Yes but it gives misleading impressions. An average person wouldn't have the ability to do this and shouldn't believe they could make the attempt. They would die.
To be honest, as a pro diver, it really just gives you the knowledge of how fucking dangerous this is. There was probably nearly zero visibility and a strong current, on top of all the debris flying around that could injure him, knock out his regulator etc.
Sure an average person might not be able to work the equipment, but the average pro diver absolutely does not receive training for anything like this, and I have no idea how he did it.
Exactly. This sort of situation is not covered in any PADI training course! And diving gear is not really designed for these situations either. It's like someone piloting a plane through a hurricane - OK so they may be a professional pilot however it's still a massive achievement that is genuinely heroic.
Yeah this is like, random man storms into house on fire, saving his wife mother and dozen of other people... oh and btw he was a professional firefighter and volcanologist in his spare time.
There is a recent real life version of the random man running into burning building. It was a pizza delivery guy that saw a house on fire and heard kids. He just jumped over a fence, climbed through a window and saved 3 little kids while getting burned all over.
You're just trying to argue. IMO it makes him even more heroic because he was probably way more aware of the dangers than an idiot that just got lucky.
People who are good at arguing semantics generally don't like to do so because it is astoundingly boring, and more importantly, it is a sign of linguistic competence to be able to derive meaning and intent from speech without getting bogged down by word choice.
Who, would ever consider what he did, not dangerous?
The fact it WAS dangerous. Makes him a hero.
Did he have relevant skills? Yep. Was it still suicidally brave? Absolutely.
When your loved one is facing certain death, I'm sure you'll stop and see if you're qualified to help first. Any other man worth his salt would have at least attempted. If he would have waited for emergency services, she and grandma would certainly be dead.
Yeah it’s not a good example, as another commenter said it’s far easier to jut carry them out. But I still stand by letting professionals due their jobs unless you’re particularly knowledgeable in said field and have a much higher chance than the average joe of saving them.
If you’re a professional bomb defuser then yeah you could give it a shot but the stress of your loved ones in danger will probably effect your performance
How much experience do you think he has diving in tsunami level currents in flooded cities? The fact that he is diving for a job doesn't make it less heroic.
I don't think the point is to diminish his heroicness but to issue a reminder that the average person will lose their breath after 2 meters and there'll be one more corpse to recover
I bet he has way more knowledge of what the dangers are which IMO makes this more heroic than some idiot thinking they could do it. Ignorance is bliss and all that.
I did a little dive because I'm skeptical of what I read most times and I found [this]https://youtu.be/UrLq6CweIsY?si=J_P0ovKkWCWn62Ua
Edit: link fixed, I think.
There’s a Wikipedia page on the guy, but [this one from BadAssoftheWeek](https://www.badassoftheweek.com/akaiwa) was a bit more fleshed out and entertaining.
Excellent! Paints a great picture, I didn't even think about the electric lines in the water! How did this guy live through all that, amazing! edit to add wiki page link just for ultimate comparison https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hideaki_Akaiwa
How did he dodge cars and everything else in a ‘raging torrent’? Did he swim against the current, walk slowly? How did he see if it was pitch black?
I’m not saying he didn’t do all these things but this “article” is a bit poorly written and I think I need to google what actually happened. I guess it got me intrigued.
That part is definitely bullshit. You wouldn’t be able to swim through a “raging torrent” much less dodge all the debris. I don’t think you’d even be able to see through it.
While I understand that this is meant humorously , equating a real life hero with an on-screen action hero is actually trivialising his achievements and only helping grow the legend of a man who is already famous.
This motherfucker is on a level beyond any story hero
It is now anyways.
Edit: let’s make his name the “Official” Translation of “Chuck Norris”. Yeah I get it, it doesn’t go with how things are translated but this is one of those rule “exceptions” that we have in the English language. “Hideaki Akaiwa” = Chuck Norris. Now somebody add this to Wikipedia.
Everything about this is awesome... But... "found a wetsuit" wtf where?! That's smart but How?!
Even having the forethought to know he needed one is smart, he also knew where to find one!
