【Rediscover Paradise Okinawa by Corona Extra] Vol. 3 Tokujin Nakadonari leads us to the unchanging beauty of the Okinawan sea.

Okinawa's tourism industry was severely affected by COVID-19. Did you know that the beer brand "Corona Extra" is providing full support to save it?

The content of the program is that the brand's budget will be used to pay in advance for vacant rooms at lodging facilities in Okinawa Prefecture, and the purchased rooms will be offered to consumers for the vacancies. (AlreadySpecial Site(Applications for the campaign are now being accepted at ). In addition, we have interviewed four groups involved in tourism in Okinawa and are distributing their life-sized stories in a documentary movie.

HOUYHNHNM's will show a limited number of stories of the performers that were not included in the movie. We will follow their backgrounds and perspectives on life in a total of four installments. The third installment features Tokujin Nakadonari, who is struggling in the surfing and cruising business to convey the charm of Okinawa's ocean.

The value of the sea, which I didn't realize just by looking at it .

I feel that I have the richest life in the world because I am able to be in contact with this wonderful ocean every day (laughs). He is Norihito Nakahodo, a.k.a. Naru-san, a surfing instructor and boat cruising guide in Okinawa.

Surprisingly, it was not until they were over 20 years old that they became aware of the allure of the sea. For those who live in Okinawa, the ocean is a natural part of their lives. It is not a place to play or do anything special.

The reason I got into surfing was because it was cool and I wanted to be popular," he says. Nalu is very open about his reasons for getting into surfing, but from there, he became completely swamped in the sport.

. I was instantly captivated by the feeling of floating and speed the moment I rode the wave. Even when I wasn't surfing, I would think about surfing all the time, so I would pay attention to the direction of the wind just by going outside. I used to drink and make a lot of noise in my life, but I felt myself becoming more and more in touch with nature. I started to understand how pro surfers in surf movies talk about 'the power of nature...'" (laughs).

The Hawaiian word for "wave" is Nalu. It is interesting that his nickname, which is just an abbreviation of his real name, happens to symbolize his life. As his nickname suggests, he has become inseparable from surfing, and his life has taken a further turn.

I can no longer work or surf , 2020.

I worked in the foreign financial industry for 12 years, but I quit my salaried job to start a marine guide business with the desire to share the appeal of surfing and the ocean with as many people as possible. . . as a business, since the end of last year. We have just started, but the timing is pretty bad (laughs)." The marine business, which would normally be in full swing from around May, was directly affected by the pandemic, which made him anxious.

. It wasn't only work that was a hindrance. "As I continued to avoid contact with people, day by day the mood became more and more that surfing was not allowed, and even the news began to say things like, 'Today, too, many surfers.... Seeing the culture of surfing being pushed into a corner, he must have felt lonely and anxious.

Currently, tourism in Okinawa is gradually beginning to restart. . "I've been able to move around to some extent in Japan, but overseas is still a long way off. Of course I want to go on surf trips myself, and I hope that the day will come soon when I can tell people overseas about the charms of Okinawa. These were too honest words, both as a surfer and as a person who makes his living in the tourism industry.

The charm of Okinawa that we want to convey.

This situation is a tailwind for Naru's goal of "conveying the charm of the Okinawan sea. I think I can convey the joy of the real Okinawan ocean to people who have been to Hawaii or other beach resorts overseas," he says. Undaunted by the obstacles in front of them, they continue to think about how to overcome them and make the most of them.

. "I don't think anyone feels bad about going into the ocean. . I think it was a year in which everyone had a variety of emotions. . But for those who choose to come to Okinawa, I want them to go home with memories of fun that will make the hard times go away.

Perhaps what Naru felt in front of the sea after the self-restraint was lifted may be the intrinsic value of nature. Our lives have changed, and we feel as if the whole world has changed, but the Okinawan sea is as beautiful as ever, and nature is waiting for us just the same.

The nature of Okinawa that you have not yet seen awaits you . On the day you can visit Okinawa again, let's go there to rediscover it. Naru" will surely lead the way.

Photo_Yoshihiro Kato(ikism)

The film is available on the official YouTube channel.