浅野慧 - 信州いいやま観光局・信越自然郷アクティビティセンター Satoru Asano - Shin’etsu Shizenkyo Activity Center

While Tokyo is already enjoying extended periods of warm sunshine, up in Iiyama, Nagano Prefecture, the buds on the cherry trees are only now beginning to find some color; and the chill of winter lingers in the air along the Chikuma River. Satoshi Asano came to meet me in this village in the wilds. I asked Asano, who got involved in regional development through his outdoor experience, what draws him to the great outdoors and where he sees the future of tourism.

2021 Spring - Summer - Journal
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icebreaker/journal05

Interview “Living amid the cycle of the mountains”

Asano’s workplace is the Shin’etsu-Shizenkyo Activity Center. As the name suggests, this is an information center directly connected to the train station serving as a hub for tours, activities, and guidance for visitors to enjoy the four seasons of the Shin’etsu region. “This place opened at the same time as Iiyama Station. Normally, I help visitors to find a tour and sell outdoor equipment,” he said. While he said he does not go out in the field as a tour guide himself, the more I listened to him, the more I sense this to be quite a waste of talent.

“The best thing about the outdoors is the absence of rules,” he continued. “For example, if you go for a swim at a public pool, there is a list of rules like ‘no diving’ and ‘no underwater swimming’. But, if you go into the mountains or on a river, there are no rules for how to enjoy yourself. In exchange for not being told whether you can do this or that, you have to look after yourself. That freedom might just be the real thrill of the great outdoors.” Whether it is skiing, cycling, or outdoor cooking, all are ways of ‘enjoying nature’, said Asano. “The number one reason I got into the outdoor scene was the freedom to enjoy yourself in all sorts of ways—whether it is something physically tough, or going to a mountain, drinking a coffee, and going home again.”

In keeping with his view that the outdoors is open for any activity, Asano interacts with nature in all sorts of ways. While the pursuit changes with the season, he makes the most of it when he goes into nature. “First of all, winter is about skiing and snowboarding. Once the snow has melted, cycling and trail running start, and in summer, I might venture as far as Joetsu by stand-up paddleboard (SUP). The Sea of Japan is pretty flat in the summer, so autumn is the season I enjoy surfing intensively. All the other outdoor fans living in the area think the same way, so we seem to end up in the same place a lot, even at the beach.” Even if it is a tough lifestyle, I thought it is rather refreshing that he was so open about doing what he loves.

Lately, Asano has been enjoying a morning run, setting out early and returning before breakfast. “We have an early bird community with people from all walks of life, including university lecturers, firefighters, and nature guides. If I find any information about a new outdoor trend that looks amazing, whether it is from Japan or overseas, I will share it with my buddies.” And even if the basics remain the same, geography can play a part in how the outdoors is enjoyed. “I would love to find more ways to enjoy the local character of this area. It would be interesting to find unique ways of being active in the Shin’etsu area—a special Shin’etsu style.”

When I heard that the next goal he has with his local friends is to take on the four big rivers of Nagano from top to bottom, I was surprised. “I once traveled with friends the 367 km from the headwaters of the Shinano, Tenryu, and Kiso rivers to the Sea of Japan. We traveled by raft and mountain bike over the course of a week.” Everyone from Nagano can sing the prefectural song, “Shinano no Kuni” and the four big rivers are all named in the lyrics. “The only one left is the Sai River. I will ski down from Mt. Yari, then SUP down the river from Kamikochi. I think about four days should do it.”

For a long time, Asano has been a fan of merino wool products when it comes to mountaineering and skiing of course, but also for trail running events. “Icebreaker’s quality is superb, and I have the impression they put a lot of care into their manufacturing. I used to work for an outdoor manufacturer, so I do look closely at things like product tags and the thickness of materials. Even though they use fine fabric, their stitching is very strong. That takes great technology.”

Now, Iiyama, Nagano brings to mind deep snow—it has one of the heaviest snowfalls in Japan, with buildings buried up to their second floor in winter. As Iiyama runs from north to south, there can be big differences in snow fall across the city. “Around here, we have the expression “ichiri, isshaku” (one mile, one foot). It means if you move one mile (about four kilometers) north, snow gets one foot (about 30 centimeters) deeper.” It was six years ago that Asano moved to this snow country. “To be honest, I did not take the snow seriously before,” he laughed. Due to changing times, which has given us more time to think about the way we live, living in tune with the seasons sounds very appealing. “The mountains are right next to where we live. The snow falls, water flows down from the virgin beech forest, and the water is used to grow rice or goes into the groundwater we drink. I feel keenly that we are living with the cycle of the mountains. Even if they are not outdoor types, everyone just lives with a heightened sensitivity to the subtleties of nature.”

A someone involved with the tourism industry every day, I was very interested to hear about the changes over the past year and Asano’s thoughts on tourism. “When it comes to how tourism is run, success in the past may have been getting as many people as possible to visit. To be honest, I am not hoping to see big crowds of one-off visitors here. I am aiming for this to be a place where limited numbers of people visit several times across the year in different seasons.” Asano said he wants visitors who know how good Shin’etsu is. In fact, there are people who love the area and call it their second home. “Rather than being all about what we can offer, for example, visitors might join us in cleaning up areas or maintaining trails, so that we can develop the region together. We could be at a crossroads here.”

Lately, he has also been impressed by the number of locals coming to spend time enjoying the Activity Center. “I would often go to distant places to do things, but this past year has given me an opportunity to seek out good places around here. It has deepened my affection for this area. I now feel strongly that we should find out more about our own surroundings.” The skiing culture is so engrained in Iiyama that Asano could say he knows nobody who does not ski. From now on, he hopes to put more focus on Iiyama as an outdoor town. “For example, overseas, there are a lot of towns that have established an image of being a place where those who love the outdoors gather. I think it would be very interesting if we could make such a town in Japan. Through the Activity Center, I hope to do what I can to deepen knowledge about what Shin’etsu has to offer.”

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