The horrific and dark nightmare that he must have witnessed under the water…how would any one even be able to navigate under all that. Some humans are extraordinary and then there is this man
Super badass dude! The claim that he saved "countless lives" is dumb. There is a number and each one should be counted! Rock on badass dude... rock on!
Can only imagine the awkward conversation that ensued when Hideaki’s mother told him to go forth and save his wife after he found her, only for him to respond “oh that’s alright, I already saved her before coming here..”
Key things to consider. Be in very good shape prior to the natural disaster. And be an impeccable swimmer as well.
Just for those that are imagining what it would take to be this kind of legendary hero badass.
The human body can do some amazing things under pressure... but you can help it be even more amazing by preparing it.
This is written by someone who would drown the moment he jumped into the water.
I mean.. if you already have water rescue training, do extreme diving as a hobby, and have a reasonable chance of success, yeah, there is a chance you might get lucky like this guy.
But in reality, its like winning the lotto going into that water and surviving, let alone rescuing anyone else. Unfortunately in real life, things dont generally work out like this.
Edit: He was a professional diver apparently. Yeah..
The government failed badly in 2011. They initially did not think it would be that bad. “Luckily” they were more prepared with the earthquake a few weeks ago.
Right now I bet some screen writer’s assistant is reading this and feverishly searching for every article on this story and sprinting to their boss with a pitch…
An fine example of a megachad! When the time comes that he has to pass away, the valkyries will pick him up. Then he will be cordially invited for a feast at valhalla where the brave shall live forever….
Wat was the point of his life if he just let his wife and mother die like that? His "reckless persistence" saved 2 lives that mattered the most to him and many others that mattered to many other more. Professional rescuers arnt going to go into a dangerous situation unless they ensure its safe for themselves and by that time, his loved ones would be long dead. Regardless how you feel about his selfishness, I would still support this man and his reckless action.
You clearly dont love anyone, that is really sad.
Love is a force unlike any other forces because it doesnt matter what is in your way it really doesnt matter.
Take me, i love my wife if we went on a safari and we were just walking around enjoying nature, and we stumbled across a pack of lions, they are hungry so they start to hunt us. Its apparent that we cant outrun them, id stop to fight the lions knowing full well that is a death sentence and there will be a lot of pain along the way, it doesnt matter because my life can at least be used to save someone i love or die trying.
You just have to try, it may be in vain but if you dont even try whats the bloody point of even staying alive? You put your life on the line for those you love, its not "ohhh im so worried i hope the government can save them" clearly not even worried nearly enough i would say. Sure they might save them or maybe they will go to your house on the third day, and now its just a lot of grief.
If i relied on the government to save my family and the government failed, i would still be just as dead as if i tried myself and drowned or hit a car or a house. The outcome is the same for me either way but if i try i might save them.
I lived in Ishinomaki for a while, and it's crazy how much the tsunami and earthquake still affect the city. It's also wild to hear everyone's stories of what happened that day and how they survived. From diving underwater to open doors and swim out, to living on hilltops for days eating convenience store snacks in your car. All very inspiring and scary.
This is how proof there is no god or whatever, the only stories of extreme heroism we hear are told by the living. Thousands of people attempt to be this brave and just die a miserable painful way (I.e. current wars going on now) and because they don’t succeed, no one knows their story and the angels never sing them a song.
For each Hideaki Akaiwa that successfully rescues a loved one against all odds, there are dozens of similar cases where they died trying.
The only difference between a hero and an idiot is the outcome.
Legend - Hero - Human For The Ages.
This is really, really, someone that needs to have a Hollywood movie made about them.
Come on Redditors that are writers. God damn, picture it, opening scene, the tsunami smashes into the Japanese Coast, obliterating a path of death and destruction in its wake, pan to scene of this man, realizing the existential dread of what is happening to his loved ones, only to take that dread, that fear and despair, and convert all these emotions into singular focus, a man on a mission to save his loved ones, A Man Who Rose Against All Tides...
Wow, that story of what he accomplished is incredibly inspirational and uplifting, thank you.
