While all of Japan was still reeling after the Great East Japan Earthquake, Taiwan donated over 20 billion yen to Japan and was the first country in the world to send rescue crews. Why did Taiwan provide so much support to Japan? This question is the basis of this challenge.

"Tracing back the history of Japan and Taiwan, I learned many things. Our predecessors endured many events throughout history. They strengthened cultural and economic ties while establishing the foundation for friendly relations. I believe that this relationship is why the people of Taiwan lent their hand in support of Japan. So I wondered if there was anything young people like me can do. I came up with the challenge of swimming from Yonagunijima island to Taiwan to convey our message of gratitude," explained Suzuki. The "Japan to Taiwan Ocean Swim" idea came relatively suddenly, but Suzuki already had been preparing for this challenge. Suzuki was an office worker at Panasonic (at the time, October 2011), but swam competitively during college. After graduation, he worked as a respected lifeguard. His large hands, broad chest, and defined back muscles are testament of a man that spent serious time in the water. In 2009, he swam 68 kilometers from Izu Oshima across to Chigasaki, which took him 22 hours. He decided to take on this extreme long-distance swim to teach the importance of never giving up and always facing challenges to his child, who was battling infantile hernia at the time.

"After (the age of) 30, I wanted to leave something to be remembered for my child, so I swam between Oshima and Chigasaki. Because of that experience, when I heard the news about Taiwan's Great East Japan Earthquake relief fund, I decided I wanted to swim to Taiwan," said Suzuki. Suzuki, who considers himself the impulsive type, immediately searched the internet and came across the "Japan-Taiwan Sports and Cultural Exchange". The person who met with Suzuki at the time was Ayahiko Matsumoto. Matsumoto, who later became the executive committee chairperson for this "Japan to Taiwan Ocean Swim", was once the secretary for former prime minister Toshiki Kaifu. He received a diplomatic order of merit and had great influence in Japan-Taiwan relations. In addition, Suzuki flew to Yonagunijima Island to enlist the cooperation of Mr. Kihachiro Maja. Mr. Maja is a true man of the sea who has navigated the sea route to Taiwan, and has extensive knowledge of the "Kuroshio Current" that flows through the East China Sea. Mr. Maja secured the escort vessel, and thus, the support system from Japan took shape. The executive committee for the "Japan to Taiwan Ocean Swim Challenge" was formed in June, and began full-scale operations for a September 17 start. Also offering assistance was Kihachiro Maja, who had flown to Yonagunijima Island, crossed the sea route to Taiwan, and was well acquainted with the East China Sea known for the "Kuroshio Current". Mr. Maja secured the escort vessel, and thus, backing from Japan took shape. The executive committee for the "Japan to Taiwan Ocean Swim Challenge" was formed in June, and began full-scale operations for a September 17 start.

The Pressure to Succeed

Despite the pressure to succeed, they faced problems from the onset.
"The boat and money," said Suzuki.
The group already found one escort boat in Yonagunijima Island. Why would they need another?
Suzuki explained, "If there is a problem with the only boat available, then the entire challenge will come to a halt; so having two boats was essential. We searched not only on Ishigakijima Island and the main island, but also in Taiwan. We couldn't find boats, such as rescue boats, which met the requirements for crossing territorial waters. As for money, we needed 10 million yen for the whole project. But these days a company can't put up one or two million yen. I felt the value in this project came from conveying the message with the support of many people, so we asked for individual sponsors through our website at 3,000 yen as the minimum donation. It was a slow start. But once the word spread about our project thanks to the support of people like former prime minister Kaifu and Mr. Sadaharu Oh, (legendary Japanese baseball player and coach who also holds Taiwan-ROC citizenship), we started to see some activity. This is how we secured the money and boat at the end of August, as the start date drew near."

Next, Suzuki met with Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the mayor of Su-ao, with Mr. Matsumonoto (executive committee chairperson) at the center of the negotiations. The framework for Taiwan to receive the swimmers was nearly complete. Soon, a feeling that this challenge was different from others began to take over Suzuki.

Suzuki discussed further, "When I received the message for President Ma Ying-jeou directly from the governors of the three disaster-stricken prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima; I realized that I couldn't fail this challenge. In a typical athletic challenge, it doesn't matter whether you succeed or fail, as long as there is inspiration in the challenge. This challenge, however, was a process. The ultimate goal is to convey the message of gratitude from the disaster-stricken areas. Once again, I realized that there is no point in the challenge unless that duty is accomplished. When I thought about the two countries coming together and all of the people involved in the challenge, I felt a serious amount of pressure.” Next, he recruited swimmers to join him on the swim through the Kuroshio Current across to Taiwan.

Initially, he thought about swimming the entire route on his own. However, because there was no room for failure, he chose the relay method to increase the chance of success. The requirement for swimmers was to be able to swim 20 kilometers in the ocean in five and a half hours. Approximately 20 people volunteered. The six finalists included a member of the Chuo University swim team from disaster-stricken Soma (Fukushima), members of the Self-Defence Forces, firefighters, as well as lifeguards.