S09 · E24

Coast Guard Academy

Coast Guard officers protect Japan's maritime security. They enforce regulations against illegal fishing and sometimes rescue people from danger, acting as the “police of the sea.” The school that trains these officers is the setting for this program. At the academy in Maizuru, Kyoto, more than 500 men and women between the ages of 18 and 25 live together in a communal setting. These young people train rigorously day and night. A teenager who has dreamed of becoming a Coast Guard officer since childhood. A woman who is working hard to overcome her dislike of swimming. At the end of July, when long-distance swimming training takes place, we get a glimpse into the lives of the “Sea Monkey” candidates.