Swim Shōdoshima
Swim Shodoshima（スイム小豆島）was an unprecedented solo 73.61 km counterclockwise stage swim around Shōdoshima Island in Kagawa Prefecture by 63-year-old Steven Munatones.
Contents
- 1 Swim Shōdoshima Results
- 2 Swim Shōdoshima Videos
- 3 Shōdoshima
- 4 Goals
- 5 Start and Finish
- 6 Original Plan of Swim Shōdoshima
- 7 Original Itinerary
- 8 Daily Schedule
- 9 Team
- 10 Shōdoshima 88 Temple Pilgrimage
- 11 Media Coverage
- 12 Steven Munatones Swims in Japan
- 13 Swim Shōdoshima Headquarters in Tonoshō, Shōdoshima
- 14 Post Swim
- 15 External links
Swim Shōdoshima Results
- On 1 July 2026, Steven Munatones completed the 73.61 km Swim Shōdoshima in Kagawa, Prefecture, Japan in a cumulative time of 18 hours 22 minutes 49 seconds at the age of 63 together with escort kayaker Chris Morgan, PhD, escort paddler Skyler Munatones, and stand-up paddler Jessie Salas. They started and finished the 6-day stage swim on Angel Road at high tide, sandwiched between two typhoons, observed and documented by Yuko Matsuzaki.
- Day 1 on 26 June 2026: 15.23 km in 3 hours 49 minutes 29 seconds
- Day 2 on 27 June 2026: 13.59 km in 3 hours 32 minutes 59 seconds
- Day 3 on 28 June 2026: 15.37 km in 4 hours 23 minutes 55 seconds
- Day 4 on 29 June 2026: 16.01 km in 3 hours 37 minutes 26 seconds
- Day 5 on 30 June 2026: 10.61 km in 2 hours 24 minutes 36 seconds
- Day 6 on 1 July 2026: 2.6 km in 34 minutes 24 seconds
Swim Shōdoshima Videos
Nishinippon Broadcasting newscast
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Six
Support Team
Paddleboard Escort by Skyler Munatones
Inflation of the Joe Bark paddleboard by Skyler Munatones
Building the Oru Kayak by Chris Morgan, PhD
Shōdoshima
Shōdoshima (小豆島) is an island located in the Inland Sea of Japan. The name means "Island of Small Beans". The island is famous as the setting for the novel Twenty-Four Eyes and its subsequent film adaptations and the manga Teasing Master Takagi-san and its adaptations. The island was the first area of Japan to successfully grow olives, and it is sometimes known as "Olive Island".
Goals
- A celebration of the 10th-year anniversary of the survival of Steven Munatones who suffered a heart attack and was saved by his 17-year-old son Skyler Munatones.
- Munatones first visited Shōdoshima in 1988 and has always wanted to do an unprecedented adventure swim that honors the beauty, culture, history, and foods of Shōdoshima.
- Swim Shōdoshima also serves as a navigational test and logistical preparation stage swim for the 1,188 km Swim Shikoku (スイム四国) that will start upon securing sponsorship.
Start and Finish
Swim Shōdoshima starts on Angel Road sandbar that only appears at low tide between Shōdoshima and Nakayo Island. Shikoku Island can be easily seen from Shōdoshima.
