A new Disney+ Original docu-series, Chasing Waves, shines a spotlight on Japanese surf culture. The eight-part docu-series is now streaming exclusively on Disney+.
In the wake of surfing’s debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Chasing Waves features the people and places that are defining Japan’s reach in the global surf culture and examines the diverse regions, unique characters, and endless surf along the over 18,000 miles of coastline that makes Japan one of a kind.
Pursuing dreams
The character-driven documentary series, shot with state-of-the-art 4K cameras and stunning 16mm archival film, follows athletes from various cultural backgrounds as they pursue their dreams and paints a captivating picture of Japanese life and showcases what it takes to succeed in the international surf industry. The docu-series features extraordinary pro surfers Mahina Maeda, Yuma Takanuki, Sara Kohrogi, 2021 Olympic Silver Medalist Kanoa Igarashi and Australian-Japanese surfer Connor O’Leary.
Kanoa Igarashi is probably the best-known of the surfing “cast”. He’s a Japanese American surfer who has competed professionally worldwide since 2012. In 2016, he was the youngest rookie on the World Surf League Championship Tour, and had collected more Round One wins than any other surfer, finished 2nd place at the Pipeline event, and 20th place overall that year. His greatest career performance was in the 2022 WSL CT where he finished top 5 and got to compete on the final event of the year held in Trestles California. garashi’s father Tsutomu was a surfer in Japan and an avid fan of the sport himself. When his wife Misa found out she was pregnant, the couple quit their jobs in Tokyo and moved to Huntington Beach, California, aka Surf City, with the goal of raising their child to be a competitive surfer
From the indoor wave pool called the “Ocean Dome” in Miyazaki to the hallowed grounds of the stalwart surfers in the icy waters of Hokkaido, “Chasing Waves” paints a holistic picture of the world of Japanese surfing culture through those who live it in a magical new way.
What: Chasing Waves
Where: Disney+
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