Home / Series / NHK World Special Programs / Aired Order / Season 2019 / Episode 21

Sea of Light: A Blind Yachtsman's Voyage across the Pacific

In April 2019, 52-year-old Mitsuhiro Iwamoto, who is totally blind, succeeded in crossing the Pacific Ocean in his sailboat. This program documents both his spectacular achievement of being the first blind person to make the brutal 55-day voyage, and the life experiences that led him there. When he lost his sight at age 16, Iwamoto contemplated suicide but was saved by a seemingly impossible dream: to sail across the Pacific Ocean. 6 years before this documented success, he had attempted a crossing with a popular newscaster that ended in failure when their boat collided with a whale. On this successful voyage, Iwamoto teamed up with Japan-based businessman Douglas Smith. The two of them set sail from San Diego, California and arrived, without any stops in between, at Onahama Port in Fukushima Prefecture. The entire journey was filmed using 3 fixed cameras placed strategically on the boat in addition to one hand-held camera.

English
  • Originally Aired October 5, 2019
  • Network NHK
  • Created October 9, 2019 by
    Administrator admin
  • Modified October 9, 2019 by
    Administrator admin