Around the age of 10, I first climbed Mount Fuji during a Boy Scout activity. I still remember the fun of staying in the mountain hut, the deliciousness of the noodles I ate at the summit, and the headache from altitude sickness. In college, I began to work on Mount Fuji. Life atop the mountain is both very simple and tough, but I grew to love it. The mountain environment reminds me that I, too, am an animal. While studying cultural anthropology, I joined the exploration club and delved into the creases of the world (the deserts of Namibia and cinemas in India left a particularly deep impression!). Later, I pursued training to become an airplane pilot but realized it wasn’t for me. I prefer the shade of a tree in summer to the cockpit, and the wind caressing my cheeks feels much better than looking at a speedometer. Now, I regularly lead overseas mountaineering tours (to Nepal, Kilimanjaro, etc.) and work as a tour guide in Japan. Mount Fuji, the starting point of my career, is my spiritual home. I feel that being a guide, able to directly engage with the “here and now” of travel, and able to support irreplaceable moments for our guests, is my true calling.