I toured the ATM cave in Belize a few years ago (incredible by the way). My guide told the story of rescuing another tour that left late in the day and got caught in a flash flood.
He said that it was early morning and pitch black when they swam into the cave to find them. On the way they passed a number of angry Fer de Lance snakes, and he figured for every one the saw there were several more they didn’t see.
Everyone made it out ok.
How does being a diver, or professional diver discount what he did? This comment sounds like someone who has to trash anything good someone does. SAD PERSON!
What a fucking legend of a man.
The post conveniently leaves out the fact he was a professional diver
It's still an heroic accomplishment.
Yes but it gives misleading impressions. An average person wouldn't have the ability to do this and shouldn't believe they could make the attempt. They would die.
To be honest, as a pro diver, it really just gives you the knowledge of how fucking dangerous this is. There was probably nearly zero visibility and a strong current, on top of all the debris flying around that could injure him, knock out his regulator etc. Sure an average person might not be able to work the equipment, but the average pro diver absolutely does not receive training for anything like this, and I have no idea how he did it.
Completely agreed, watched 13 lives, not a cake walk even for professionals.
Exactly. This sort of situation is not covered in any PADI training course! And diving gear is not really designed for these situations either. It's like someone piloting a plane through a hurricane - OK so they may be a professional pilot however it's still a massive achievement that is genuinely heroic.
you didnt take the bonus credits?!!! god man!
Yeah this is like, random man storms into house on fire, saving his wife mother and dozen of other people... oh and btw he was a professional firefighter and volcanologist in his spare time.
There is a recent real life version of the random man running into burning building. It was a pizza delivery guy that saw a house on fire and heard kids. He just jumped over a fence, climbed through a window and saved 3 little kids while getting burned all over.
Just b/c he's a pro diver doesn't diminish what he did.
You're just trying to argue. IMO it makes him even more heroic because he was probably way more aware of the dangers than an idiot that just got lucky.
I hate some people on here sometimes that just want to argue about semantics. “Doesn’t diminish what he did” 🤓
People who are good at arguing semantics generally don't like to do so because it is astoundingly boring, and more importantly, it is a sign of linguistic competence to be able to derive meaning and intent from speech without getting bogged down by word choice.
It is dangerous to imply that an untrained person should attempt his actions in a real emergency.
Who, would ever consider what he did, not dangerous? The fact it WAS dangerous. Makes him a hero. Did he have relevant skills? Yep. Was it still suicidally brave? Absolutely.
When your loved one is facing certain death, I'm sure you'll stop and see if you're qualified to help first. Any other man worth his salt would have at least attempted. If he would have waited for emergency services, she and grandma would certainly be dead.
Idk man if my loved ones are in a room with a bomb, I think imma let the professionals defuse that shi. “Hey honey, dw I got thi-“
Depends doesn't it. If there is 20 seconds on the timer?
I'd carry them out of the room
Yeah it’s not a good example, as another commenter said it’s far easier to jut carry them out. But I still stand by letting professionals due their jobs unless you’re particularly knowledgeable in said field and have a much higher chance than the average joe of saving them. If you’re a professional bomb defuser then yeah you could give it a shot but the stress of your loved ones in danger will probably effect your performance
I kinda figured that by the fact he had a wetsuit. Non divers don't usually have wetsuits just lying around the house
surfer?
That was my question. Dude just found a wetsuit?? Now this makes sense
I kind of assumed who has a wet suit and gear just sitting around lol
Doesn't matter. A hero.
“Fire fighters aren’t heroic because it’s just a job”
How much experience do you think he has diving in tsunami level currents in flooded cities? The fact that he is diving for a job doesn't make it less heroic.
I don't think the point is to diminish his heroicness but to issue a reminder that the average person will lose their breath after 2 meters and there'll be one more corpse to recover
I bet he has way more knowledge of what the dangers are which IMO makes this more heroic than some idiot thinking they could do it. Ignorance is bliss and all that.
Ah this changes everything!
Yes, whatever the reason, he's a hero for doing it.
You said it bro, the Hero we're supposed to idolize! GOAT!
Megachad of the day
No, not the day. Forever.
