For 15 plus years Dane Gillett has been recording the Japanese surf scenes around the areas of Tokyo, Japan. Dane, originally from England, is a frothy surfer hell bent on documenting the ins and outs of the local breaks around Chiba, Japan. What started out 15 years ago as a way to ease his frustrations with the overall lack of English surf information, later turned into his first business idea with the culmination of SurfingInJapan.com. His playful idea to try and put Japan on the map, would eventually become his passion and later on contribute to how he made his living. Fast forward to today and Dane has now become the unofficial voice of Japanese surfing on social media.
Can you please state your name and country of origin?
Hi! My name is Dane John Gillett and I am originally from Cranleigh, England.
How many years have you been surfing?
I have been surfing for well over 30 years and 15 of those have been in Japan.
What sort of boards do you normally ride?
I ride all types of boards. I love shortboards, longboards, funboards, foamboards, boogieboards, and anything else that will float. If you give me a board I will take it out into the ocean and ride it.
Where is your local lineup?
My local line up is Hebara Beach in Katsura Chiba, Japan. My favorite break is Obachans which is a left. Obachans is located right in front of the Splash Guest House.
How is the vibe?
The vibe at Hebara is epic. There are lots of different breaks in the area (6+) which keeps everyone pretty mellow. Although, I will say that when the surf gets epic the vibe changes really quick and the usual testosterone in the lineup appears. But as long as you are respectful and friendly you can still get waves in any condition.
What is your favorite time of year to surf in Japan?
My favorite time of year to surf in Japan is from September to November. This is our prime time typhoon season. I like this time of year because the water and air temperatures are still really warm. Everyone is surfing in board shorts. During this time of the year the size of the surf sometimes exceeds 20ft plus. As you can imagine, this wave size favors the more experienced surfers.
What brought you to Japan?
I originally came to Japan on a holiday vacation and ended up discovering the mountains and snowboarding. I loved it here so much I wanted to stay.
What kept you in Japan and when did you decide to start a surfing business?
Because I love everything about Japan so much..the mountains, the cities, the ocean, the weather, the people, the food..need I go on? I just knew I wanted to stay. And so I found any way I could to support myself. I started off by working for different people then working for myself and then ultimately I decided to start my own business. It was one heck of a journey. The first surf business I started was more than fifteen years ago which was SurfinginJapan.com. The reason I started this website was out of frustration with the lack of information in English about surfing in Japan. The website came about one day at a time. Little by little I started to document all the spots in my area in my notebook. Then I would go home and type everything up on my computer. I obtained so much Japanese surf information that I felt obligated to share it online with others. So I had a duty to start this website and get this information out there. Also, I really wanted to showcase just how good Japan is when the waves turn on.
What does it mean to be a surfer in Japan?
First off, being a surfer in Japan is amazing. I feel truly blessed to be involved with such a passionate community of ocean loving people. Living in Hebara I am surrounded by so many people that I love. The surfing community here is so respectful towards me and also very supportive of my photography and the surf guest house. Words can not describe how happy I am to be living in Japan and doing what I love. If I had to describe what it means to be a surfer in Japan, I would say Japanese surfers are extremely passionate about surfing. The country has so many different spots that stretch from Hokkaido to the tiny island of Ishigaki. The surfers in Japan are also really inviting to travelers. Japanese surfers want foreigners to come and surf their waves/spots. To sum it up, I would say Japanese surfers are friendly, passionate, and open to sharing waves with everyone.
Could you share your thoughts on how the surf scene in Japan might be different or unique from other places?
Yes, I have traveled a lot both abroad and here in Japan. The biggest difference is the unique geographic features of Japan. Japan is made up of many different islands that stretch from Taiwan in the south to Russia in the north. What makes Japan really unique is that all of these islands receive quality surf. As of yet, most of the urban areas have been mapped out but there are some not so remote and very remote Japanese surf spots that are far from being discovered or put on the map. In my opinion, the diversity of surf spots is what makes surfing in Japan so unique. You could spend 10+ years surfing in Japan and still not come close to surfing all of the spots there is to offer. In a lot of areas of Japan, there is still very little in the way of English information on surfing. This lack of information in English makes me think that Japan is still being discovered by the outside world.
