Protecting Lives from Water Accidents: The Complete Guide to Safety Swimming

2026/02/24

At Keio University, there is a phrase coined by Professor Shinzo Koizumi, "Jukusei Kaiei" (All Students Shall Swim), which embodies the educational philosophy that acquiring swimming skills is one of the essential qualities a person should possess. The teaching emphasizes that Keio students should not lose the precious lives given to them by their parents due to an inability to swim, nor should they be unable to save someone who is drowning.

The Japan Swimming Federation has promoted "Kokumin Kaiei" (All Citizens Shall Swim) since before the war, stating its mission to "strive for the spread of swimming, realize universal swimming for the public, and contribute to the maintenance and promotion of health and the prevention of water accidents." However, contrary to this intent, swimming education in Japan has continued to focus on four-stroke competitive swimming in pools. As a result, the island nation of Japan has one of the highest rates of drowning accidents in the world, with the number of drowning deaths in recent years ranking second only to Russia, and a gradual upward trend continues.

However, as long as I, an able-bodied person, am writing about people with mental disabilities, I want to avoid writing only things that are convenient for the able-bodied. In many cases, a "pleasant betrayal" is nothing more than a convenient betrayal that allows the majority, including the able-bodied, to feel as though they have reflected on their own position without their status actually being threatened. As far as I know, learning through fieldwork is not that simple.

Keio Yochisha Elementary School has incorporated long-distance swimming, 1,000m pool swims, and competitive swimming into its education to protect human lives from water accidents. Although we have led the way for 35 years with safety swimming classes such as "clothed swimming" and "water rescue methods," water accidents have not been eliminated. Therefore, we have systematically compiled knowledge, techniques, and case studies into a book so that anyone, anywhere, can acquire safety swimming skills fairly and correctly. Furthermore, we have implemented an advanced approach by including QR code links to videos that explain the movements.

In recent years, the risk of disasters occurring worldwide has been increasing due to climate change. To protect lives from water accidents and disasters around the world and to contribute to the development of "safety swimming," experts in various fields have gathered their wisdom, and we are currently working toward the publication of English and Chinese editions. I would like people to know that this book represents "Keio University's safety swimming initiatives" as a leader of the whole of society in preparing for and countering global issues. Looking toward the near future, we will disseminate the insights regarding the "dignity of life" obtained from the systematic content of this book to the entire world. We hope you will pick up this book and give it a read.

Protecting Lives from Water Accidents: The Complete Guide to Safety Swimming

Hideki Fujimoto

Toyokan Publishing

242 pages, 2,310 yen (tax included)

*Affiliations and titles are as of the time of writing.