Local swimming event to prepare for tsunami

July is almost over. Usually, all the 5th graders in elementary schools in Hamamatsu participate in an annual event called “30-minute circular swimming” in this month. But it was cancelled this year because of covid-19. In Japanese, this event is called “sanjuppunkan kaiei (30分間回泳).” I think most Japanese people have never heard of it or don’t know what it exactly means. This is a unique event in Hamamatsu that is hardly seen elsewhere.

In 30-minute circular swimming, children are supposed to swim for 30 minutes without touching the bottom of the pool. It is held in a big pool, and children from two (or more?) elementary schools swim together at a time in circle (There are 97 elementary schools in total). After several minutes from the start, a flow of water is generated, which allows them to swim more easily. Since the most important thing is to sustain themselves in water, children can swim in any style. It is ok to just allow themselves to float on water to be carried forward by the flow. I have heard more than 90% of children succeed in this challenge every year and get a certificate. It’s amazing!

This event has been held since 1966. When I was a 5th grader, it was held in a municipal pool near the castle. It was so deep that children could not reach the bottom. I was scared and got out of the pool after 3 minutes. It was no problem then because I didn’t need to have a “makeup test.” In recent years, children who couldn’t swim for 30 minutes should try again next year.

Now the old municipal pool no longer exists, and this event is held in ToBio (Furuhashi Hironoshin Memorial Hamamatsu Swimming Pool). It is a swimming facility nicknamed after Furuhashi Hironoshin (古橋廣之進, 1928 - 2009), who was an Olympic freestyle swimmer from Nishi Ward of Hamamatsu and called “flying fish (tobiuo) of Fujiyama”. He set some world records after World War II and led the swimming world in Japan.

As a child, Furuhashi Hironoshin used to swim in Lake Hamana. As you see in this map, Hamamatsu is surround by water, Lake Hamana, Pacific Ocean, and Tenryu River.

The event of 30-minute circular swimming is intended to prevent children from water accidents. They say that in case a tsunami occurs, if you can sustain yourself in water for 30 minutes, you will have a greater chance to be rescued. I don’t know if it is true or not, but 30-minute circular swimming is surely an unforgettable summer memory for many people in Hamamatsu.