Photo above by Dr. Steven Minaglia shows the Tsugaru Channel that lies 19.5 km between Honshu and Hokkaido in northern Japan where winds, eddies, and the very strong Tsugaru Current present very significant challenges to swimmers around the world. Tappi Misaki on Honshu is shown in the foreground with Shirakami Misaki on Hokkaido is shown in the background. The Seikan (train) Tunnel runs underneath the channel.

Haruyuki Ishii is the long-time coach and trainer of the Japanese Queen of the Channel Miyuki Fujita who has crossed the English Channel 8 times and the Tsugaru Channel.

Ishii [shown below with Jay Prchal, Andrew Donaldson, and Captain Mizushima] also established and serves as the Honorary Secretary of the Channel Cross Swimming Executive Committee that organizes and governs solo and relay crossings of the Tsugaru Strait in northern Japan across the 19.5 km stretch of fast-moving water between the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. The channel connects the Sea of Japan with the Pacific Ocean and is one of the harder swims of the Oceans Seven.

Ishii explains, “The Tsugaru Strait Swimming Association (TSSA) belongs to the Channel Crossing Swimming Executive Committee (CCSEC). They are both the same organization.

The rules for TSSA are almost the same as for English Channel Swimming (either the Channel Swimming Association or the Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation). The only difference is that night swimming in the Tsugaru Strait is prohibited by the Japan Coast Guard. Therefore, you can only swim from sunrise to sunset.”

Channel Cross Swimming Executive Committee Contact Information

• Email: trudgeon.ishii@gmail.com
• 5-8-9 Ohsugi, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo 132-0022, Japan
• Telephone: +0081(0)3 5661 8012
• Fax: +0081(0)3 5661 8013

Swimmers can directly communicate with Ishii via email or telephone. He will provide the necessary application and medical forms via email.

Ishii and his contracted escort pilots offer both standard channel crossings and crossings that require special accommodations (e.g., for disabled swimmers). Swimmers can attempt single, two-way, or three-way crossings under the following conditions:

• Swimmers will inform Ishii of their arrival in either the Hakodate or Aomori areas and their local address and contact numbers.
• The escort pilot must be given as much notice as possible before the start of the attempt, a minimum of a 24-hour notice.
• No prohibited drugs can be taken.
• Urine and/or blood samples must be provided if requested at any time during training and after the crossing attempt.
• Detailed biographical information is required.
• Proof of a four-hour swim in either freshwater or saltwater under 16°C is required that is observed and ratified by a designated trainer, coach, or other individual with information when and where the water temperature was measured.
• Completion and submission of the Channel Cross Swimming solo swimmer application form.
• Completion and submission of the Channel Cross Swimming medical application form.
• Escort pilot is Captain Mitsuhiro Mizushima.
• Total cost is ¥600,000 (Japanese yen) that includes a non-refundable ¥400,000 deposit and a ¥200,000 escort boat fee
• If you swim, payment is made directly to the escort boat pilot. If you cannot swim, there is no need to pay anything.
• The escort boat pilot will make the final decision whether your swim is canceled or not and will notify you at least 24 hours before your swim.
• Attempts are canceled if (1) the wind speed at Tappisaki Lighthouse exceeds 10 meters per second (see here), the Beaufort Wind Scale is 5 and above, the wave height is 2 meters or more, or the visibility less than 1 nautical mile.
• The tides in the Tsugaru Strait are listed here.
• There are six required documents: (1) Solo Application Form with a deadline of March 31st, (2) Medical Application Form with a deadline of March 31st, (3) Swim Season Document with a deadline of March 31st, (4) Certificate of 4-hour Swim with a deadline 2 weeks before the scheduled swim, (5) a copy of Accident Insurance Policy with a deadline of March 31st, and (6) a copy of your passport with a deadline of March 31st.
• Applications must be processed during April so the CCSEC can register each swim with the Japanese Coast Guard. If it is not registered, swimmers cannot make an attempt.
• There are approved swims that exempt solo swimmers from the 4-hour assessment, but in these cases swimmers must prove they have completed swims such as the English Channel, around Jersey Isle, around Manhattan Island, the Catalina Channel, the Santa Barbara Channel, etc. In these cases, the swimmer must submit a copy of the certification along with the completed evaluation form.
• CCSEC registers swimmers wearing wetsuits or other swimming aids with the Japanese maritime authorities, but these crossings are outside the swimming rules and will not be monitored or recorded by CCSEC.

73-year-old Toshio Tominaga is the oldest person to have swum across the Tsugaru Channel. He is about to enter the water near the start in September 2016.

Honoka Hasegawa swamming across the Tsugaru Channel in August 2016 in 8 hours 31 minutes.

© 2024 Daily News of Open Water Swimming

“to educate, enthuse, and entertain all those who venture beyond the shoreline“