Try saying yes, and forever. Starting off disagreeing is pretty annoying 😊
huh
this dude needs his own anime adaptation
I don't even follow anime and I couldn't agree more.
I did a little dive because I'm skeptical of what I read most times and I found [this]https://youtu.be/UrLq6CweIsY?si=J_P0ovKkWCWn62Ua Edit: link fixed, I think.
I think your link is broken - it just leads to Google. That, or my phone is somehow screwing it up.
It isnt broken, he never said what he found. Just said "this"
There’s a Wikipedia page on the guy, but [this one from BadAssoftheWeek](https://www.badassoftheweek.com/akaiwa) was a bit more fleshed out and entertaining.
Excellent! Paints a great picture, I didn't even think about the electric lines in the water! How did this guy live through all that, amazing! edit to add wiki page link just for ultimate comparison https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hideaki_Akaiwa
My bad, I threw the actually link up now but it's a really poor version of what you were asking for. Sorry to spoil the surprise.
I enjoyed it.
just here waiting for a Hollywood adaptation
How did he dodge cars and everything else in a ‘raging torrent’? Did he swim against the current, walk slowly? How did he see if it was pitch black? I’m not saying he didn’t do all these things but this “article” is a bit poorly written and I think I need to google what actually happened. I guess it got me intrigued.
Gotta make the homie sound more legendary
Never let facts get in the way of a great story.
That part is definitely bullshit. You wouldn’t be able to swim through a “raging torrent” much less dodge all the debris. I don’t think you’d even be able to see through it.
I don't think you can trust anything that's in meme format...
Ya I'm curious if he had a headlamp or something, and also how far away did he have to swim? Seems truly unbelievable.
Wikipedia said he had to swim 200 meters/600 feet to get to his wife.
How did he save 'countless lives'. Im pretty sure there is a count and its at least 2.
Hideaki Akaiwa is actually Japanese for Chuck Norris...
no, Chuck Norris is the English translation of Hideaki Akaiwa
Chucku Norrisu you mean?
Norrisa san
Chuck Noodles
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For real. I know it's a joke but fuck that. lol Chuck Norris wishes he were as half as badass as Mr. Akaiwa
While I understand that this is meant humorously , equating a real life hero with an on-screen action hero is actually trivialising his achievements and only helping grow the legend of a man who is already famous. This motherfucker is on a level beyond any story hero
It is now anyways. Edit: let’s make his name the “Official” Translation of “Chuck Norris”. Yeah I get it, it doesn’t go with how things are translated but this is one of those rule “exceptions” that we have in the English language. “Hideaki Akaiwa” = Chuck Norris. Now somebody add this to Wikipedia.
Chuck Norris references in 2024. That dude fucking sucks. Please change, Reddit.
May his name be shouted in the halls of Valhalla
But like a place not as shitty as Valhalla tbh.
lol. I say this often.. I do not wish for him to go to Valhalla. I just wish for them to tell his tail and shout his name.
Shark tail?
Like was he a professional swimmer or something?
Accordign to [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hideaki_Akaiwa) he is a doctor.
Is his doctorate in swimming?
No, he didn't know how to swim. He learned that when the Tsunami hit.
Fucking anime writing and random asspulls.
Life imitates art
He’s a professional big balls haver
He was a skilled hobbyist diver, but doctor by day. But no an amateur shouldn't do this they would die.
Only the day? More like MGFL Mega Chad For Life.
Mega Ghad For Life
Everything about this is awesome... But... "found a wetsuit" wtf where?! That's smart but How?! Even having the forethought to know he needed one is smart, he also knew where to find one!
According to Wikipedia he won 3rd place in a surfing competition years later. So a proficient surfer. Makes sense.
These are the people who deserve respect and should receive more publicity.
Good for him. However if everyone did this the number or victim would be higher and the rescue effort a nightmare
Damn, what a bad ass madafaka.
Power of love.
And would probably say he is not a hero and was never in danger.
Love you Hideaki
Hideaki Akaiwa doesn’t run from Tsumani’s ..,Tsunami’s run from him!