If you could, can you please describe how you have contributed to the surf scene in Japan?
Well, over 15 years ago I created the website SurfinginJapan.com to document the surf breaks near Tokyo. My goal was to include all the breaks within 200 kilometers of Tokyo both north and south with photos, videos, and general information like directions, toilets, parking, etc. After that I created JapanSup.com to showcase standup paddle boarding in Japan. After that I made JapanSurfTours.com to encourage foreign surfers to visit Japan. And more recently, I opened up SplashGuestHouse.com to showcase my surf guest house. Splash is located on Hebara Beach which has been rated as one of the best surf breaks in Japan and was the former site of the ASP now WSL pro contest in Japan. My goal is to continue documenting the surf scene in Japan through my photography and videos. I want the world to know that Japan is a top rated surf destination. On top of all the websites and guest house, I have also been working with the local Chiba government to increase inbound tourism to Japan. We have been collaborating on ways to get foreign surfers to visit our beaches. To boost our image, I have been doing lots of TV interviews, magazine articles, and of course posting on social media all in the hopes of increasing awareness of surfing in Japan.
I see that you also run @JapanSurf on Instagram. What sort of feedback have you gotten from people on Instagram concerning the surf in Japan, your guesthouse, and anything else that comes to mind?
Yes, I am very active on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Social media has essentially allowed me to create a thriving business. The feedback I have received has been phenomenal. I get messages all the time from people thanking me for creating such an amazing resource of Japanese surf information. I also get messages from people asking me where they should go to surf in Japan and others thanking me for posting great pictures on a daily basis. What I like best about social media is it is very interactive and people are constantly giving me positive feedback. What makes me happiest is being able to share all of my information.
After looking at all your different online accounts, I get the feeling you really love what you do. How has sharing the stoke for surfing changed you as a person?
I don’t think it has changed me in any way because I have always been super stoked! Coming from a family of 13 I have never been able to sit still or shut up. I have always tried to have a smile on my face and running a guest house, taking pictures, having a surf school all make me so stoked. I am truly blessed to be able to share the stoke.
How is it being an entrepreneur and surfer? Any insights into how those two combos work together?
Being a surfer and an entrepreneur is really the perfect combination. Why? Because being an entrepreneur is exciting, challenging, and frustrating all at the same time. In a lot of ways it is just like surfing. My attitude towards business and surfing is also a motto in which I try and live by.
“What I learn to do today, I will try to do better tomorrow and perfect in the future !”
Everyday I wake up and I try to achieve something. I chip away at whatever it is that I am working on. I essentially try to add one new brick to the wall/business. When I look at the larger picture I think that Rome was not built in one day but over many years. My feeling is that, if I keep at whatever I am doing long enough everything will come together as I envision it.
I really like your guest house! When did you decide to open the splash guest house and how has it been running a surf guest house in mainland Japan?
Thank you! I decided to open up Splash Guest House 3 years ago when my commitments to my family were reduced enough to allow me to take a risk and go out on my own. Opening up the guest house has been the biggest challenge of my life! I can sum it by saying this.
“I realized early on that when you are building something for yourself and not for other people working hard is time and money well invested.”
I can honestly say that I would never have it any other way. Running my own business allows me to control my time which means quality time spent with my family while also building a business I love. On a daily basis I get to meet new customers from all over the world and hear their interesting stories about where they are from and their experiences with the ocean. I would say that every minute of my life is spent doing what I love. I should also mention that I come from a family of 13! I always say that my most feared thing in life is being bored and lonely. So having a house full of people really makes me happy.
In what direction do you see the Japanese surf scene headed in? Growing/Shrinking?
