 50 years old.
Dad buying that board was
the beginning of our family's
love of surfing.
That board is a treasure.
It's a family heirloom.
It hung in our garage when I was a kid.
My father was like my mentor.
I've learned many things from him.
For Hayato, you know...
it's not just about surfing. His awareness
of the ocean is on a much bigger scale.
He really understands it fundamentally.
As his parent, this really makes me happy.
I learned about playing outside,
in the mountains and at the beach.
Also, camping.
I feel that my life is very enriched
thanks to what he taught me.
Okay, shall we go?
The trash was blown all over
because of this wind.
It's honor. Look for these plastic ones.
There is something...
I heard that in the water... tap water...
there are plastics hidden
in the tap water.
It's called microplastic.
Very tiny, like this...
Also in our bodies, too.
-In just... a few minutes.
-Less than five, really.
-Unbelievable.
-It's too much.
It's endless.
I love spending time with my children,
and I want to play with them.
I don't know how long they'll allow me...
but I cherish this time.
Next time we come camping
and we forget our toothbrush,
we can always find one on the beach.
No way, Dad.
The fact that Hayato
is raising three girls
is something that impresses me.
What I hope my children felt
as they grew up is...
I hope they have learned that it's not
them who's enjoying the ocean.
It's the ocean that welcomes
and enjoys having them.
Let me play the song
that's best for campfires.
My father's almost 77, so he can't push
himself too hard these days.
The time I'm able to spend with my dad
is so important.
I think that's what I've realized.
He picked Okinawa as a safe place
to move to, I think.
As a parent, I was a little bit sad
to see him go.
But for his kids, for my granddaughters...
I think it was a great decision to move
to this beautiful and safe Okinawa.
I'm relieved.
Going camping with the kids and
being able to spend time together
in nature with them.
It's all something my father taught me.
I guess I'm happy that...
he was able to see a little bit of that.
Normal people wouldn't take this path.
Ooh, it's looking good.
I have a good nose for these things.
This path is so narrow.
Good thing I'm a great driver.
I think this is right.
Oh no!
The bottom of this water tank ended up
scraping the ground.
This is not good.
I'm scared of driving like this.
What should I do?
Wow, this is such a bummer.
Please don't fall off, tank!
Oh, no, there's a hole, a pothole.
It's already 6:45.
Maybe I can still jump in for a bit.
I'll just get changed real quick and go.
Honestly, I'm full of positive feelings.
Maybe it's similar to how I wish
I could surf with my dad again.
But now I'm looking forward to surfing
with my kid one day.
I felt like I was surfing
towards the moon.
I felt like I was gravitating towards
a different land.
I think it's the first time in this
journey that I took a hot post-surf rinse.
It's so warm!
So warm!