Interviewer: Risa Ohinata Photo: Hiroshi Suganuma
INDEX
Nozawa Onsen Green Season Projects: Flowers bloom one after another
──So that's how Greenfield started
That's right. At first, we weren't really thinking about business, but we just wanted to try building a treehouse, so we started out by hand with a friend. We worked in a neglected cedar forest, thinning out the trees and using them to build a deck. We created a comfortable space, so we expanded it little by little and opened it as a private campground in 2016, accepting only one group per day
──Not only can you stay overnight, but you can also experience nature, right?
Yes. Just below the treehouse is a green farm where guests can enjoy organic vegetables, and they are free to harvest them as they please. We also hold seasonal events such as rice planting in the spring and harvesting in the fall, and our popular SUP (stand-up paddleboard) tours on Lake Hokuryu (*1) are also popular
──When did you start SUP, Kenji?
It was in 2009. I used to incorporate it into my training when I was a ski cross racer. After that, when I went down the Chikuma River on a SUP for the first time, I found it so much fun that I decided to make it a service
──You also launched a SUP brand。
Yes. When we thought about SUP tours, we needed to have about 10 bikes to rent out to customers. At the time, we didn't have the ideal brand, so we thought why not make our own SUPs? Our business partner was making fixed gear bikes, so we followed that trend and did some research before launching our own company in 2015 under the name PEAKS5
──The idea of making something that doesn't exist is quite original. What makes PEAKS5 different from other SUP brands?
At the time, the main field for SUP seemed to be the sea. We live in the mountains, but there are lakes and rivers near Greenfield. There are also many riverside and lakeside areas around campsites, so we thought we would propose linking camping and SUP. A compact, foldable inflatable SUP is easy to take anywhere, and we travel to various places ourselves to shoot promotional videos to spread the appeal of SUP
──What was your most memorable SUP trip?
It's the Shimanto River in Kochi. I've been going there for four years now. The water is so clear, there are no houses nearby, and we paddle 30-40km through a truly magnificent natural landscape. The first year was a project in collaboration with The North Face, and from the second year onwards we also brought Greenfield customers and loaded our SUPs with camping gear and food for a two-day, one-night SUP camp. The term "SUP camping" didn't even exist back then, so I think we were able to propose a new form of recreation
──There was a SUP event held at Lake Hokuryu this fall too。
Yes, that's right. This was our first attempt, but in September, we teamed up with SUP racer Kenny Kaneko to hold a SUP race event at Hokuryu Lake that anyone could participate in. Kenny used to come to Nozawa Onsen often, but all the competitions were canceled due to the effects of the coronavirus, so we thought we'd do something together.
This time, a considerable number of SUP racers gathered from all over the country, but next year we're thinking of making it "RUN & SUP" so that more people from Nozawa can participate. There's Kosuge Shrine at the end of Hokuryu Lake, so we could run to the inner shrine and then run around the lake. That way, local cross-country athletes could also participate and have a chance to shine.
With a new partner, Vector Glide
──What were your plans for winter activities after retirement?
I just wanted to ski. Around that time, I was asked if I'd like to help out with Vector Glide. Up until then, I had worked with overseas brands, but I felt uncomfortable with the fact that decisions made in the home country were being relayed to customers through an intermediary, which wasn't direct.
At that time, I had also launched PEAKS5, so I was very interested in making things that would be used in the field. There's also a certain appeal in being able to directly communicate the products you create to customers.
──Were you always interested in making skis?
I've had the opportunity to work as a ski tester for ski magazines on several occasions. I test rode around 80 skis from various manufacturers and wrote reports. By riding that many skis, I was able to see what length, shape, and flex were best for me. At the time, I had an idea of what my ideal skis would be like. There were no skis on the market that met my specifications, so when I decided to develop skis at Vector, I put that experience to good use
──Will a prototype be created based on these numbers to create the ideal ski?