Surfing in Japan is definitely growing! I think in the coming years Japanese surfing will start to get more coverage and become more of a mainstream sport within Japan. My hope is that Japanese parents will start to send their children to surf schools. I also think that more foreign surfers will start to visit Japan. I believe that with the upcoming Olympics, surfing in Japan will finally get some well deserved recognition from the global surfing community.
What is your opinion on the 2020 Japanese surfing Olympics?
It is going to be totally amazing! It is going to be fantastic for the sport and of course it will be fantastic for Japan. It is something the sport of surfing needs and Japan needs as well. I think once the games are all said and done only positive things will come from it.
I know its early but do you have any thoughts on who might be selected for the Japanese surf team?
My favorites for the games are Hiroto Ohara who rides for Hurley and Reo Inaba who rides for Rip Curl. These two guys are at the top of their games and should not be underestimated. I think they have to chance to do great things in the future.
Could you share any particular stories that are memorable or stick out in your mind that relate to surfing in Japan?
Yes, one particular memory sticks out from the rest. This is the memory of my first surf trip to Japan with my best friend Toru Yoshiike. On this trip I brought a wetsuit but had to borrow a board. So me and bunch of mad Japanese guys drove all the way up north to Ibaraki in March to go surfing. We get there and I pull out a spring suit and all the guys look at me like, “are you insane”? You can’t surf in that, you need at least a 5/3 with boots, gloves, and a hoodie. I said over and over no worries. I’ll be fine. I figured it would be similar to surfing in England in March so I was not bothered by it. WELL, once I got into the water I realized real quick that I had made a monumental mistake! The water was absolutely freezing! I tried my best to grin and bear it for 45 minutes before getting out. All the guys looked at me like this foreigner is absolutely nuts. But the waves were so good. I went back to Tokyo with a huge smile on face and what felt like hypothermia. I will never forget it because it was so epic. It set the stage for what was to come. Surfing with my best friends in freezing cold water.
One last question. We will end on a serious note. We all know that Japan is facing some serious challenges (huge debt/low birth-rate/worker shortage) in the not so distant future. What sort of ways do you think Japanese Surfers can help facilitate change in Japan and help solve some of these serious issues?
Yes, Japan is facing some serious challenges in the future. I think Japanese surfers can help facilitate change and help solve some problems through developing and growing their ocean oriented community. I think that the Japanese surfing community will be looking at other surfing communities in various parts of the world for new ways of living. Unfortunately, Japan seems to be stuck between a rock and hard place. The older generation seems to be obsessed with tradition while the new generations are more moderate and open. It is my opinion that, these younger generations are going to be the ones put to task with solving the hard problems of the future. The current politicians have largely shown no interest in changing anything. Yes, the old ideas helped make Japan great in the 1980s but the world has changed remarkably since then. I think a more open community that is more accepting of new ways of living and new ideas is necessary to solve its major problems. And this is exactly why the Japanese surf community is so important. Surfers are by and large creative creatures. My hope is that this new wave of energy from the Japanese surfing community will foster new ideas and bring about new ways of solving old problems.
Do you have any parting words or shout outs?
Yes, I would like to give a very big shout out to my amazing wife Madoka and my two boys Rusty and Ralph. Also, my big family out in England. I want to thank them for their amazing support. Without their continued support I would not be able to build this family run business. I would like to thank the local community of Hebara for their continued support, also the Japanese surfing community, and the world surfing community! I want to thank all the people that have written me messages, liked my posts, or stayed at my guest house. You are the reason I wake up everyday stoked! Keep the stoke folks! Check out SurfingInJapan.com and SplashGuestHouse.com for more information about waves and spots. Also, please make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel for loads of top videos!
This interview was edited and created within Medium by myself — Peter Mc. I am a graphic designer, photographer, and journalist who is obsessed with surfing. I have two home bases, one in Miami, FL and another in Kobe, Japan. I am always on the lookout for interesting people who want to share their stories. I can be reached at info@ptrmc.com. If you enjoyed this story please like it and hit the follow button for more great stories in the future!