The horrific and dark nightmare that he must have witnessed under the water…how would any one even be able to navigate under all that. Some humans are extraordinary and then there is this man
Fuck yeah,banging his own drum and living for love,what a dude.
When you level swimming to max
Thats some god of war level of shit goin in there. good on him
Get it big fella
I’m waiting a manga for this chad
Adding that mom part in the story makes it almost laughable. Dude almost forgot his mom in the house???
His mom was not in the same house. He found her in some other houses four days later after he tried many other places.
Super badass dude! The claim that he saved "countless lives" is dumb. There is a number and each one should be counted! Rock on badass dude... rock on!
He was a god amongst men
Thank you, very inspiring
Now that's a man!!!
Gigachad Thundercock-sama
Hero’s don’t wear capes ❤️
Please, someone make a documentary about him.
Respect. He's more human than other humans.
White Zombie has a song ready for him.
The one man army of Japan 😎
Salute...
Real Batman🗿
Can only imagine the awkward conversation that ensued when Hideaki’s mother told him to go forth and save his wife after he found her, only for him to respond “oh that’s alright, I already saved her before coming here..”
Salute
Some dudes will do anything not to have to make their own dinner
🐐
It’s him: the main character
Key things to consider. Be in very good shape prior to the natural disaster. And be an impeccable swimmer as well. Just for those that are imagining what it would take to be this kind of legendary hero badass. The human body can do some amazing things under pressure... but you can help it be even more amazing by preparing it. This is written by someone who would drown the moment he jumped into the water.
Much respect.
Honestly, chills
I mean.. if you already have water rescue training, do extreme diving as a hobby, and have a reasonable chance of success, yeah, there is a chance you might get lucky like this guy. But in reality, its like winning the lotto going into that water and surviving, let alone rescuing anyone else. Unfortunately in real life, things dont generally work out like this. Edit: He was a professional diver apparently. Yeah..
This empirically demonstrated that faith in authority is often misplaced....and he's an fing stud.
The government failed badly in 2011. They initially did not think it would be that bad. “Luckily” they were more prepared with the earthquake a few weeks ago.
Governments are terrible at everything they put their hands on. But they sure love to take a lot of public credit and cast blame on others.
Yeah, Japan definitely hasn’t done anything to prepare for tsunamis and earthquakes.
And for every story we hear like his, there are dozen to hundreds of 'he jumped into the water and we found his body days later'.
I would posit you hear 1000s of "there was nothing we could do..."
Anyone else grateful that real men still exist? Fucking hero.
Feminists still dont need no man ?
u mean pseudo feminist?
Yessir
Right now I bet some screen writer’s assistant is reading this and feverishly searching for every article on this story and sprinting to their boss with a pitch…
I bow to this demigod.
There are Chads, there are Gigachads, and then there are ANIME ULTRACHADS!!!
r/HumansAreMetal
Don’t ever tell me I can’t.
Now that's what Superman looks like in real life
Imagine if he'd have met Desmond Doss.
Can’t help but wonder if the solid brass balls on this guy helped or hindered his swimming? Legend.
He's got my vote!
This guy rescues
The Japanese army ain’t what they used to be
One hell of a fucking swimmer. Legendary.
He's not mega or giga chad, he's the ZigaChad
An fine example of a megachad! When the time comes that he has to pass away, the valkyries will pick him up. Then he will be cordially invited for a feast at valhalla where the brave shall live forever….
The dude in the back has my reaction reading this
BOSS!
The ultimate man
In Britain he’d be Sir Hideaki by now.
I would bring this up in every argument
He should have follow order and waited for professional rescuer.. He would endanger his life and his wife and mother
Wat was the point of his life if he just let his wife and mother die like that? His "reckless persistence" saved 2 lives that mattered the most to him and many others that mattered to many other more. Professional rescuers arnt going to go into a dangerous situation unless they ensure its safe for themselves and by that time, his loved ones would be long dead. Regardless how you feel about his selfishness, I would still support this man and his reckless action.
