新田あい - モデル、ブランドディレクター、ハイカー Ai Nitta - Model, brand director, hiker

What comes to mind when you think of Kobe? The port town has a foreign flavor with a Chinatown and Western buildings, superb transportation links, and cafés and bakeries on every street. I had visited several times in the past, but my image of Kobe changed from my experience today.

Who should be my guide to Kobe in the warm spring sunshine but Miss Ai Nitta, model and brand director? As I approached our appointed meeting place, her slender limbs and strong aura stood out clearly even from a distance. Drawn to the mountains, Nitta ended up establishing her own hiking gear brand. I joined her for the day.

2021 Spring - Summer - Journal
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icebreaker/journal05

Interview “A place that absorbs you”

We were headed for the hills right behind Shin-Kobe Station. Who would dream of such natural wonders within a few minutes walk of the shinkansen platform? The trickling of a small stream and sounds of singing birds reached my ears. I walked with Nitta on a track that is perfect for beginners. “Even if I say I am going up a mountain, I often turn back before reaching the summit. I might just go for a rest at a viewpoint, sit down, and relax and drink some tea. I want to avoid tiring myself out if possible. I actually prefer smaller mountains where you can just gently enjoy the surrounding scenery. But there are some views that are only possible from high up, so you should definitely take the opportunity to try both experiences.”

She chuckles, “I first got into modeling when my mother suggested, ‘Why not take advantage of your height?’” Nitta started hiking about eight years ago, at the invitation of a model friend. “I have been crazy about hiking ever since. When I first hiked up a mountain, to be honest, I was not actually that impressed. But on one of the outings, I am not sure how many mountains later, I came across the most amazing field of sasa (bamboo grass). I could not forget the beauty of that scenery.” When she sees a grassy field or a tree-lined road, Nitta cannot help but smile. The expression on her face as she enthusiastically explained the charm of the place was infectious and soon I felt a smile overtake my face too.

So, she fell in love with hiking in that grassy field. Her unique dynamism was clear from an anecdote of that time. “At first, I got a summer job in a mountain hut, then a sherpa I met there guided me in Nepal, which was the first time I tried trekking overseas. And now I have even set up a trekking gear brand. It is an exciting life.”

“When I first trekked in the mountains near Kobe, I was stunned by the view of the city and the sea. I have only been living here for two years, but I feel right at home in a city that is so close to nature.” It is as if this city nestled between the port and the mountains was just the environment Nitta was looking for. “These days, I will hike up a nearby mountain about once a week, leaving in the morning and returning around noon, so a half-day trek. Then, in the afternoon, I will work or do housework. This is the life I have always wanted. Every day is fulfilling and I am living the dream.”

Nitta’s current work style involves taking care of her duties as director of the Okara original brand at her base in Kobe, then traveling to Tokyo for work as needed. When in the capital, she ducks off between jobs to hike Mt. Takao. Actually, Nitta’s brand is named “Okara” after her late pet hedgehog. Inspired by children’s literature such as The Wonderful Adventures of Nils in which a boy is reduced to a miniature size and is taken on a journey by animals, Okara items subtly feature the hedgehog motif here and there. “My motivation for establishing the brand was my feeling that hiking with gear that you love in your favorite mountains would make it even more enjoyable. I wanted to make products that were just as suited to the mountains as to the city. You can feel free to take Okara with you wherever you go.”

The items unveiled at the brand launch 18 months ago have already sold out and second-stage production is currently underway. “I wanted to release them earlier, but we have been delayed until this summer in light of the situation the world is in. Lately, all I have been thinking about is how we can hold an event in the shop and if anyone will come.”

When she is choosing what to wear, Nitta is more focused on the feeling of the materials on her skin than the design. An Icebreaker was recommended to her by a trekker she met in the mountains and she loves wearing it. “It is great for hiking of course, but I take it on holiday wherever I go. I particularly like to have it on when going to sleep. In an unfamiliar environment, it is easier to fall asleep in something reassuringly soft and comfortable.”

For a person like me who works at the desk every day, this short time spent with Nitta was proving to be quite a digital detox. When I told her this, she replied, “I also find hiking in the hills clears the mind. Some people might get a lot of ideas when trekking or playing sports, but it is the opposite for me. When I am hiking, my only thoughts are ‘I’m tired,’ ‘I’m hungry,’ or ‘What a view!’ My mind is usually ticking over with too many thoughts, so a trek relaxes and refreshes me. Just walking along without a worry in the world, that is great isn’t it?”

Nitta remarked that she has no idea what she would be doing by now if she had not gotten into hiking. “One of these days, I would like to go to Yakushima or New Zealand. Given that overseas travel is off-limits for now, I would like to walk a lot of trails around Japan and show people how great they are.” Her casual declaration, “I’m so glad I started hiking!” is imprinted in my memory.

2021 Spring - Summer - Journal
Click here to visit our special page
icebreaker/journal05