INDEX
Founding Kammui to Innovate Experiences in Nature
Takano:Kammui was founded in 2021, right?
Max: Yes, it was. We launched it a year ago.
Takano: What kind of platform is Kammui?
Max: Kammui’s mission is to connect more people to nature. Nature is originally Japanese culture, and it is also important in terms of health and spirituality. With the recent increase in digital, mental and many other issues, we are trying through our platform to incorporate a little more nature into one’s lifestyle.
Takano: They match you up with people who can guide you through this.
Max: Yes, Kammui is a platform that matches you with Japan’s top guides in various fields, from monks in Kyoto for meditation to “Olympic” skiers, and allows you to book high quality nature experiences in Japan.
Takano: Looking at the website, there are various genres such as SUP (stand-up paddleboarding) and hiking. Among them, there is a genre called “Escapes,” and when I clicked on that, I found a tea ceremony experience, which I thought was a really wide range of genres.
Celeina: Does that escape mean escape from reality?
Max: It means an escape to nature. Not only guides but also accommodations are participating, so it is an experience in nature that includes lodging. There is adventure tourism that the Japanese government is also pushing now, for example, enjoying local food while enjoying nature in Hokkaido, or touring naturals wineries that are of a world-class level. We are innovating experiences in nature so that more people can enjoy them.
Celeina: Listening to you, I feel a strong connection between Max and outdoor activities, when did it all start?
Max: I had been backcountry snowboarding in Europe, but I really got into it when I returned to Japan. I got hooked on the world-class snow mountains in Japan, and through backcountry snowboarding I was inspired by Kammui.
Celeina: The quality of Japanese powder snow is very high, and it’s popular overseas.
Takano: I didn’t know that. From hobby to work, it sounds very idealistic, though.
Max: Yes, it does. From a financial standpoint, I think it would have been easier to have been a lawyer for a long time.
Celeina: It’s hard to make a job out of what you love, though.
Takano: But you have made connections with many people since starting Kammui, haven’t you?
Max: Yes, I have. This is the second time I’ve started a venture, and I’ve been introduced to people whose mission fits what I personally enjoy, and meeting new people is an inspiration.
Celeina: Meeting people. That’s a key word.
Takano: Now, I would like to do a song here. I asked Max to choose a song that we would all like to listen to together on the radio at this time. What song would it be?
Max: It’s a song that I like to play at the end when I DJ. It’s an upbeat song written by two great artists, Brian Eno, a British artist whom I respect the most, and John Cale, who was a member of The Velvet Underground. “Spinning Away” by John Cale & Brian Eno.