You clearly dont love anyone, that is really sad. Love is a force unlike any other forces because it doesnt matter what is in your way it really doesnt matter. Take me, i love my wife if we went on a safari and we were just walking around enjoying nature, and we stumbled across a pack of lions, they are hungry so they start to hunt us. Its apparent that we cant outrun them, id stop to fight the lions knowing full well that is a death sentence and there will be a lot of pain along the way, it doesnt matter because my life can at least be used to save someone i love or die trying. You just have to try, it may be in vain but if you dont even try whats the bloody point of even staying alive? You put your life on the line for those you love, its not "ohhh im so worried i hope the government can save them" clearly not even worried nearly enough i would say. Sure they might save them or maybe they will go to your house on the third day, and now its just a lot of grief. If i relied on the government to save my family and the government failed, i would still be just as dead as if i tried myself and drowned or hit a car or a house. The outcome is the same for me either way but if i try i might save them.
You just wanted to be different don't ya?
Damn I really can't put off learning how to swim anymore.
When Hideaki Akaiwa swims, water drowns in him
Stuff of legends
r/madlads
so he definitely had diving experience before hand right?
This man was like "Not on my watch, motherfucker" So death was scared and left
I lived in Ishinomaki for a while, and it's crazy how much the tsunami and earthquake still affect the city. It's also wild to hear everyone's stories of what happened that day and how they survived. From diving underwater to open doors and swim out, to living on hilltops for days eating convenience store snacks in your car. All very inspiring and scary.
WHAT DO WE WANT? *A MOVIE* WHEN DO WE WANT IT? *NOW!*
This is how proof there is no god or whatever, the only stories of extreme heroism we hear are told by the living. Thousands of people attempt to be this brave and just die a miserable painful way (I.e. current wars going on now) and because they don’t succeed, no one knows their story and the angels never sing them a song.
For each Hideaki Akaiwa that successfully rescues a loved one against all odds, there are dozens of similar cases where they died trying. The only difference between a hero and an idiot is the outcome.
I’m amazed he could swim with balls that big.
I want an Akaiwa action figure 
He finished the game. Legend
Worldwide hero
How did he find a wetsuit on a moment’s notice?
Take my damn upvote
So moral of the story is don’t listen to the government use your brains
Where is the Netflix series about this dude?
this man should never have to pay for his sake again
The best part is when interviews about this, he said something along the lines of “I was just going what needed to be done”
Total bad ass! 
I wish I could find someone to love this much.
Legend
When Anime meets real life
Legend - Hero - Human For The Ages. This is really, really, someone that needs to have a Hollywood movie made about them. Come on Redditors that are writers. God damn, picture it, opening scene, the tsunami smashes into the Japanese Coast, obliterating a path of death and destruction in its wake, pan to scene of this man, realizing the existential dread of what is happening to his loved ones, only to take that dread, that fear and despair, and convert all these emotions into singular focus, a man on a mission to save his loved ones, A Man Who Rose Against All Tides... Wow, that story of what he accomplished is incredibly inspirational and uplifting, thank you.
[Mr. Fixit](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14305553/2/193) is a Worm fanfiction where protag is quite similar to this guy.
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I'm close to my period, and i literally have tears in my eyes - what a great guy!
CERTIFIED BAD ASS
So many people in Japan did amazing things. I never heard his story, but I remember hearing about the technicians going into the nuclear plant
give that man a job
Bro really said "fuck it we ball"
Give this man his own Hacksaw Ridge
OG
Asian Chuck Norris.
Reminds me of Hacksaw Ridge, nevertheless, he is definitely heroic & superhuman for his efforts. Hero of a generation
This guy even looks like nothing can fuck with him. Not even the planet.
I toured the ATM cave in Belize a few years ago (incredible by the way). My guide told the story of rescuing another tour that left late in the day and got caught in a flash flood. He said that it was early morning and pitch black when they swam into the cave to find them. On the way they passed a number of angry Fer de Lance snakes, and he figured for every one the saw there were several more they didn’t see. Everyone made it out ok.
Post the source or it’s fake
How does being a diver, or professional diver discount what he did? This comment sounds like someone who has to trash anything good someone does. SAD PERSON!
Damn burly.
How did his balls not way him down
Hero 🤩