11chDocumentary
Sprit of Japan
We're the Waterboys!
© 大分放送/企画:民間放送教育協会
Abu Town is located in the northern part of Yamaguchi Prefecture, facing the Sea of Japan. In 2011, a group of young volunteers launched the "ABU Waterboys," a synchronized swimming team, in an effort to enliven the town. We are the Waterboys! The performances, which begin with the customary chorus of "We are the Waterboys! They are a group of working adults: town hall employees, coast guard officers, company employees... all with no experience in synchronized swimming. In the spring of 2018, a new high school student joined this team of adults. Takuchan" is a first-year high school student...the youngest member ever. Taku-chan is not very good at dancing and is not very talkative. The adults around her support him in their own ways. Finally, the day of the performance in front of many people came.... As Taku-chan continued to work as a member of the team during his three years of high school, he also began to develop a goal for the future. That is, to become a coast guard officer who protects the safety of the sea. He studied hard for the entrance exam to the Japan Coast Guard Academy, but was repeatedly rebuffed by the thick walls of the entrance exam. The adults on the team were there for Taku-chan.
This is a record of high school students who devote themselves to synchro and the adults who sincerely support them.