20-year-old student drowns in river

As a Californian, I'm an ocean guy. The ocean is forgiving: it pushes as well as pulls, and as long as you know how to get out of a riptide, there is little danger. Rivers scare the hell out of me: they are not forgiving, and if you become trapped in a submerged obstacle, you will die.

I have never lived in a country where so many young people drown each year. Are the Japanese just really weak swimmers or something?

No Business:

I have never lived in a country where so many young people drown each year. Are the Japanese just really weak swimmers or something?

Apparently, many here are. One of the things that first confused me here was that many don´t say "I can swim" but rather "I can swim 20 meters" or "100 meters" or whatever. Weird.

Apparently, many here are.

People here may only think that way because it makes the headline news. Other Asian countries lose many per year as well but it doesn't make top news like China losing close to 1,000 per year drowning overseas.

I am not going to judge the population by seeing a few but from many of my snorkeling/diving trips abroad, the Asian Pacific tourists that I have come across, Japanese were far better swimmers as many Chinese, Koreans and Taiwanese were using arm floaters to look down at the fish.

Anyone anytime can get into danger anywhere. No matter how great of a whatever you (think) you are.

Rivers flow fast and cold in Japan. Many people are not confident swimmers, if they swim at all. Young people with low body fat and weak swimming skills are easily overpowered by river water here, sad to say.

I often go to the river to swim, but I choose slow waters, or swim upstream into rapids that will wash me back to the slow waters I started in.

If I can't see deep, I don't go in, much less jump in. That's another good thing about Japan - there are plenty of clean rivers to enjoy.

That's another good thing about Japan - there are plenty of clean rivers to enjoy.

Thanks for making me laugh!

Swimming in rivers takes time to master and understand -getting caught in a current many people panic and become weakened...

I do believe a relatively large number of people here in Japan are poor swimmers or can't swim at all.

Hardly any of the school pools they use are deeper than 1.5 meters deep. This goes for most public pools too.

They can always touch the bottom so aren't quite used to being in deep water especially suddenly.

Thanks for making me laugh!

You should get out of the city more.

You should get out of the city more.

I live deep in the mountains, 1000m in elevation. You are the city dweller.

I live deep in the mountains, 1000m in elevation. You are the city dweller.

I never claimed otherwise. It's true I live in a major city, but I get out of town and enjoy the rivers fairly often. What mountain do you live on that has rivers so dirty you can't swim in them??

I live deep in the mountains, 1000m in elevation. You are the city dweller.

You live in the mountains but can't find clean rivers? Something doesn't add up there. Maybe get some transport?

I have never lived in a country where so many young people drown each year. Are the Japanese just really weak swimmers or something?

Are you? Because anyone who knows how to swim, and has been around rivers, knows that a strong current doesn't give a damn at how good you are at swimming.

For a pair of sandals.

@WA4TKG

"For a pair of sandals."

Come on, man. He probably quickly found himself in over his head (that pun was not intended).

Had he thought trying to recover his sandals would've put him in a life threatening situation, he probably would've let them go.