Teton Bros. x People - Akihiro Tatemoto -〈Part 2〉
We walk in harmony with nature and create products and a future with colleagues who share our values.
Teton Bros. develops products in the field with professional colleagues active in the fields of Japan and around the world.
How do the many people who have come together under the name of "Teton" - the Teton Brothers - interact with nature and build their lives? We will weave together the chemical reaction between Teton Bros. and people.
We bring you the second part of our interview series focusing on Akihiro Tatemoto.
[Part 2 of 3 / Part 1 is here]
"Going on expeditions with friends is the best kind of fun. It tests your strength, and going with friends also helps you push your limits."
With this in mind, one could say that Tatemoto was destined to become a guide. He is confident in his physical strength and has a strong sense of curiosity. He finds joy in moving his body outdoors. But there was another important factor as well. Tatemoto loves people. He finds joy in connecting with others. It is these values that may have drawn Tatemoto to the profession of guide.
I felt like I wouldn't be a good match if I didn't show my own personality.
How did you become a guide?
I had quit my job, and after returning from Denali with Hagi, I decided to help out at Moonflower.
Hagi-san is an interesting person, and he never goes into details. He will teach you if you ask, but he's basically the type to let his example speak for itself, or to learn by watching. That approach puts a lot of strain on the person being taught, as it requires a lot of thinking. But it worked for me. It was a time when I wanted to get serious about mountains, so I wanted to develop something solid within myself, like the ability to interpret nature. So I was grateful that, even if it was a roundabout way, I could think about each thing one by one, come up with an answer, and then receive marks for my answers.
After a few years, I started organizing my own tours and acting as the main guide. As a result, the tours started to take me to places I wanted to go and do things I wanted to do.
I wanted to focus on backcountry skiing, but Moonflower mainly organized mountain skiing tours with summit climbing as the main focus. This meant that there was a gap between the actual tour content and the character of the guide company. This is never a good thing. In order to clarify the difference between expectations and reality, and to ensure that we could reach customers with the type of tour they were looking for, I began to think that it would be better to separate the guide companies. So in 2005, I decided to go independent.
--If your goal wasn't to become independent and you wanted to match your customers with the tours you wanted to do, was it easier to understand if you weren't using the Moonflower name?
Yes, that would be much more satisfying. I would start a relationship with the customers who wanted me as a guide from scratch, and grow together with them. I thought it would be best to create a guide company like that.
--So that's how you started Norte?
that's right.
Friends who can play at the same level. Their presence is important.
-What does Norte mean?
It means north in Spanish.
I moved to Hokkaido from Saitama, so I simply thought the word "north" would be good. But "north" in English is too cliché, isn't it? Just around the time I started living independently, I frequently went to the mountains of South America to ski and climb, and I really liked the lifestyle there. I found the uniquely South American relaxed atmosphere very comfortable, and the Spanish that permeated the towns was comforting. So I thought Spanish would be good, and decided on Norte.
--Not just to South America, but you've traveled to all sorts of places, haven't you?
That's right. Since coming to Hokkaido, I've been really lucky to meet some great mountain climbing friends.
When I moved from Niseko to Sapporo, I met international mountain guide Daisuke Sasaki, skier Tsuyoshi Kodama, and fellow skier Masahiro Yamaki. I was incredibly lucky to meet such friends who were at a similar level and shared the same passion for mountain fun. I think it was because I found such friends that I gained the momentum to travel to so many different places.
--For example, what are some of the places you've been to so far?
First it was Denali, then the Indian Himalayas, and Greenland. I've been to Greenland twice. Then in South America I went to Alpamayo, Pisco, and Aconcagua. Then I went on an Inca trek. I've also been to all of the Seven Summits except Everest. I've climbed and skied at every mountain, and I've even been to Antarctica as a member of a wintering team.
They had come to Alpamayo with the intention of climbing and skiing, but abandoned the idea of skiing because the upper part was covered with Himalayan folds of ice. They switched their target to Mount Pisco (5,752m), which they managed to reach the summit, and everyone skied down from the summit.
The photo shows the journey from Showa Station on the coast to Dome Fuji Station, 1,000 km inland. A slow snowmobile takes a month to travel 1,000 km one way. For this reason, most of the cargo pulled by the snowmobile on its sled is fuel. The snowmobile needs to be refueled twice a day with a hand pump.
--Looking at your travel reports so far, I get the impression that you've done some pretty tough things.
What is the reason for going on such a difficult journey?
Of course, I've always loved traveling, but I think one reason is to push my own limits. If I were to give 100% during my regular guided tours, I don't think I could ensure the safety of my guests if something were to happen. It's absolutely essential that I have some leeway, and the more leeway there is, the better. With that in mind, I of course want to push my limits, but I also need to know exactly where my 100% is.
To achieve this, I think the best thing to do is to go on a tough expedition with friends who will push you to your limits.
Friends multiply the joy of accomplishing something.
--When you want to push your limits or grow as a person, do you need friends?
I think they are absolutely necessary. When you push yourself to your limits, you might need to do it with people who are at the same level of strength, though.
But more than anything, traveling with friends is fun. The excitement always starts right from the planning stage. In the Indian Himalayas, I went to the snowy mountains by motorbike, and in Greenland, I aimed for the slopes from the sea by kayak. I've seriously considered approaches that not many other people try. I think the reason I can have such fun and have fun like this is because I'm with friends. 
Also, if you go with friends, you can share the joy and sense of accomplishment. There's something really satisfying about accomplishing something together.
--Listening to you, it seems like your opinion is very much like that of a team sport.
But the sport you've been involved in up until now is cross-country skiing, which is an individual sport.
That's true. It's true that I'm the one competing, sweating and panting. But even though I'm competing alone, I have friends in the club, and even when I leave the club I still have friends. I have connections with those people, and I've received advice and encouragement from many people. So I don't feel like cross-country skiing is a solo sport.
-Do you feel that way while guiding?
In terms of teamwork with customers, the answer is yes.
Of course, it can be difficult to create an emotional connection with people seeing us for the first time. But I feel that there are certain obstacles we need to overcome, and overcoming them together deepens the bonds within the group. I don't want to make the tour difficult just for that reason. But each and every audience member is putting in a little bit of effort. At times like that, I try not to help more than necessary, but to just watch over and support them. That way, the joy when they accomplish their goal is even greater.
-Does this mean that you want to value the sense of accomplishment?
Simple enjoyment is important, and I don't think customers need to push themselves too hard. But I also don't want to be overprotective and scare away opportunities that lead to deep satisfaction and profound joy. The ideal guiding experience would be one that can achieve that delicate balance, and I think I need to work harder to achieve that.
Tachimoto places great importance on what teamwork can produce.
When doing something, I give it my all with friends who are facing the same direction and gritting their teeth. I know this from my many expeditions because it brings the greatest sense of fulfillment.
That's why he wants his relationships with the brands that support him to be warm and person-to-person.