Surprisingly, we were able to get it to work quite well from the first ski. After repeated fine adjustments, the shape was decided on around the fifth ski. Of course, if I, with no experience in ski making, had started from scratch, it wouldn't have turned out this well, but thanks to Akiba-san's long experience, it all went smoothly. The ski that was born from this is the Polave model. The concept is to create a ski that can be enjoyed in a variety of situations with just one ski
──Do you feel differently when putting on skis that you helped develop?
It's completely different. It's especially the feeling I get when I'm showing customers around. I can communicate in my own words, and it's not just about selling the skis and leaving it at that. I get to ski with them on the snow and provide after-sales support, like helping them figure out how to operate the skis to get the most out of them
──You've been involved with Vectorglide for about four years now. How is it actually working on it?
It's interesting. There are so many things I want to do that I can't even take a break. I'm always on. There's no boundary between work and rest. But I think that living a life where you're always on is interesting
The value of Nozawa Onsen as a tourist destination
──I heard that you were appointed chairman of the Nozawa Onsen Tourism Association in June. What specific activities are you involved in?
As chairman, I make appearances at various events, attending meetings and giving speeches. I value being able to get closer to older people like the village mayor and ski resort president so that I can hear their opinions. For the first year or two, I think it's more about understanding the current situation than doing anything new. It's the
same in backcountry skiing, isn't it? You don't just focus on your own skiing, but you also need to understand the conditions and circumstances of the day before deciding on a line. I believe that developing a tourist area won't work if you just recklessly do what you want. If you ask older people about the history and past events, they'll teach you a lot, and if you can build close relationships, I think it will be easier to get understanding when you start something new.
──That's a very important point. What are the challenges facing Nozawa Onsen Village as a tourist destination?
Perhaps it's the lack of successors for the inns and the low number of visitors during the green season. But I'd really like to conduct a proper survey to find out how satisfied the operators are.
If they are reasonably satisfied with the current situation, then instead of just thinking about attracting more visitors, it might be better to improve quality. Before COVID-19, the ski resort attracted about 420,000 visitors, so they could implement entry restrictions if they let in more than that, as it could lower customer satisfaction. I think they could do that with ease if they had a decent number of visitors during the green season. Lately, I've been thinking a lot about how great it would be if we could improve the quality of life for the people who live here.
──What is the wealth of the villagers?
One of the greatest values of Nozawa Onsen is its public bath culture. I think the pioneers who started opening up the hot springs, which they originally used themselves, to tourists because they thought they were so wonderful, were truly amazing. That reflects Nozawa's mindset as a tourist destination: they are rich and content, so they want to share that feeling with others.
Recently, there have been some who say we should lock the baths because of the bad manners of some visitors, but that ultimately means they don't trust people. Nozawa's greatest branding is its generosity, the fact that anyone is welcome to come in. So I think that the services that can be offered and the quality of the tourist destination depend on whether the people who live here are satisfied with their own lives.
──What was the concept behind the Life Farming Camp that you planned this fall?
Life Farming Camp is a 2-night, 3-day camping event that we planned for the first time this autumn, in collaboration with an organizer from Tokyo, thanks to an introduction from Ryotaro Yao of Nozawa Onsen Lodge. I'm in a local coordinating role, and the theme of the camp is "Understanding the Water Cycle and the Mountains," where participants can experience firsthand the richness of nature and food in Nozawa Onsen. The
abundant water and hot springs are thanks to the beech forest, so we've made sure the activities include walking through the beech forest with a guide, cooking outdoor meals with a local chef, practicing Zen meditation at Kenmei-ji Temple, the birthplace of Nozawa greens, to learn about the local culture, and going mushroom hunting with a mushroom expert, allowing participants to interact with the villagers.
──What kind of customers are you serving?
