Biography
Born in Tokyo in 1967 and raised in Kamakura, Kōjirō Shiraishi trained at the Kanagawa prefecture oceanographic high school. Inspired by Yukoh Tada's win in the BOC Challenge, he spent six years as Tada's boat preparer. After Tada's death in 1991 he refitted his boat and renamed it Spirit of Yukoh.
In 1994, aged 26, he became the youngest sailor to complete a non-stop solo circumnavigation, in 176 days. He took part in Bruno Peyron's 1998 North Pacific record and Lionel Lemonchois's 2008 record aboard Gitana 13. He finished second twice in the solo round-the-world race with stopovers: in 2002-2003 in Open 40 and in 2006-2007 in Open 60.
In 2016 he was the first Asian to start the Vendée Globe, but dismasted off the Cape of Good Hope and retired. Backed by DMG Mori, he had a VPLP-designed IMOCA built, DMG Mori Global One, with which on 11 February 2021 he became the first Asian to finish the race, in 16th place. He started the 2024-2025 Vendée Globe again and finished 24th, while promoting sailing in Japan.
Boats
Timeline
Boats, teams, races and records, year by year.
2016
SkipperThe sailor in command of the boat, responsible for it in the race.See in the glossary · 2016
Freelance.com · IMOCA
1967
8 May 1967
Born
Classes raced
Page reliability
4 sources · updated 6 Oct 2026