A mountain outside my window
When I open my window in the morning, I see Mount Homan (Homanzan), a mountain on the edge of Fukuoka, near Dazaifu. That is how my day begins. On clear days and on days when it hides in the clouds, the mountain is always there.
Next year I am launching Tengle Earth, a service that brings Kyushu's outdoor tours to travelers from abroad and connects them with local outdoor guides. In this first column, I want to share why I am starting it, and where the idea came from.
Riding across Japan
In my twenties, I rode an off-road motorbike all over Japan. I followed unpaved forest roads, passed through villages too small for most maps, and met people who stopped to talk with a stranger on a bike.
One place I will never forget is a guesthouse on Rebun Island, off the northern tip of Hokkaido. There I met travelers from overseas who were exploring Japan. That encounter turned my eyes beyond Japan.
The local is where it gets interesting
In my late twenties, I backpacked around Asia. By now I have visited more than 30 countries.
What I learned is this: in every country, the countryside, the truly local places, are the most distinctive and the most fun. And much of that is only open to you when someone who knows the place shows you around.
Nature you meet through a guide
In my thirties, I spent my weekends on the river as a rafting guide. From the boat, I saw again and again the moment when guests break into a smile that comes from deep inside.
Then a dam was proposed on that river. Through the campaign against it, I got to know the older men of the local community. River fishermen in summer, hunters in the forest in winter, they lived in step with nature. They took this outsider under their wing and showed me places I could never have found on my own.
When someone who knows the land inside out leads the way, you meet the real nature of a place. That, to me, is what a guide is.
Building a network of guides
The friends I made in my rafting days are still my greatest asset. Climbing, trail running, kayaking: Kyushu has guides of a truly high level in every one of these fields.
I want to connect these skilled guides with travelers from around the world who want to experience Kyushu's nature, to build a network of guides, and to share the appeal of their work with many more people. That is what Tengle Earth is for.
Sharing the local, one place at a time
In this column, I will write honestly about the local nature and ways of life across Kyushu, the guides and friends who work there, and the process of building this business.
For me, the local is Mount Homan, which I look at every morning. All across Kyushu there are places with a character all their own. I hope to bring them to you, one at a time.
I hope you will come along.