Original Plan of Swim Shōdoshima
| Day, Date | Start | Finish | Distance Swum |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 June | Depart from LAX | via ANA 7543 to Haneda Airport | Depart at 11:40 am |
| 24 June | Arrive in Haneda | at 3:05 pm | Fly to Shikoku, arrive at 6:35 pm |
| 25 June | Take ferry to Tonoshō | Rent cars, drive to Angel Road]（エンジェルロード) | drive to Twenty-four Eyes Movie Studio (花寿波島） |
| #1, 26 June | Swim from Tonoshō（土庄町）Angel Road（エンジェルロード) | to Hanasaki ka Ojisan no Hanahata Flower Garden (二十四の瞳映画村季節の花畑) | 15.2 km |
| #2, 27 June | Swim from Hanasaki ka Ojisan no Hanahata Flower Garden (二十四の瞳映画村季節の花畑) | to Kibō-no-Michi, Nanpūdai Outlook（希望の道、南風台) | 12.2 km |
| #3, 28 June | Swim from Kibō-no-Michi, Nanpūdai Outlook（希望の道、南風台) | to Shimaasobi (シマアソビ) | 16.1 km |
| #4, 29 June | Swim from Shimaasobi (シマアソビ) | to Kita-ura Kodomo Park (北浦こども園) | 10.3 km |
| #5, 30 June | Swim from Kita-ura Kodomo Park (北浦こども園) | to Otsu（乙) | 9.0 km |
| #6, 1 July | Swim from Otsu（乙) | to Angel Road（エンジェルロード) | 8.3 km |
| #7, 2 July | Alternate day #1 | TBD | TBD |
| #8, 3 July | Alternate day #2 | TBD | TBD |
Original Itinerary
- Tuesday, June 23: depart LAX
- Wednesday, June 24: arrive Haneda and Tokushima, travel to Takamatsu
- Thursday, June 25: take ferry from Takamatsu to Shōdoshima, rent 2 cars
- Friday, June 26: Day 1 start at Angel Road（エンジェルロード). Swim 15.2 km to Hanasaki ka Ojisan no Hanahata Flower Garden (二十四の瞳映画村季節の花畑）. Approximately 4 hours of swimming.
- Saturday, June 27: Day 2 start at Hanasaki ka Ojisan no Hanahata Flower Garden (二十四の瞳映画村季節の花畑). Swim 12.2 km to Kibō-no-Michi, Nanpūdai Outlook（希望の道、南風台）. Approximately 3.5 hours of swimming.
- Sunday, June 28: Day 3 start at Kibō-no-Michi, Nanpūdai Outlook（希望の道、南風台). Swim 16.1 km to Shimaasobi (シマアソビ). Approximately 5 hours of swimming.
- Monday, June 29: Day 4 start at Shimaasobi (シマアソビ). Swim 10.3 km to Kita-ura Kodomo Park (北浦こども園). Approximately 3 hours of swimming.
- Tuesday, June 30: Day 5 start at Kita-ura Kodomo Park (北浦こども園). Swim 9.0 km to Otsu (乙). Approximately 3 hours of swimming.
- Wednesday, July 1: Day 6 start at Otsu（乙). Swim 8.3 km to finish at Angel Road (エンジェルロード). Approximately 2.5 hours of swimming.
Daily Schedule
- Breakfast
- Leave house with kayak, paddle board, tow float, Restube, 3 whistles, 2 bright orange safety vests, earplugs, upper body wetsuit, googles, reef (water) shoes, food and drinks for kayaker, paddler, and swimmer
- Arrive at start point 30 minutes before ideal starting time (to be decided).
- Prepare kayak and paddle board.
- Apply Desitin and sunscreen.
- Swim. Constantly communicate with land-based team (Yuko Matsuzaki, Rieko Munatones, Sabrina Munatones)
- After finish, drive to next finish location and investigate area.
- Return home. Recover with KAATSU.
- Eat and take a nap (important for kayaker Chris Morgan, paddler Skyler Munatones, and swimmer Steven Munatones).
- Write daily report to submit to the Japanese Coast Guard and Fishermen's Cooperative Unions on Shōdoshima with photos and videos.
- Upload information to the Daily News of Open Water Swimming, YouTube, and Instagram.
- Team meeting to prepare for next day and eat dinner.
