JAPAN: The Giant Killers

Fearlessly at home in the water, the way a fisherman's sons often are, the Fukushi brothers splashed about last week in the protective shallows breaking over the narrow shale shelf of their little beach on Okujiri Island, ten miles off Hokkaido's southwestern shore. When 14-year-old Masami Fukushi plunged off the shelf and sprinted out into deep water toward a rock 50 yards away, his younger brothers, Masakatsu, 12, Takeshi, 10, and Takeaki. 9, quickly gave chase.

With his head start, Masami had a long lead. But suddenly he whipped about and started churning for shore, crying: "Same da! Nigero!"...

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