Set on Utajima, a small island in the Ise Bay, in the 1950s, this film is based on MISHIMA Yukio’s best-selling novel Sound of Waves. Shinji, a fisherman, falls in love with Hatsue, the daughter of a rich but stubborn man in the village. Hatsue is betrothed to Yasuo, the son of another wealthy man. The Surf depicts the simple, yet beautiful love between the young couple.

The romantic aspect of The Surf won praise from audiences and critics alike. MISHIMA’s novel has since been reworked as a film numerous times by various directors, in 1964, 1971, 1975 and 1985.