Team
- Professor Yuichi Ishigawa: Expedition leader and coordinator with Japanese Coast Guard and Shōdoshima Fishermen Cooperative Unions
- Yuko Matsuzaki: Chief Observer, Japanese Coast Guard coordinator, and International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Honor Swimmer
- Steven Munatones: Swimmer
- Chris Morgan, PhD: escort kayaker, navigator, and driver
- Skyler Munatones: escort paddler, navigator, and driver
- Sydney Munatones: dryland support crew coordinating YouTube Live, GoPro camera, and Shōdoshima 88 Temple Pilgrimage *Sofia Munatones: dryland support crew coordinating Facebook Live and Instagram Live and Japanese-English interpreter
- Rieko Munatones: Japanese-English interpreter and driver
- Sabrina Munatones: dryland support crew focusing on photography/videography and Japanese-English interpreter
- Delaney Whittet: dryland support crew and hydration specialist
- Masaaki Sugimoto (杉本 雅昭): Sea adviser of currents and tides
- Steve Sutton: marine forecaster and navigational strategist
- Jessie Salas: escort paddler, KAATSU recovery specialist
Shōdoshima 88 Temple Pilgrimage
The Shōdoshima 88 Temple Pilgrimage is a 160 km circuit on Shōdoshima Island in the Seto Inland Sea, designed as a smaller, more accessible version of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage]]. Walking the entire circuit typically takes 7–10 days to complete, featuring mountain temples, caves, and scenic coastal views, allowing pilgrims to follow in the footsteps of the monk Kūkai that offers a deep look into Japanese Buddhist traditions and natural landscapes in a shorter timeframe.
It connects 88 sacred sites where Kūkai is believed to have trained, often including mountain trails, bamboo forests, and rural areas. Key stops include Mt. Goishi, Cave Temple (Edokutsu), and various temples nestled in mountain settings or offering views of the Seto Inland Sea. Unlike the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, this route is more manageable for a shorter, more intense experience, offering a mix of hiking and cultural immersion.
Traditional pilgrims wear white, but modern walkers often wear comfortable hiking gear, carrying a Nokyouchou (stamp book) to collect stamps (go-shuin) at each temple. There are small guesthouses, local inns, and hotels are available, particularly in town areas.
Media Coverage
- The swim will be covered by Nishinippon Broadcasting in a program called The Story of the Man Swimming Around Shodoshima (or 小豆島を泳いで一周する男の物語 in Japanese with reporter Kosuke Nakagiri and director Ken Harada.
- The swim will be covered by Why Did You Come to Japan? (YOUは何しに日本へ？, a Japanese television program presented by Osamu Shitara and Yūki Himura, a comedy duo known as Bananaman. It is a regular program on TV Tokyo on Monday evenings. The show was first broadcast in the form of two pilot shows in 2012 before becoming a recurring series, airing late on Wednesday nights starting in January 2013. Due to its popularity, it was moved to the prime time evening slot on Mondays beginning with the episode broadcast in April 2013, where it has been airing ever since.
Steven Munatones Swims in Japan
Steven Munatones has swum in every prefecture in Japan including swims across Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, Tsugaru Channel between Aomori Prefecture and Hokkaido, across the Five Lakes of Mount Fuji in Yamanashi Prefecture, between Ishigaki and Iriomote in Okinawa Prefecture, around Yonaguni Island in Okinawa Prefecture, to and from Teba Island in Shikoku.
Swim Shōdoshima Headquarters in Tonoshō, Shōdoshima
Post Swim
- The Japanese Association of Exercise Therapy and Prevention and the Exercise Is Medicine Japan will report on this event.
- After the swim, Japanese cardiologists at the Kansai Medical Center in Osaka gave Munatones a comprehensive Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test to understand the benefits of swimming for heart attack and stroke survivors in Japan. The doctors assessed the 64-year-old heart attack survivor as having the cardiovascular strength of a 39-year-old.
External links
- Nishinippon TV Broadcasts Swim Shōdoshima
- Swim Shōdoshima Day Six: Finish Back At The Start
- Swim Shōdoshima Day Five: When The Tides Turn
- Swim Shōdoshima Day Four, When The Weather Clears
- Swim Shōdoshima Day Three: Déjà vu from Manhattan and Atlantic City
- Swim Shōdoshima Day Two
- Swim Shōdoshima Day One
- Live Television Broadcast of Swim Shōdoshima
- Swim Shōdoshima Headquarters, Japanese Style
- When A Reconnaissance Tour Leads To A Surprise
- Swimming Around Shōdoshima, Scenic Splendor
- Swim Shikoku
- Planning Update for Swim Shikoku: More Detailed Logistics
- Planning for Swim Shikoku
- @steven.munatones
- Unique Japanese Words That Open Water Swimmers Can Appreciate