This year, we invited some acquaintances as a test, so most of the participants were from Tokyo. People from a variety of industries participated, including those in the music industry and the president of an electric power company, and they all said they wanted to come ski in the winter! It was a really wide-reaching event. We even invited the village mayor and my dad to join us just for the meal. Because it's a small village, it tends to seem like Kenji is doing something with people from Tokyo, so we made a conscious effort to involve as many villagers as possible
──It must have been a valuable experience for the customers, something they wouldn't have had on a regular trip。
From now on, I want to propose travel through sports. Skiing and hot springs are available everywhere, right? I think we should take it a step further and make health tourism or wellness tourism the concept.
As an athlete myself, I know that the basics of building a strong body are the three elements of "exercise, rest, and diet." Nozawa Onsen has all three resources at a high level. Of course, there are COVID-19 countermeasures at ski resorts and restaurants, but I think the most important thing is to boost one's own immunity. Rather than being exhausted and cooped up at home all the time, I want to propose travel that will boost immunity.
Skier Kenji Kono's future
──What will you be doing this winter?
We've been touring the country with Vector Glide's Glide On Groove (*2) and holding user camps. This year we opened a directly managed store and an online shop (*3), which has made it much easier to guide customers. Customers can now purchase the skis they like at our test ride events right away. We've also been
running a riding academy for the past 3-4 years, and it's become so popular that reservations fill up within 24 hours of the announcement.
──What kind of lessons do you offer at the Riding Academy?
It's an orthodox technique for skiing. I teach it in four key points that can be used on any slope or in any condition. As muscle strength declines with each passing year, it's important to compensate with technique, so I practice it myself in the field and make sure I can communicate it clearly in words
──It must be special for customers to be able to learn directly from the person who made the skis。
There are things we can communicate through our products, and it's interesting for us to be able to interact with customers in a holistic way. When I was in my twenties, I thought it was fun to ski by myself, but now the joys of skiing have expanded to many different areas. I really enjoy guiding people who are skiing for the first time
──It's great to be able to enjoy not only your own skiing, but also the improvement of others. Finally, are there any challenges or goals you would like to achieve as a skier in the future?
Right now, I don't really have any particular mountain I want to ski on; it's more about "simply continuing to ski in a cool way." When you work in the ski industry, you often see people who are so busy in the winter that they don't end up spending much time on the field. But I want to be a "cool dad" who makes skis, stands on the snow, and skis with all sorts of people on a daily basis.
All my activities in the green season are connected, and I have many connections with people outside of skiing. I think it's also my role to convey the appeal of skiing to those people and to collaborate with them. I hope to be able to spread the appeal of skiing from various angles.
❖ Kenji Kono's latest riding video
*1 [Hokuryu Lake]
A lake located very close to Nozawa Onsen. Surrounded by mountains, this quiet lake is ideal for SUP beginners.
*2 [Glide on Groove]
A test ride event where you can experience Vector Glide's standard models to the latest models. This season, it will be held in 5 locations nationwide.https://www.vectorglide-japan.com/single-post/glide-on-groove-registration
*3 [Online Shop]
WHITE TIME is an online shop where you can purchase all Vector Glide models and related goods. A directly managed store of the same name also opened in Tokyo in June 2020.
https://www.vectorglide-japan.com/shop
Nozawa Green Field
Official website: https://www.nozawagreenfield.com/
: https://www.facebook.com/nozawagreenfield/
: https://www.instagram.com/nozawagreenfield/
Interviewer/Editor + Writer
: Lisa Obinata
. Born in Tokyo in 1980. After graduating from Waseda University's Second Faculty of Letters, she worked for 13 years at a publishing company, editing ski magazines such as "Ski" and "POWDER SKI." She became the editor-in-chief of the magazine in 2013. In 2015, she became independent and co-founded the snow culture magazine "Stuben Magazine" with photographer Yoichi Watanabe. In 2020, she moved from Shonan to Iiyama City, Nagano Prefecture, and is currently practicing a natural lifestyle close to snow-covered mountains and nature.